What is a Hazardous Material?
Hazardous materials are defined and regulated in the United States primarily by laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Hazardous Materials: General Awareness and Familiarization
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) uses the term "hazardous materials" to cover substances in 9 hazard classes, some of which have subcategories called "divisions." The nine classes of hazardous materials are:
- Explosives
- Gases
- Flammable Liquid
- Flammable Solids
- Oxidizing Substances; Organic Peroxides
- Poisonous (Toxic) and Infectious Substances
- Radioactive Material
- Corrosives
- Miscellaneous Hazardous Goods
DOT includes in its regulations hazardous substances and hazardous wastes as Class 9 (Miscellaneous Hazardous Goods), both of which are regulated by the EPA.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-4. Identify one of the nine classes of hazards covered by the DOT's definition of "hazardous materials."
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