TOOLKIT FOR Hazardous Materials Transportation Education

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TOOLKIT FOR Hazardous Materials Transportation
Education
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Module 8 Hazmat Transportation Workforce
Development Issues
This work is sponsored by the U. S. Department of
Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA).  It was conducted
through the Hazardous Materials Cooperative
Research Program (HMCRP), which is administered
by the Transportation Research Board of the
National Academies.   Prepared by 3 Sigma
Consultants, LLC 909 Edenbridge Way, Nashville,
TN 37215
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Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this module students will be able
  to
• Recognize the challenges facing the development
  of the future workforce to address hazardous
  materials transportation issues.
• Describe the career paths taken by those engaged
  in hazardous materials transportation.
• 3. Identify potential actions to increase the
  supply of professionals in the hazardous
  materials transportation field.

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Topics

• Issues facing the future transportation workforce
  
• Insights into the subset of workforce needs for
  hazardous materials transportation
• Career pathways

.
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Transportation Work Force Challenges

• Demographic changes in the work force
• Competitive labor market
• New technologies
• Demand on the transportation industry

Source NCHRP Report 685, Strategies to Attract
and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce,
2011
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Demographic Changes

• Aging workforce
• Wave of baby boomer retirements
• 30 of railroad workforce eligible for retirement
  in 5 years
• More women pursuing careers in traditionally
  male-dominated fields
• More ethnically diverse workforce
• Changing perceptions of career paths and employee
  loyalty

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Competitive Labor Market

• Image of the industry
• Perceived as dangerous
• Low tech image
• Working conditions
• May require relocation
• Unpredictable hours
• Must be drug free
• May require specialized certifications
• Retention
• Many workers seeking other opportunities

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New Technologies

• Field is not viewed as high tech
• Yet, technology applications requires an advanced
  skill set

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Demand on the Transportation Industry

• Overall demand on the transportation system has
  increased by 20 in recent years
• Employment projections indicate additional growth
  in the sector
• BLS projects over 573,000 new freight
  transportation jobs over the decade 2010 to 2020,
  a growth of 22.1.

Source U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2012, Table 48-490, Transportation
and Warehousing.
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Hazmat Transportation Employment Demand Indicators

• The movement of hazardous materials through the
  U.S. transportation system represents almost 18
  percent of total tonnage for all freight
  shipments as measured by the Commodity Flow
  Survey (CFS).
• Hazardous materials ton-mileage represents about
  10 percent of the CFS national total.
• The value of hazmat shipments between 2002 and
  2007 more than doubled, from 660 billion to
  1,448 billion.
• Implication At least 10 to 20 percent of freight
  jobs involve transport of hazmat.
• Even occasional shipments of hazmat require
  trained personnel.

Source 2007 Commodity Flow Survey, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 2011.
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Hazmat Transportation Employment Demand Indicators

• Tank Car Demand
• The lack of a pipeline from the Bakken Shale
  formation has prompted greater demand for tank
  cars to transport the oil.
• Tank car demand has also been bolstered by
  continued strength in ethanol production.
• Tank Barge Demand
• A marine carrier sees rising interest in moving
  domestic crude by waterborne vessels as domestic
  shale oil production increases.

Sources Railway Age, Feb. 1, 2012 and Reuters,
October 25, 2012.
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Focused Challenges in Hazardous Materials
Transportation Career Development

• No one single career preparation path
• The individual with hazmat transportation
  responsibility may also have other duties within
  the company.
• Promotion to the position is most often from
  within.

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Career Preparation Paths

• Railroad VP of Safety and Emergency Response
• Degree in Education - Fire service Hazmat
  responsibility- many courses in emergency
  response training leader
• Railroad Director of Hazardous Materials
• BS in Engineering additional emergency response
  training certified locomotive engineer, active
  at a high level in professional organizations
• Consultant
• BS in Business background in logistics and
  supply chain involved in chemical industry
  Responsible Care program
• Hazmat Instructor, Consultant and Author
• Electronics and instrumentation training,
  military service, logistics manager, hazmat
  certification training, emergency management
  instructor
• Chemical Industry Hazmat Distribution Safety
• BS in civil Engineering supply chain, warehouse
  management, and hazmat distribution safety

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Multiple Responsibilities ofHAZMAT
Transportation Manager

• Training
• Logistics
• Package design
• Regulatory enforcement
• Safety
• Risk analysis
• Emergency response
• Represent company/industry on national committees

