Hazardous Materials Safety Officer

16 Hour and 24 Hour Course

Summary Description

Signet’s Hazardous Materials Safety Officer educational course prepares the hazardous materials technician to fulfill the roles and responsibilities required of the position in the Incident Command System in response to hazardous materials incidents.  In addition, it will assist in preparing an overall hazardous materials response management program and protocols.

The hazardous materials safety officer position within the Incident Command System is a required position when responding to a defined hazardous materials incident.  The person filling this role must possess the training, experience, and education, and shall be defined as a hazardous materials technician in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.120(q).

This educational course is based on the requirements spelled out in 2008 NFPA 472 and will provide the participant with the education needed to successfully perform at a hazardous materials incident as a HazMat Safety Officer.  By law, technicians can only be appointed hazmat safety officer, however any person interested in hazardous materials safety, or involved in program management, will take great interest in the concepts, objectives and curriculum within this course and are encouraged to attend.

Goals

The goal of this course is to bring personnel to, at a minimum, the recognized United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Hazardous Materials Site Safety and Health Supervisor or Official,  29 CFR 1910.120(q).  Per this legislation by definition, the site safety officer is the individual located at a hazardous materials incident who is knowledgeable in the operations being implemented at the emergency response site, with specific responsibility to identify and evaluate hazards and to provide direction with respect to the safety of operations for the emergency at hand.  It will be the responsibility of the participants organization to verify competency and designate the participant qualified as a competent person to fulfill this role.

The course will also address NFPA 472 Chapter 11, Competencies for Hazardous Materials Site Safety Officers. This recommendation states that the competencies at this level shall be to provide the hazardous materials safety officer with the knowledge and skills to evaluate a hazardous materials/WMD incident for safety and ensure that recognized safe operational practices are followed. For Colorado responders, this Experience will also address Colorado Division of Fire Safety Hazardous Materials Operations JPR #2 and #5 as well as Hazardous Materials Technician JPR #6, #7, #8, #9a, and #9b.

This education course will contain at a minimum, the following within the curriculum:

  • LEGISLATION REVIEW
  • HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE OPERATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS.
  • ICS POSITIONS AT A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
  • THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HAZMAT SAFETY OFFICER AT AN INCIDENT.
  • INCIDENT SAFETY AND HAZARDS ANALYSIS.
  • SITE SAFETY AND HEALTH PLAN PREPARATION, REVIEW, AND IMPLEMENTATION.
  • RESOURCES FOR THE SAFETY OFFICER.
  • CASE STUDY EXAMINATION.
  • SCENARIOS FOR APPLICATION OF LEARNED CONCEPTS.

Prerequisites

None required, must be a certified Hazardous Materials Technician in order to perform the role of Hazmat Safety Officer at a Hazardous Materials event per 2008 NFPA 472 Chapter 11.