The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHM) formulates, issues and revises Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) under the Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation Law. The HMR cover hazardous materials definitions and classifications, hazard communications, shipper and carrier operations, training and security requirements, and packaging and container specifications.

With responsibility for compliance with the HMR, other than those regulations applicable to a single mode of transportation, OHM places emphasis on packaging manufacturers, retesters and reconditioners, and multimodal shippers of hazardous materials.

OHM uses risk management principles and security threat assessments to understand, communicate, and reduce dangers inherent in hazardous materials transportation.