Online Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) Certification Course


Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT)

Our Shipping Infections Substances course covers the fundamentals of shipping infectious substances and diagnostic specimens. Our 7 step approach encompasses all of the activities which must be addressed when preparing these hazardous materials for shipment by air and by ground. This course has been updated to include recent changes to the regulations, including HM-215D. The course also covers shipments containing dry ice.

  • Infectious Substances, Category A (UN 2814 and UN 2900),
  • Biological Substances, Category B (UN 3373),
  • Patient Specimens, and
  • Carbon dioxide, solid (dry ice), Class 9 (UN 1845)

The course meets the requirements for training as specified in 49 CFR 172 Subpart H, including testing of participants. This course does not cover driver training as required for each hazmat employee who will operate a motor vehicle.

Course Details

Eduwhere’s Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) course satisfies two important requirements: compliance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) training and assessment regulations and the Department of Transportation (DOT) hazardous materials training requirements as specified in 49 Code of Federal Regulations §172.704. The course length is estimated at 3 contact hours, although individual completion time may vary.

Course Fee
$190.00 USD

Includes:

  • Instant Access, Online, On-Demand
  • Certificate, Wallet Card, Scoresheet
  • Accepted by: DOT / FAA, IATA

For help call Toll-Free 866-523-9108

Group Discount Information

Topics

  • General awareness and familiarization
  • Identification of hazardous materials
  • Packaging operations
  • Marking and labeling
  • Shipping papers
  • Dry Ice requirements
  • Security Awareness Training and Security Plans
  • Federal Register update

Who Should Take Eduwhere’s Infectious Substance Class?

A variety of medical professionals and healthcare specialists that may come into contact with infectious or biological substances should participate in Eduwhere’s Infectious Substances Training, such as:

  • doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals;
  • laboratory technicians;
  • veterinarians;

And anyone who:

  • Prepares infectious substances and diagnostic specimens for transportation;
  • Selects packaging or packages infectious substances and diagnostic specimens;
  • Completes a shipper's declaration or other paperwork associated with the transport of infectious substances and diagnostic specimens;
  • Loads, unloads, or handles hazardous materials, including infectious substances and diagnostic specimens;
  • Is responsible for safety of transporting hazardous materials.

Do You Ship Infectious Substances?

All personnel who are responsible for shipping biological materials by air domestically or internationally must attain the Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) certification. In just three short contact hours, you’ll have all the information you need to proceed confidently in tasks related to hazmat air shipping.

By taking Eduwhere’s convenient online class on shipping biological materials by air, employees who handle the air transport of hazardous materials will be confident that they are performing their work safely and in compliance with IATA and DOT standards.

Through this class, led by NC State Department of Forestry and Environmental Technology professor and environmental consultant Linda R. Taylor, you’ll be able to identify hazardous materials, learn how to safely package and label them, complete required shipping paperwork correctly, and safely prepare packages that contain dry ice. You’ll also become familiar with security awareness and training plans and updates to the Federal Register.

Do You Prepare Infectious Substances for Transportation?

Personnel who are involved in any stage of preparing hazardous materials for international or domestic shipping must also complete Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) training. The Department of Transportation, in partnership with agencies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association, requires employees to complete this training to comply with international hazmat shipping regulations.

Infectious materials include substances that cause illness in people or animals; biological substances such as blood, tissue, and body parts; patient specimens (from medical or veterinary facilities), and dry ice, which releases carbon dioxide and is therefore an explosion hazard.

Eduwhere’s training instructs professionals who prepare hazmat shipments with up-to-date best practices for packaging, labeling and marking, completing shipping paperwork, ensuring dry ice safety, and much more. For over two decades, Eduwhere has provided professionals in a variety of industries with the skills they need to complete their jobs safely and well.

Do You Operate a Vehicle that Transports Infectious Substances?

Whether you’re involved with transporting hazardous materials internationally via aviation or through ground transportation in the United States, you are required to attain DOT and IATA training to perform your job. After completing the initial Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) training, those who work with air shipments must take refresher training every two years, and ground shipment personnel every three years.

Even if you transport hazardous materials as an employee of a third-party shipper, such as FedEx or DHL, you must complete the training. Since so many different industries rely on third-party shipping of hazardous waste, this training may be needed by most or all individuals at your company. Eduwhere offers competitive group discounts for instances in which team leaders need to secure training for a large number of employees.

