FAA Inspecting Dealerships for HazMat Certification

FAA Inspecting Dealerships for HazMat Certification

Kip Prahl & Associates (KPA) reports that, although the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation (DOT), does not often get involved with automobile dealerships, many of its clients have reported visits from the FAA within the last month in response to recent shipments of hazardous materials from the dealership’s parts department.

–It appears that the FAA has increased their inspection program due to the recent terrorist threats and resulting arrests that occurred in the UK last month,” said KPA in a September 18, 2006 Client Alert.

–The United States Code of Federal Regulations CFR Title 49 Parts 171-180 explains that anyone who •causesê hazardous materials to be shipped in commerce is considered a hazardous materials employer, and thus must provide DOT hazardous materials training for their employees involved in this activity. For those clients who think that this training requirement does not apply to them, we say try explaining that to an FAA inspector – and good luck at that,” said KPA.

KPA warns that if an FAA inspector shows up at your dealership to verify DOT hazmat certification, you must be able to demonstrate that those employees involved in the transport of hazardous materials to or from your facility have been DOT hazmat-certified and that the certifications are current. Failure to produce such documentation may result in enforcement actions, which typically include fines. –Since real world accidents have a way of eliminating legal statutes, don’t let your dealership be the next dismal statistic,” said KPA.

The KPA alert offers a brief summary of dealership responsibilities concerning hazardous materials training and how to respond to an FAA inspector. For more information, contact KPAês Maryland office at 877-548-0372.