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Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)

Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)

Hazardous Material Control and Management (HMC&M) focuses on preventing, minimizing, or eliminating the introduction of hazardous material (HM or HAZMAT) into the Navy system, substituting less hazardous HM for HM already in the Navy system, safely using HM in the workplace, and safely handling and disposing of hazardous waste (HW or HAZWASTE). HMC&M incorporates the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) Standard, the OSHA Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Standard, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). HMC&M involves a variety of local organizational and functional elements due to the federal, state and local right-to-know laws, overlapping requirements of the laws, and regulations that affect HM use and the logistic aspects of supply and material disposition.

HMC&M reinforces the importance of many basic Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) objectives and functions. All SOH personnel have a crucial role in support of the HMC&M program. Active participation of SOH staff in the program should reduce unnecessary functional overlaps and duplication of effort within the activity or region organization. Further, active and aggressive safety, HMC&M, and HAZCOM efforts are an optimal means to eliminate or control personnel exposures to HM in the workplace, as well as reducing Navy liability related to HM use. Management leadership and the active involvement of employees and supervisors in implementing HMC&M-related programs are essential.