Some industries have relatively few or no health risks to them; someone working an office job, for example, may only worry about eye strain or opening an attachment on a suspicious e-mail. In other industries, however, hazardous materials are often produced either as a product or a byproduct of other processes, and all of this material has to be stored and moved around for safety and convenience for everyone involved. This is not the same as stacking crates in a warehouse; many hazardous materials can cause major damage to property or human life if stored or transported incorrectly, or even if a person goes near them without the proper precautions. Online training can often bolster a worker’s skills and expertise so he or she can handle and transport these materials safely. Online IATA courses, or International Air Transport Association, can help pilots and crew handle hazardous waste and hazardous materials at airports and storing these materials correctly on the plane, while management training online and management certification can give a worker the skills needed for handling these materials.
Hazardous Materials and Business
Plenty of industry today is centered on the production, transportation, or storage of hazardous materials. For example, the commodities with the highest volume of weight in the United States are natural gas, Coca Cola, and asphalt, adding up to $1.673 trillion, and while Coca Cola certainly is not a hazardous material in most senses, natural gas certainly is, and other materials such as pressurized gas, liquid nitrogen, flammable gas or solids, nuclear waste, highly corrosive chemicals, and more are out there and need transportation and storage. Each year, out of the roughly 11 billion tons of freight that is shipped across the United States by trucks, some of it is hazardous: just over three billion tons of such materials are shipped every year, sometimes by truck, sometimes by train, and sometimes on board airplanes or cargo ships. Trucks get the lion’s share; some 94% of hazmat shipments are carried in trucks.
Being Safe
Safety with hazardous materials is highly important to protect human life and property alike, and it is something that usually requires training and expertise to accomplish. For those working with airlines or in airports, taking online IATA courses is essential to handling any cargo safely, especially hazmat. Online IATA courses can be recommended by an employer once an employee is needed to help with handling hazmat materials. Hazmat certification is typically awarded to a person by name to prove to the company that he or she is qualified to move and store hazardous waste in its containers. OSHA hazmat training may be involved as well.
Aside from online IATA courses, more general online management courses may also involve lessons on working with hazardous wastes if the industry typically involves such materials. Online courses and hazardous materials training in person will also involve teaching what equipment to use for handling hazardous materials and waste. Full body suits, gloves, or boots may be common features when working around these materials, to protect bare human skin from contact with corrosive, toxic, or extremely hot or cold gases, liquids, or solids. Even dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, requires special equipment since the ice sublimates into dangerous CO2 and the ice can easily cause frostbite on contact. Breathing assistance, such as gas masks, may be needed if dangerous fumes are present, and goggles can protect the eyes from irritating fumes or from splashing materials. Equipment to move hazmat containers, such as forklifts or cranes, may be involved as well.