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Ask a Trooper by Troy Christianson

Question: I’m thinking about getting a commercial driver’s license with a HAZMAT endorsement. Do I need to have a background or some education in basic chemistry?

Answer: No, but there are many responsibilities and requirements in dealing with hazardous materials. For example, you need to know when to use placards and which products can be loaded together.

Hazardous materials are products that pose a risk to health, safety and property during transportation. The term often is shortened to HAZMAT, which you may see on road signs, or to HM in government regulations. Hazardous materials include explosives, various types of gas, solids, and flammable and combustible liquid. All levels of government regulate the handling of hazardous materials.

To get a hazardous materials endorsement on a commercial driver’s license, you must pass a written test. To pass, you must know how to:

• Identify what are hazardous materials.

• Safely load shipments.

• Properly placard your vehicle in accordance with the rules.

• Safely transport shipments.

Transporting hazardous materials can be risky. The regulations are intended to protect you, those around you, and the environment. They tell shippers how to package the materials safely and drivers how to load, transport and unload the material. These are called “containment rules.”

Shippers must warn drivers and others about the material’s hazards. The regulations require shippers to put hazard warning labels on packages, provide proper shipping papers, emergency response information and placards. These steps communicate the hazard to the shipper, the carrier and the driver.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.

If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol, at 2900 48th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901-5848; or reach him at Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us.

Troy Christianson is a sergeant with the Minnesota State Patrol.