Hazardous material

A hazardous material (HAZMAT) is any solid, liquid, or gas that can cause harm to humans and other living organisms due to being radioactive, flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, a biohazard, an oxidizer, an asphyxiant, or capable of causing severe allergic reactions. Mitigating the risks associated with hazardous materials often requires extensive safety precautions during their transport, disposal and storage. Most countries regulate hazardous materials by law, and they are subject to several international treaties as well.

Related Topics:
Solid - Liquid - Gas - Organism - Allergic reactions - Transport - Disposal - Storage

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Persons who handle hazardous materials will often wear protective Hazmat suits, and metropolitan fire departments often have a "Hazmat team" specifically trained to deal with accidents and spills. These teams train at a variety of specialized locations. One of the most well-known is the TTCI Emergency Response Training Center (ERTC) located in Pueblo, Colorado. Others are Texas A & M University's Texas Engineering Extension Service National Emergency Response & Rescue Training Center, Lousiana State University's Fire and Emergency Training Institute, and the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI).

Related Topics:
Hazmat suit - Fire department

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For the sake of consistency, the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods of the United Nations Economic and Social Council provides a Model Regulation from which many national regulations are inspired (e.g. ADR for road transports in Europe, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for airlines. The Model Regulation gives a general approach and some general provisions expected to be widely applied. A key element is the requirement that UN numbers be displayed prominently on any hazardous materials or their containers, allowing them to be quickly identified in case of an accident. In the United States, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hazmat transportation regulations are found in CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 49. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also regulates the handling and response to hazardous materials-related incidents, most notably within CFR 29, 1910.120. This is commonly referred to as HAZWOPER (HAZ-ardous WA-ste OP-erations and E-mergency R-esponse).

Related Topics:
Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - United Nations Economic and Social Council - ADR - IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations - UN number

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Due to the increased threat of terrorism in the early 21st century, funding for greater HAZMAT-handling capabilities was increased throughout the United States, in recognition of the fact that flammable, poisonous, explosive, or radioactive substances in particular could make attractive vectors for terrorist attacks.

Related Topics:
Terrorism - 21st century - United States

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