The Three Step Path to a 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training

This standard addresses five critical areas offocuses on danger recognition, OSHA
expected employer and personnel threatrequirements, and the health impact of improper
response.hazardous material handling.
• Compulsory Clean-Up: Is a government• 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training: Along with
required response to threat conditions that existvarious non-hazardous site remediation procedures
at an uncontrolled hazardous waste site.and environmental assessments, this class
• Voluntary Clean Up: Is a freewill rectificationincorporates both of the earlier mentioned
of known dangerous substance conditions.courses.
• Corrective Actions: Are specific EPA regulatedThe three divisions of study interweave training
clean up operations as pertaining to thetopics. The following limited list of topics is focused
generation, transportation, treatment, storage,toward the 40-hour class:
and disposal of hazardous waste. This is as• Know and understand OSHA regulations
provided under the RCRA amendment of 1986.concerning hazardous material handling;
• Emergency Responses: Are the conditioned• Chemical properties, including behavior
reactions to spills, leaks, or other forms ofpatterns and the impact on personal and
hazardous substance release, either preexisting orenvironmental health;
in eminent threat of coming to pass.• How to recognize and evaluate safety
• Waste Treatment Site Operations: Are thehazards;
specific methods for monitoring, reporting, storing,• Site evaluation, investigation, and
and disposing of solid waste.characterization;
Three Step Path to a 40-Hour HAZWOPER• Updates on monitoring and clean-up
Training Certificateinstruments;
A 40-hour HAZWOPER training course consists of• Label identification and classification;
several overlapping lessons and goals. Each section• Safety plan methods and implementation;
of the study is designed to satisfy a specific• Procedures for emergency response; and,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration• Hands-on containment drills.
(OSHA) requirement. Though the order ofDecisions: Who To Train?
application may differ between schools, threeThe need for HAZWOPER training is based upon
course divisions will always be included.community risks, personnel endangerment, and
• 8-Hour Annual Refresher: Along with detailedworst-case scenarios. When active employment
reviews of general safety, health, and workdemands that an employee enter an at-risk
practices this course will include updatesenvironment, they must have adequate
concerning new hazards, equipmentknowledge for self-protection. Furthermore, when
improvements, and advance containmentpersonnel are required or expected to supply
methods.limited sanitization services they must be trained
• 24-Hour General Employee Training: This classto the first responder level of hazardous
provides knowledge and safety skills to thosecontainment operations.
who perform low-risk site activities. The study