General Hazmat Recurrent Training Information

Regulatory guidelines within the United States and internationally require all hazmat employees to receive mandatory recurrent hazardous materials training within a specified time period. Depending on the mode of transportation and appropriate national authority, this time period may differ. The following is a basic guideline for when recurrent training should take place, based on the transportation of hazmat via ground, air and ocean within the United States and internationally:

• 49 CFR / DOT Recurrent Hazmat Training
• IATA Recurrent Dangerous Goods Training
• IMDG Code Recurrent Dangerous Goods Training

49 CFR / DOT Recurrent Hazmat Training

U.S. DOT Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) requires all recurrent training to be done within 3 years of previous training (§172.704(c)(2)). If you require training after 3 years after your last certification, you may no longer be eligible for recurrent training.

If you have received your hazmat training certificate for transporting hazardous materials by ground/surface prior to Monday, May 24, 2010, then your certification has expired. You may be required to take an initial course to be re-certified. Please contact a Bureau of Dangerous Goods training representative for more information.

IATA Recurrent Dangerous Goods Training

IATA DGR 1.5.0.3 Recurrent training must take place within 24 months of previous IATA dangerous goods training to ensure knowledge is current, unless a competent authority has defined a shorter period.

However, if your recurrent training is completed within the final 3 months of validity of previous training, the period of validity extends from the date on which the recurrent training was completed until 24 months (2 years) from the expiration date of your previous training.

For example, if your current training certification expires on Saturday, August 24, 2013 and you take a recurrent training course today on Friday, May 24, 2013, your new expiration date will be Sunday, August 24, 2014.

Please contact a Bureau of Dangerous Goods training representative for more information.

IMDG Code Recurrent Dangerous Goods Training

While there are no specific regulations in the IMDG Code that specify when recurrent training should take place, for United States purposes, 49 CFR §172.704(c)(2) applies in this situation and recurrent training must take place at least every 3 years from the last training certification.

If you have received your dangerous goods training certificate for transporting dangerous goods shipments by cargo vessel prior to Monday, May 24, 2010, then your certification has expired. You may be required to take an initial course to be re-certified. Please contact a Bureau of Dangerous Goods training representative for more information.