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Typical Responsibilities of Hazmat Transportation
Manager

• Assuring that all employees handling hazmat
  shipments are trained and properly certified
• Implementing processes and procedures to insure
  that all federal and other regulations are
  followed
• Be the primary point of contact for any issues or
  questions relating to hazmat transportation
• Developing and implementing plans for incident
  response

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Alternative Career Paths in Hazardous Materials
Transportation

• Engineering
• Environmental
• Chemical
• Civil and Environmental
• Mechanical
• Systems
• Industrial
• Environmental and Health Science
• Chemistry
• Business
• Supply Chain and Logistics
• Management/Business Administration
• Information Science
• Other (e.g., agriculture, construction, military)

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How Do You Fill the Pipeline?

• K-12
• Community college
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Professional development and continuing education
• Retention and promotion

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K-12

• Encourage mathematics and science preparation by
  focusing on STEM (Science, Technology,
  Engineering and Mathematics) career
  opportunities.
• Develop materials aimed at K-12 level to provide
  students and parents basic information on
  hazardous materials transportation
• Develop materials relating to chemistry,
  environmental, health science and transportation
  careers

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Community College

• Provide career guidance to highlight employment
  opportunities in engineering, chemistry,
  environmental science and transportation
• Provide scholarships and internships

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Undergraduate Programs

• Include some coverage of hazardous materials
  transportation challenges in undergraduate
  courses.
• Host speakers or programs to inform students of
  career opportunities.
• Provide scholarships and internships.

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Graduate Programs

• Offer courses or programs in hazardous materials
  transportation.
• Develop a research program focused on hazardous
  materials transportation.
• Provide scholarships and research funding
  opportunities.

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Retention and Promotion

• This is key as most positions are filled from
  within organizations.
• Offer education and training opportunities,
  specifically in areas such as transportation
  basics, environmental science, and chemistry.
• Provide opportunities for professional growth and
  advancement.
• Advanced degrees
• Professional certification
• Executive management training
• Membership and involvement in professional
  organizations

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Key Takeaways

• The volume of hazardous materials carried by the
  U.S. transportation network will continue to
  increase.
• The demand for qualified individuals to manage
  the flow of hazardous goods will continue to
  increase.
• Steps must be taken beginning at the K-12 level
  to expose individuals to responsibilities
  associated with hazmat material safety and
  security.
• Educational programs should be available for post
  secondary students through graduate school to
  develop awareness, knowledge and skills related
  to hazmat transportation.
• As most hazardous materials transportation
  positions are filled from within an organization,
  it is vital that organizations provide education
  and training opportunities to maintain knowledge
  levels and to support promotion and retention of
  staff.
• Given these diverse needs, a hazmat
  transportation curriculum tool kit that is
  comprehensive yet adaptable should be maintained
  and broadly disseminated.

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Student Exercises

• Prepare a job description along with required
  education and desired skills for the position of
  hazardous materials transportation manager for a
  major trucking company.
• Develop an outline for a 15 minute talk to high
  school students on why it is important to have a
  knowledge of environmental science and chemistry
  if you are responsible for hazardous materials
  transportation.

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Resources for Career Development Information

• The Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous
  Articles, Inc., www.costha.com
• Dangerous Goods Advisory Council, www.dgac.org
• Institute of Hazardous Materials Management,
  http//www.ihmm.org/
• American Chemical Society, www.acs.org
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
  Administration, www.phmsa.dot.gov
• Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program
  (HMCRP), http//www.trb.org/HMCRP/HMCRP.aspx
• Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals,
  https//www.ahmpnet.org/

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Resources for Support and Additional Learning

• NCHRP Report 685, Strategies to Attract and
  Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce, 2011.
• The Workforce Challenge, Transportation Research
  Board Special Report 175, 2003.
• Employment Projections, U.S. Department of Labor,
  Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Blueprint for Success Enhancing the Image of
  the Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Good
  Professional, COSTHA, http//www.costha.com/initia
  tives/enhancing-the-image/.
• Trends, Issues Careers in Hazardous Materials
  Transportation, Webinar sponsored by the American
  Public University, http//vimeo.com/7268895.
• Workforce Summit, Council of University
  Transportation Centers, April 24-26, 2012,
  Washington, D.C., http//www.artba.org/mediafiles/
  pdfhdntwssummary.pdf