In early July, four military and four civilian members of Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Sigonella completed two Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Transportation certification courses, here,

As part of their official job responsibilities, the HAZMAT students perform certification duties in some phase of hazardous materials transportation, like shipment planning, documentation, shipment receiving or release. Completing these certification courses means they are now qualified to certify HAZMAT cargo for international movement.

"Hazardous materials transportation is one of our FLC's critical mission tenets for how we enable Warfighter readiness here in Europe,” John Host, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella’s Regional Transportation Manager and course organizer. "The more certified HAZMAT professionals we have to deploy, the more options we have to execute this essential aspect of our command’s ever growing mission in the European-African theater.”

The two courses, taught by a visiting Mobile Training Team, were Transportation of Hazardous Materials and International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail in Europe, or ADR. (Derived from French Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route). Course material covered basic hazardous material familiarization, awareness, and communication requirements. It also covered hazard classification, marking, labeling, placarding, certification, documentation, compatibility, safety, including emergency response information.

To organize and conduct the certification course, Host partnered with Army civilian instructors, assigned to 7th Army Training Command (ATC), headquartered at Tower Barracks in Grafenwöhr, Germany. In total, 30 students representing the below DoD organizations successfully completed the certification course.

Navy Munitions Command Det., Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Italy

Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Sigonella

Air Mobility Command NAS Sigonella

Environmental Support Health Manager Naval Station Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, Greece

NAVSUP FLCSI Naples

NAVSUP FLCSI Deveselu

NAVSUP FLCSI Redzikowo

NAVSUP FLCSI HQ

Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa

Navy Marine Corps. Atlantic Det. Naval Station Rota, Spain

Commander Task Force-67

All personnel involved with the preparation and shipment of HAZMAT for transportation must receive training in accordance with this regulation, 49 Code of Federal Regulations 172.704, Training Requirements, and DoD Component/Service/Agency HQ regulations.

“It’s difficult to overstate how certification in the ADR enables our FLC to complete its HAZMAT transportation mission,” said Jeff Criger, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella Supply Chain Director. “U.S. personnel responsible with the handling and shipping of HAZMAT anywhere in Europe must receive certification training in accordance with specific CFR and DoD Component/Service/Agency HQ regulations. If HAZMAT material is mis-managed or not transported in strict compliance with regulations, lives and property may be lost." 

The regulations read that “the maximum civil penalty for a person who knowingly violates a requirement of the Federal hazardous materials transportation laws is $186,610 if the violation results in death, serious illness, or severe injury to any person, or substantial destruction of property.”

NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is one of NAVSUP's eight globally-positioned logistics centers that provides for the full range of the Fleet's military operations. NAVSUP FLC Sigonella delivers solutions for logistics, business and support services to the Navy, Military Sealift Command, Joint and Allied Forces throughout Navy Region Europe-Africa-Southwest Asia.

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