Applicability and definitions

This regulation establishes training requirements for airline employees who handle cargo and baggage. It applies to anyone who accepts, rejects, handles, stores, packages, or loads items onto aircraft—or anyone who directly supervises these functions.

The regulation defines three key terms:

• Company material (COMAT): Items owned or used by the airline itself
• Initial hazardous materials training: Required training for newly hired employees or those changing to jobs involving cargo handling
• Recurrent hazardous materials training: Refresher training required every 24 months for anyone who continues performing these functions

In practice, this means airlines must provide specialized hazmat training to ramp agents, cargo handlers, loadmasters, and their supervisors. The training ensures these personnel can identify dangerous goods, handle them safely, and prevent hazardous materials from being improperly transported. This protects flight safety by reducing the risk of fires, explosions, or toxic releases caused by mishandled cargo.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*