How often is retraining required?
Under 49 CFR 172.704(c)(2), all hazmat employee training must be repeated in its entirety at least every three years. If rules or an employee’s responsibilities change during that three-year period, the employee’s training must be updated. The three-year retraining deadline is a deadline. Anyone not retrained by the third anniversary of his or her previous training may not legally perform any hazmat employee functions. IATA requires recurrent training within 24 months of the initial training (IATA 1.5.0.3). Although this deadline is not legally enforceable, some air carriers may refuse your shipments if you have not received training within the previous 24 months. IMDG rules defer retraining frequency to “a timeframe deemed appropriate by a competent authority” (IMDG 1.3.1.4). Therefore, the three-year DOT deadline applies in the U.S.
