Compliance training is a time-consuming issue for many companies in the US, but getting it wrong brings with it the threat of penalties. All operators subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), security programmes under the remit of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) or general workplace safety provisions imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) know this only too well.

It is not just the management task of arranging training courses – and the cost of paying for them – that is the problem. A greater threat of non-compliance comes with proper record-keeping. All enforcement agencies stress that one of the first things they will look for in any site inspection is the company’s training records. Managing those records is a major task for any human resources department.

The use of an advanced training management system (ATMS) can help companies in the hazardous materials field keep track of their training requirements and the records that show that they are in compliance with those requirements. Such a system can be used by logistics companies, freight forwarders, courier operations or any other entity responsible for shipping or carrying hazardous materials.

Get into hazmat

AQT Resources has recently expanded its ATMS offering to include a Regulatory Compliance version. This is, it says, “ideal for companies that must adhere to a variety of domestic and international regulations to ensure a high standard of compliance, safety, security and quality.”

“Having worked with and analysed this industry, we developed ATMS for Regulatory Compliance knowing there is a significant need for a practical training, scheduling, recordkeeping, grading and testing system,” says Melissa Powers, AQT’s regulatory compliance analyst. “Our system offers organisations the advanced tools needed to reach higher performance standards for both instructors and trainees. We understand the critical nature of proper training and recordkeeping to avoid letters of investigation, violations and fines. Our training management software manages end-to-end compliance training and recordkeeping requirements.”

ATMS for Regulatory Compliance management training software provides audit-ready solutions for companies that must comply with training and recordkeeping requirements imposed by, for example:

• the US Department of Transportation and its agencies
• the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

TSA and OSHA

– the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions, and

– the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations.

What it does for you

ATMS for Regulatory Compliance is designed to streamline and simplify training management processes into one concise system. Its key functionality includes:

• the delivery of existing training and e-learning programmes
• provision of a record of training history for each employee, showing successful completion and including dates, test questions and test scores
• automatic scheduling of recurrent training dates and management of initial training on recruitment or a change of job function, and
• storage and issuance of certificates of training, records of completion and other pertinent record-keeping and qualification data.

Trainees and instructors have access to an up-to-the-second training schedule and immediately receive notifications of training assignments and changes to their training. The system reduces the administration time and cost while ensuring increased information accuracy and currency.

The MyATMS function allows trainees to launch self-study e-learning content as well as tests, in a SCORM-compliant manner – regardless of whether the training content itself is SCORM-compliant. A mobile version provides instructors with the ability to upload results quickly and easily on mobile devices.

AQT Solutions began offering ATMS services in 2000, initially to the aviation industry and then military/defence sectors. Since then it has expanded its offering to other highly regulated sectors, including manufacturing, transport and logistics firms.

A demo version of ATMS for Regulatory Compliance can be found on the AQT Solutions website.