HAZWOPER Handbook: 8-40 Hr. Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response - 3rd Edition

HAZWOPER Handbook: 8-40 Hr. Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response - 3rd Edition

What is HAZWOPER? Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandated set of regulations. HAZWOPER applies to employers and employees who provide: Cleanup operations, corrective actions, voluntary cleanup, transport, storage, disposal (TSD), and emergency response . The 8-40 Hr. HAZWOPER courses provides OSHA-compliant training to field personnel involved in activities that “ potentially” expose them to the threat of any hazardous substance. General Site Workers Initial training for General site workers (such as equipment operators, general laborers, and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substances removal or other activities that expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor. (1910.120 (e)(3)(i)) Management & Supervisor Training On-site management and supervisors directly responsible for or who supervise employees engaged in hazardous waste operations shall receive 40 hours initial and three days of supervised field experience ... and at least eight (8) additional hours of specialized training at the time of job assignment on such topics as, but not limited to, the employer's health and safety program, personal protective equipment program, spill containment program, and health hazard monitoring procedure and techniques. (1910.120 (e)(4)) Refresher Training Employees specified in 1910.120 (e)(1) - 1910.120(e)(2)(vii) and managers and supervisors specified in paragraph 1910.120 (e)(4) of this section shall receive eight (8) hours of refresher training annually on the items specified in paragraph (e)(2) or (e)(4) of this section, any critique of incidents that have occurred in the past year that can serve as training examples of related work, and other relevant topics. (1910.120 (e)(8)) – (e)(9)) Typical Training Course Timeframes: 8-hour Awareness: 1 day 8-hour Operations: 1-2 days (including hands-on) 24-hour Hazmat: 2-3 days (including hands-on) 24-hour Hazmat Specialist: 2-3 days (including hands-on) 24-hour On-Scene IC: 2-3 days (including hands-on) 40-hour General Site Worker: 5 days (including hands-on) 8-hour Supervisor: 1 day (24- or 40-hour prerequisite) Hazardous waste workers must know and understand regulatory requirements set forth by OSHA, USDOT, EPA, and other local, state, and federal agencies. HAZWOPER training is required training for various workforces e.g. disaster workers, environmental cleanup contractors, oil and gas workers, chemical plant operators, public and private hazmat teams, unexploded ordnance (UXO) contractors, and more. The HAZWOPER Handbook is also designed for those workers who need to reference particular areas within the regulations or verify operational requirements. Cleanup vs. Emergency Response OSHA defines a “ cleanup operation ” as, “an operation where hazardous substances are removed, contained, incinerated, neutralized, stabilized, cleared-up, or in any other manner processed or handled with the ultimate goal of making the site safer for people or the environment.” An “ emergency response ” is defined as, “a response effort by employees from outside the immediate release area or by other designated responders (i.e., mutual aid groups, local fire departments, etc.) to an occurrence which results, or is likely to result, in an uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance.”