Page 28 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2018

IH/HAZMAT
Is America’s Hazmat in Good Hands?
Yes, for now. But the world will need a new crop of dedicated dangerous goods professionals to ensure hazmat reaches its destination, safely and on time.
BY ROGER MARKS
I’ve never met a dangerous goods professional who told me he or she dreamed of managing hazardous cargo as a child. I’ve never met one who majored in “Hazmat Studies” in college or
who even thought much about hazardous materials before taking the job.
Hazardous materials management, as it turns out, is a career many come to without necessarily meaning to. Because of their talents, reliability, achievements, and other qualities, they have been entrusted with protecting employees, property, and the public from the risks posed by materials that have the potential to explode, set aflame, corrode steel, poison, and oth- erwise damage human health and the environment. Hazardous materials management is a huge respon- sibility, and those entrusted with it take it seriously.
I’ve met dangerous goods professionals from all
50 states and from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and China. I’ve spoken with hundreds more stationed across the globe. They are analysts, engineers, chem- ists, geologists, project managers, lab managers, plant supervisors, coordinators, specialists, technicians, and more. They hold various hard-earned certifications, licenses, and credentials, and they all share one thing in common: They’ve stumbled upon a field of great im- portance, one that impacts the safety and well-being of their employees, the public, and workers throughout the supply chain.
Once these chosen few professionals enter the world of dangerous goods, most never leave.
Who Are America’s Hazmat Shippers?
Professionals who ship hazmat and hazardous waste perform a job that is integral to life on this planet,
22 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2018
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