Industries that Require Shipping Infectious Substances Courses

Up-to-date knowledge of how to safely transport hazardous materials is essential in a wide-ranging assortment of occupations. These include: Medical professionals (doctors, nurses, and technicians) Veterinary professionals (doctors, assistants, and technicians) Cosmetologists Demolition professionals Manufacturers Electronics professionals Refrigeration professionals

Whether we like it or not, hazardous materials are simply a part of daily life in many industries. Knowing that you and your team are well equipped to manage the transport of these substances—whether through air or ground transport—will give you the confidence you need to thrive in your professional role.

Although considered “hazardous,” shipping such substances is often integral to hugely beneficial enterprises, such as diagnosing and treating diseases in humans and animals, manufacturing critical goods, and keeping fresh food from perishing. Thus, this training helps a wide range of professionals answer critical societal needs.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this online course, participants should be able to:
  • locate and use the Federal hazardous materials regulations;
  • properly label and mark hazardous material containers for shipment;
  • complete Bill of Lading for hazardous materials;
  • select proper packaging for hazardous materials;
  • develop appropriate emergency response information to accompany shipments.

Instructor

Linda R. Taylor, PE

Linda is the owner of Taylor Engineering, and a former faculty member in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Technology at NC State University and the former Director of Environmental Health & Safety at North Carolina State University's IES. She has over 30 years of engineering experience working in industry, academia, and environmental consulting, including over 25 years at North Carolina State University. She has provided instruction on a wide range of environmental, health, transportation, and safety topics at conferences and training courses, both live and online, and she is a licensed Professional Engineer and an OSHA authorized instructor.

Ms. Taylor received a BS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Contact Hours

3 Contact Hours
This represents the estimated time to complete the online course, including exercises. Actual times may vary from user to user.

Training Requirement

Citation: IATA DGR Section 1.5

Section 1.5.1.3 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations requires that:

"Recurrent training must take place within 24 months of previous training to ensure knowledge is current..."

How Often Does Shipping Infectious Substances Training Need to Be Updated?



After an individual has taken the initial Shipping Infectious Substances (IATA and DOT) training, those who work with air shipments must take refresher training every two years, or within the time period of 24 months after their primary training. Personnel who transport hazmat substances via ground transportation must take the training every three years, or within 36 months of their initial training.

Refresher Training Required: Every 2 year(s).

Why Choose Eduwhere for Your DOT Hazmat Training Classes?

Eduwhere offers top-tier instruction that will prepare you and your team for any contingency you might encounter when shipping infectious substances or preparing them for shipment. Upon registration, the course is immediately available to you online, broken up into convenient modules that can be completed at your convenience.

Your course instructor, Linda R. Taylor, PE, is an OSHA authorized instructor with expertise in a variety of health, safety, and environmental areas. The former Director of Environmental Health & Safety at North Carolina State University’s Industry Expansions Solutions program, she now teaches in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Technology. With Ms. Taylor’s expert guidance, you’ll be fully prepared to handle any number of roles in hazardous material shipping.

Professionals in a wide range of industries—from cosmetology to veterinary medicine—are required by OSHA to complete this training. Eduwhere’s training is accepted by OSHA and easy to fit into your busy schedule.

Course FAQs

Good question. The DOT & FAA do not approve, sanction, endorse, or accredit either courses, instructors, or training providers. Perhaps the better benchmark to consider is that our courses are *accepted* by all relevant regulatory agencies, including the DOT & FAA. We have trained tens of thousands of clients over two decades, and our courses have not only survived but also thrived under the scrutiny of regulatory inspections.

IATA is a trade association. IATA publishes the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations which provides a summary of shipping requirements, a comprehensive list of dangerous goods, and state & operator variations. IATA is not a regulatory agency nor does it have enforcement authority.

NOTICE: Eduwhere is not accredited, sanctioned, endorsed by, in partnership or affiliated with, the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The courses offered by Eduwhere are not accredited or otherwise approved by IATA and no IATA certificate will be issued by completing such courses.

Eduwhere provides a comprehensive certificate package for each student that includes a certificate of completion, scoresheet compliance document, and a laminated wallet-card. Inspectors find the compliance document particularly useful. Documentation is available for electronic download and a printed certificate package is also provided.

Ultimately, it is up to the employer to determine what training is appropriate for their employees and their situation. If you ever have any questions related to training, please feel free to reach out to us by phone, email, or online chat and we'll be happy to help.
Yes it can, but making that determination is up to you, the employer. That's not always the answer people would like to hear, but it's based on the regulations. 49 CFR Part 172.702 requires that employers ensure their employees are "trained in accordance with the requirements prescribed in this subpart."

The course fee entitles a single user to participate in the online course for at least six (6) months. Requests for additional time will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but are almost always honored. Hardcopy certificates are mailed (first class for domestic locations/standard airmail for international locations) and included in the course fee. Expedited shipping costs are additional.