The U.S. DOT Hazardous Materials Transportation Regulations- Emerging Trends in Enforcement and Rulemaking and How Employers can Minimize Risk

Literally millions of U.S. employees in every employment sector are affected by the Department of Transportation (DOT) hazardous materials regulations.  These rules are continuously in flux and have wide-sweeping applicability- an unnoticed rule change, or an untrained employee, can put employers and individuals at risk.

The objective of the presentation is to give environmental, health and safety professionals cutting edge information, historical perspective, and most importantly, tools, which can be used to ensure future success in complying with the very dynamic regulatory discipline of DOT hazardous materials compliance.

The presenter will review recent enforcement and rule-making trends which have been driven by responses by the DOT to both hazardous materials incidents and harmonization with the international regulatory community.  Additionally, this program will identify common misconceptions held by, and oversights made by, employers. 

Participants will receive specific information regarding recent proposed and final rule changes and hazardous material enforcement initiatives.  One example to be presented is an overview of the National Transportation Safety Board’s analysis of the 2006 lithium battery fire aboard UPS flight 1307 and its impact upon recent and potential future regulatory changes regarding the shipping of batteries and battery-containing equipment.  Another example is a discussion of recent enforcement methods and findings by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Participants will also be given a 10-step strategy for identifying compliance risk, addressing deficiencies, and ensuring continued compliance.  Special emphasis will be placed on evaluating facilities to properly identifying oft-overlooked hazardous materials and employee roles that affect hazardous materials safety.