Statistics show that over 3 billion tons of hazardous materials are shipping throughout the world each year. Considering that, many businesses prefer to have hazardous materials shipped by a truck. In fact, nearly 94% of all daily hazmat shipments are transported by truck. Therefore, it’s wise to learn how to ship hazardous materials as safely as possible. Considering that, here are four important safety tips to follow while shipping HAZMAT materials.
- Wear Necessary Protective Gear
Whether cargo is entering or exiting your vehicle, many hazardous material shipments require physically moving these objects. With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you’re wearing each and every piece of required safety gear. This gear helps to protect you in the event that something goes wrong while you’re shipping HAZMAT materials. - Read Shipping Labels Thoroughly
Each year in the United States, shipping trucks move nearly 11 billion tons of freight is moved across 250 billion miles. Considering that, much of this cargo gets where it needs to go through the preparation of shipping labels. An essential aspect of hazardous materials training is to learn how to understand both shipping labels and safety data sheets. - Don’t Eat or Drink with Contaminated Hands
A long day or night of being out on the road can make almost anyone work up an appetite. That being said, it’s important to ensure that your hands are thoroughly clean before reaching for any food or beverage. Neglecting to clean your hands before coming into contact with food could contaminate anything you’re about to eat. - Ensure Work Space Remains Clean
While many drivers consider trucks to be their offices, it’s still important that these spaces remain clean. An unclean workplace can lead to many problems, especially while shipping hazardous materials. An unclean work area is also one that could end up making you extremely sick. Therefore, you’ll always want to ensure that your truck remains clean.
To summarize, there are several ways to stay safe while shipping HAZMAT. If you’re needing to learn more about shipping HAZMAT materials, consider taking online courses over this subject. In turn, you’ll be able to find out more about required training for shipping HAZMAT materials. You can also obtain the credits needed to gain a HAZMAT certification.