Course Overview
The Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) course gives learners the practical skills to render hazardous materials incidents safe and employ specialist personal protection at a hazardous materials incident as part of an emergency response team. It covers how to recognise and assess hazardous materials incidents, identify and assess hazards, develop and implement a plan for incident mitigation, and select, don and operate specialist personal protective equipment in accordance with workplace procedures.
Hazardous materials response is an advanced specialist emergency response capability required across high-risk industries, where trained emergency response team members are required to safely manage incidents involving dangerous goods and hazardous substances using specialist personal protective equipment, with the technical skills to render incidents safe through containment, control and mitigation. The 2-day Hazardous Materials course delivered at ERGT Australia provides learners with the practical knowledge and hands-on experience required to render hazardous materials incidents safe and employ specialist personal protection during incident response. Designed for existing emergency response team members working in high-risk industries with prior training in breathing apparatus open circuit, this course focuses on selecting, donning and operating chemical protective clothing and equipment, recognising and assessing hazardous materials incidents, identifying and assessing hazards, and developing, implementing and reviewing plans for incident mitigation in accordance with workplace procedures and legislative requirements.
Through a combination of facilitator-led learning and practical activities in a simulated work environment, learners will build the confidence and capability to render hazardous materials incidents safe, operate specialist personal protective equipment, and apply containment, control and mitigation strategies in line with industry best practice. Upon successful completion, learners will be job-ready to render hazardous materials incidents safe and employ specialist personal protection as part of a workplace emergency response team.
Key details
Learning Objectives
- By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Select, don and test personal protective clothing and equipment
- Work in area of operation
- Complete operations
- Recognise a hazardous materials incident
- Identify and assess hazards
- Assist with the development of a plan for mitigation of HAZMAT incident
- Assist with the implementation of plan for mitigation of a HAZMAT incident
- Assist with the review of plan
Prerequisites
Training Pre-requisites:
Trainees must provide evidence of the following prerequisites to ERGT for verification before the course begins:
PUAFIR207 Operate breathing apparatus open circuit
What to expect
Learner Support:
- Learner wellbeing for this course is supported through measures that recognise the physical, cognitive, and psychological demands of responding to hazardous materials incidents over a two-day program in a simulated high-risk environment. As the course involves wearing fully encapsulated gas suits and chemical splash suits with breathing apparatus, operating in conditions that simulate hazardous atmospheres, and responding to incident scenarios under restricted vision and movement, ERGT implements support strategies that prioritise learner safety, confidence and readiness. This ensures learners can safely participate in all practical components without compromising their wellbeing or safety.
Physical Wellbeing Support:
- Trainers continuously monitor learners for signs of fatigue, heat stress, dehydration or restricted movement while wearing specialist personal protective equipment, particularly fully encapsulated gas suits.
- Encapsulated suit and breathing apparatus fit, seal and comfort are checked before and throughout practical sessions, with trainer support for adjustment where required.
- Learners are encouraged to disclose any physical concerns (e.g. fatigue, minor injury, heat discomfort or difficulty moving in encapsulated PPE) so adjustments can be made to participation across both days of the course.
Psychological & Emotional Wellbeing Support:
- Trainers provide clear pre-activity briefings to prepare learners for full encapsulation, including what to expect when wearing a gas suit with restricted vision, restricted communication and reduced situational awareness.
- Learners experiencing discomfort or anxiety when wearing fully encapsulated PPE are supported through gradual exposure, additional guidance or alternative sequencing of activities where appropriate.
- Communication and check-in protocols are established before encapsulated suit use, allowing learners to signal concerns or request a break during practical activities.
- Post-activity debriefs are conducted to reinforce learning, address concerns and build confidence in safely operating in specialist personal protective equipment.
Cognitive Support for Safety-Critical Tasks:
- Structured delivery of hazardous materials hazards, identification methods, response strategies, incident planning and decontamination procedures prior to practical application.
- Step-by-step demonstrations of specialist personal protective equipment use, including selection, donning, fitting and post-use procedures for chemical splash suits, breathing apparatus and fully encapsulated gas suits.
- Use of visual aids, demonstrations and real equipment to reinforce understanding of safe hazardous materials response practices.
- Opportunities to practise hazard assessment, mitigation planning and incident response sequences before applying them in scenario-based assessment activities.
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