Haz-mat group provides education, training

The Greater Ozarks Chapter of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers is a 14-member organization committed to offering opportunities for education, facilitating peer group interaction and establishing the Certified Hazardous Materials Managers credential as the standard of excellence in the hazardous materials management profession.

“(Hazardous materials management) is as much of an issue here as anywhere else,” said David Vaughan, chapter president. Vaughan also is principal scientist and division, compliance and assessment manager for Environmental Works.

Defining hazardous materials

Hazardous materials can be classified into several categories.

According to Bob Kick, chapter treasurer and principal and office manager for The Forrester Group, there are common household hazardous materials, which include paint, gasoline, various cleaners and lye. They pose some health concern for an individual to use and are usually toxic or flammable. There are hazardous wastes that have certain characteristics of being toxic, flammable, and corrosive. There are also certain wastes generated by certain processes that are called listed wastes, meaning a regulatory agency has listed them as hazardous.

Ozarks issues

Vaughan said the Ozarks’ geological characteristics also play into hazardous materials management.

“We have a lot of springs and caves and sink holes, and managing that material to keep it out of those places is really important, because once it gets in there it is very difficult to get it out and undo the damage it caused,” he said.

The most common hazardous material situations in Springfield are incidents related to underground storage tanks, transport accidents from fuel and other hazardous materials, transportation, mold, fertilizers and pesticides, said Karen Schaefer, chapter secretary and vice president of Sunbelt Environmental Services Inc.

But, she added, increased awareness has brought change to hazardous materials management in recent years.

“I think that companies really do have a desire to stay in compliance and they don’t have a wish to contribute to the pollution of our ground water and air,” Schaefer said.

Membership

GOCACHMM members have degrees in science or engineering and at least seven years of experience in the field, Vaughan said.

The organization holds quarterly board and general meetings. Certified memberships are $30 a year.

According to its Web site, www.gocac

hmm.org, the purpose of the organization is to “collectively represent and to safeguard the common interests of the members of the hazardous materials management profession; cultivate, promote, and sustain the profession of hazardous materials management; elevate and maintain the professional character and education of hazardous materials managers; contribute toward the protection of human health and the environment; and facilitate the exchange of ideas to improve administration of hazardous materials management programs.”

The organization does several things to help its members do their jobs more effectively. “One important thing that the organization does is to provide training for its members and also other interested parties in the business community,” Kick said. “For example, the last few years we have organized an annual meeting and a one-day seminar to discuss regulatory development that would be of interest to members.”

In addition to Vaughan, Schaefer and Kick, other officers are: Suzan Gonder, past president; Emily Krites, vice president and Robin Melton, board member.

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