| Every day of the week, year-round, thousands of | | | | Department of Transportation (DOT), and the |
| large trucks like 18-wheelers transport millions of | | | | Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Each |
| pounds of stuff across the country. They ensure | | | | organization has its own definition of what a |
| that people receive mail and that fruits and | | | | hazardous material is. |
| vegetables reach the grocery stores where so | | | | OSHA has a definition of "hazardous material" that |
| many people get their food. Something else they | | | | includes any substance or chemical which is a |
| transport is hazardous cargo. | | | | "health hazard" or "physical hazard." This includes |
| Hazardous cargo is any cargo made of a | | | | chemicals that are carcinogens, toxic agents, |
| hazardous material. A hazardous material is any | | | | irritants, corrosives, sensitizers. It also includes |
| item or agent (biological, chemical, physical) which | | | | agents which act on the hematopoietic system |
| has the potential and likelihood of causing harm to | | | | and chemicals that damage the lungs, skin, eyes, |
| humans, animals, or environment if not handled | | | | or mucous membranes. Combustible, explosive, |
| properly. It can do this on its own or through | | | | flammable, oxidizers, pyrophorics, |
| interaction with other factors. | | | | unstable-reactive or water-reactive chemicals are |
| There is an entire profession dedicated to handling | | | | all also included. Basically, OSHA has the broadest |
| hazardous materials properly. Hazardous materials | | | | definition of hazardous as they are dealing with |
| professionals are responsible for and properly | | | | the safety of workers everywhere rather than a |
| qualified to manage these materials. This includes | | | | specific field. |
| managing and advising other managers on | | | | The Environmental Protection Agency has |
| hazardous materials during their entire life cycle. | | | | adopted OSHA's definition but added any item or |
| This goes from process planning and development | | | | chemical which can damage to people, plants, or |
| of new products through manufacturing, | | | | animals when it is released by spilling, leaking, |
| distribution, use, disposal, cleanup, and remediation. | | | | pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, |
| Hazardous materials are defined and regulated in | | | | escaping, leaching, injecting, dumping, or disposing |
| the United States by laws and regulations. These | | | | of the substance into the environment. Their list |
| regulations are administered by the Environmental | | | | of hazards contains over 350 hazardous and |
| Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety | | | | extremely hazardous materials. |
| and Health Administration (OSHA), the | | | | |