This week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is drawing attention to the Safety Management Cycle (SMC) that helps identify and address safety and compliance issues related to the Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC).

The SMC for the HM BASIC suggests actions that carriers can take to identify the root cause of safety issues, establish and improve their safety management controls, and reduce or eliminate violations. For instance, new hire and refresher trainings are effective ways to communicate company policy and expectations about how to safely transport HM cargo. Also, implementing a disciplinary policy where high-consequence incidents result in stringent disciplinary action can help provide incentive to make every effort to follow company policy.

These and other important tips are available in the SMC for the HM BASIC. Download it today from the CSA Website’s SMC webpage http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/SMC_Overview.aspx. Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.