What Counts as a Hazard Material in a Commercial Business?

hazardous materials

Generally, hazardous materials are any materials that have the potential to harm people, animals, or ecosystems. Business owners have a responsibility to their customers and to the environment to ensure that they are handling and shipping hazardous materials appropriately. That’s why the EPA, the DOT, the OSHA, and the NRC all have regulations in place to handle potential hazards.

For shipping commercial goods, the DOT specifies nine classes of hazardous materials. Each of them has different handling instructions, so it’s best to contact CL Smith today to find out the best way to ship hazardous goods. Read on to find out about DOT classifications and what counts as hazardous.

Explosive Materials

Explosive materials are considered hazardous enough to warrant extreme caution in transportation. They range from Class 1.1 materials that present a mass explosion hazard to Class 1.6 explosives, which are very insensitive but still require careful handling.

Compressed Gasses

Compressed gasses pose a health and safety risk. The DOT specifies three sub-classes of compressed gasses. They are flammable gases, nonflammable compressed gases, and poisonous gases. Business owners must find packagers and handlers that can follow DOT regulations for the transport of these gases.

Inflammable Liquids

Liquids with a flash point below 141 degrees Fahrenheit are flammable, while those with a flash point between 141 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit are combustible. The transportation of both these sub-classes of hazardous liquids is regulated by the DOT.

Inflammable Solids

Solid materials can be flammable, spontaneously combustible, or dangerous when wet. Depending on which of these categories the goods fall into, they must be handled differently. Work with a handler who specializes in transporting hazardous goods.

Oxidizers and Organic Peroxides

Oxidizers are chemical agents that act as catalysts to burn fuel. Organic peroxides are carbon-containing compounds that have two joined-together oxygen atoms. Both these categories of materials pose severe fire and explosion hazards so they must be handled appropriately.

Toxic Materials

Toxic materials include infectious agents and poisons. If they are stored or handled inappropriately, they could be released into the environment and pose a threat to human and animal health as well as the environment.

Radioactive Materials

The U.S. government strictly controls all ionizing radioactive materials. It’s unlikely that the average business owner will ever need to store or transport them.

Corrosive Materials

There are two types of corrosive materials. The first causes damage to human skin if its handlers come into contact with it, while the second causes severe steel corrosion. Both types of substances must be stored and transported appropriately in non-reactive containers.

Miscellaneous Materials

The DOT also has a catch-all, Class 9 hazardous materials classification referred to as “miscellaneous.” It covers any material, liquid or solid, considered dangerous to human, animal, or environmental health but doesn’t fall into the other eight freight classifications described above. Speak with a specialist about how to transport Class 9 hazardous materials.

The Bottom Line

Most business owners don’t have to worry about learning all the classifications of hazardous substances. They just need to know whether they should take precautions when handling and transporting material goods. The best way for a business owner to determine what steps he or she must take to protect employees, customers, and others from potential health and safety hazards is to speak with a hazardous materials packaging and transport expert familiar with all relevant regulations.