How frequently must “hazmat employees” be trained and retrained?
Hazmat employee training must be updated any time DOT issues any new or revised rule applicable to the duties of a particular employee [49 CFR 172.702(b)]. The training must be completed by each employee “prior to performance of a function affected by the new or revised rule” [61 FR 27169, May 30, 1996]. Because most rules have a delayed effective date or a transition period for compliance, an annual training update generally meets the needs for most Hazmat Employers. Hazmat employee training must be repeated in its entirety (not just updated or refreshed) at minimum every three years [49 CFR 172.704(c)(2)]. This “recurrent” training must include testing and formal recordkeeping. If an employee has not been re-trained within the past three years, that employee cannot perform any hazmat employee functions until trained.
