Hazardous Materials Inspection Program
The amount of hazardous
materials in use, storage, or being handled in Howard County continues to
increase along with the number of emergency responses to facilities that
utilize such substances. Due to this fact, in conjunction with heightened
community concern, an increased emphasis has been placed on inspections
involving hazardous materials along with requisite response protocols.
In early 2016, the Howard County
Council approved the revisions to the locally adopted Fire Code which now
includes a section on Hazardous Materials Inspections. These code
revisions have established a five tier system based on hazardous materials type
and quantity, as well as an annual assessment fee corresponding to each permit
type. The fees generated are used to fund an Office of the Fire Marshal
inspection program designed to help businesses that use, store, or handle
hazardous materials to reduce their risk, comply with the Fire Code, and
facilitate providing that information to first responders for an efficient and
safe response for our community.
The application for the Hazardous Materials Inspections permit
can be found below.
The form is front and back, with the back including
instructions and a detailed account of the permit types. One of the
required supplemental items to be submitted along with the form is a Hazardous
Materials Inventory Statement. In order to ensure consistency among all
occupancies, this form can be found below as well,
along with a detailed instructions
sheet for its use.
The Office of the Fire Marshal understands that this will be new
to most of our business partners in the community and we want to assure you
that we are here to assist you through this process. If you have any
questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at
hazmat@howardcountymd.gov.