Frequently Asked Questions

No. Our courses are self-paced, so you can stop and start as needed and complete the course over time. The Online Training System (OTS) saves your progress to the last section completed, so the next time you log in you can resume with the next section of training. Once you start a section, complete it, or you will have to restart that section from the beginning the next time you log in.

You need only basic computer skills: navigating a website, opening and closing documents and webpages, and using a mouse to left-click and right-click. Users with no computer experience may find online courses difficult to navigate and may want to take a basic computer class first.

Yes, an email address is required to enroll in our online courses. Because students log in with a username rather than an email address, you can enroll multiple users under the same email address if you want to.

Yes. You can log in to your student account from any location or computer with high-speed internet access, as long as it meets the basic system requirements for viewing our courses. Your progress is saved to the last section completed, so you can pick up where you left off on another computer.

It varies by individual. Our courses are designed to take a specific amount of time, but some people complete the training more quickly while others need more time. This training is meant to be part of an overall training program and can be combined with other training throughout the year to meet any hour requirements.

8-hour courses typically allow 90 days for completion, and longer courses (24, 32, or 40 hours) typically allow 180 days. If you need longer, we can arrange extensions on a case-by-case basis. We have never denied a request for a time extension.

You may retake our exams as many times as needed to pass. Exam questions are compiled randomly from a pool of questions, so each exam is slightly different. You may also re-review the course material before retaking the exam.

Yes. A certificate is included with nearly all of our courses upon completion. Certificates are provided in PDF format and can be downloaded, printed, or saved from your student account. You will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the certificate.

Many courses include a laminated wallet ID card, mailed from our main office in Southern California after course completion. Other courses offer the option during enrollment to purchase the wallet ID card for an additional $5. Check the course description for details on what is included with a specific course. When applicable, wallet ID cards are mailed within 24 hours of course completion.

Yes, you can take the 40 Hour HAZWOPER training entirely online, but keep in mind you must be trained on how to use the protective equipment needed on the job before you use it. This applies whether you take the course online or in a classroom, since the actual equipment used on the job may differ from the specific equipment used during training.

Our online 40 Hour HAZWOPER training does review personal protective clothing and other monitoring equipment and accessories. The training includes 50-plus short video clips created specifically to demonstrate the equipment, so students can see the items in great detail as if attending the classroom session. The clips show different types of respirators, chemical clothing, suit accessories, monitoring and detection equipment, and suit donning techniques.

After completing the online portion of the course, you may attend the hands-on classroom portion of the training. View the current classroom locations and schedule.

We offer several options to help meet your training needs.

For OSHA 40 Hour HAZWOPER training

If you will be getting employer-provided hands-on training with the specific equipment you will use, you may want to take our OSHA 40 Hour HAZWOPER Online course, which is 100% online and includes equipment instruction by video instead of hands-on practice.

If you would prefer to get the 8-hour hands-on training through your employer or another training provider, you may want to take our OSHA 32 Hour HAZWOPER Online course to combine with your 8 hours of hands-on training. In some cases, when students have taken our 32 hour online course and another provider will not issue a 40 Hour HAZWOPER certification, we may be able to do so if sufficient proof of the hands-on portion is provided.

For OSHA 16 Hour HAZWOPER training

We offer an OSHA 16 Hour HAZWOPER Upgrade Online course entirely online. This option suits workers who will not use equipment on the job, or workers who will use equipment but will have employer-provided hands-on training on the specific equipment they will use.

Students who took the 24 Hour HAZWOPER course from another provider and enroll in our OSHA 16 Hour HAZWOPER Upgrade Combo course must provide acceptable documentation of 24 Hour course completion before the 40 Hour HAZWOPER certification can be provided.

To request hands-on classroom training in your area, please contact us. Through affiliate partnerships with other training providers, we work to provide locations across the United States for the hands-on training. To ensure the highest quality, we are very selective in choosing our affiliates.

No. The three-day direct-supervision requirement is separate from the training requirement. It exists to ensure newly trained employees are not sent to a work site unsupervised and that they get at least three days of supervised field experience. This three-day requirement is part of the job-function period, not the training period.

If you have completed the 24 Hour HAZWOPER course, you can upgrade to the 40 Hour level by taking an additional 16 hours of training through one of these options:

16 Hour HAZWOPER Upgrade (to the 40 Hour) – Online
16 Hour HAZWOPER Upgrade (to the 40 Hour) – Online/Class Combo

There is no time limit in the OSHA regulation for when you may add the 16 hours. Students of the 24 Hour HAZWOPER training online course may later upgrade to the 40 Hour level by taking a 16 Hour HAZWOPER Upgrade course. It is still important to complete the yearly refresher training.

No. In the year a general hazardous waste site worker becomes a supervisor, OSHA expects 8 hours of management and supervisory training as well as 8 hours of employee refresher training. HAZWOPER requires supervisors to receive training and supervised field experience equivalent to the level of their employees, plus at least 8 additional hours of specialized training, as described in 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(4).

OSHA addresses this directly. See OSHA's response on the OSHA HAZWOPER FAQ page.

If more than 12 months have passed since your refresher training, it does not mean you must take the initial training all over again.

Per OSHA: "If the date for refresher training has lapsed, the need to repeat the initial training must be determined based on the employee's familiarity with safety and health procedures used on site. The employee should take the next available refresher training course. There should be a record in the employee's file indicating why the training has been delayed and when the training will be completed."

Follow the state regulation. Any state HAZWOPER requirement must meet or exceed the federal standard, so by focusing your efforts on meeting the state regulations and HAZWOPER training requirements, you will be covered for the federal standard by default.