Who Needs HAZWOPER Training?

Who Needs HAZWOPER Training?

The OSHA HAZWOPER training requirements, under 29 CFR Part 1910.120, apply to employees who may be exposed to hazardous substances on-the-job and who also engage in hazardous waste operations such as clean-up, treatment, storage and disposal, or emergency response. Workers will also require HAZWOPER training when they have job duties which could potentially involve exposure to uncontrolled chemical hazards. These may involve:

• High concentrations of toxic substances
• Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) environments
• Oxygen deficient atmosphere
• Fire or explosion hazard
• Situations that require an area evacuation
• Immediate attention needed due to danger posed to employees

Supervisors of workers who fall under the HAZWOPER standard also require HAZWOPER training.

What HAZWOPER training do I need?

The OSHA HAZWOPER training requirements can be quite confusing. The type of training that is required for workers that fall under this standard will depend on the job duties of the worker as well as their potential for exposure to hazardous substances. After the initial training, all HAZWOPER workers require annual HAZWOPER refresher training.

Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Operations

• Workers routinely engaged in hazardous substance removal/activities and with potential for exposure will require 40 hours of initial HAZWOPER training and 3 days of actual field experience. Supervisors of these workers also need this training.
• Workers visiting the site occasionally and unlikely to be exposed over Permissible Exposure Limits require 24 hours of initial HAZWOPER training and 1 day of supervised field experience. Supervisors of these workers also need this training.
• Supervisors and managers of HAZWOPER workers require 8 hours of additional waste management training for supervisors.
• Workers and supervisors require 8 hours of annual HAZWOPER refresher training.

Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities Licensed under RCRA

• TSDF workers require 24 hours of Initial training and 8 hours of annual refresher training.

Emergency Response Operations at Sites not RCRA Licensed or at Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Site Clean-ups

• First responders at the “awareness level” will witness or discover a hazardous substance release and initiate emergency response. These workers must be able to demonstrate competency, such as recognizing hazardous materials presence, the associated risks, and their role within their employer’s plan.
• First responders at the “operations level” respond to prevent the spread, exposure, and further release of hazardous materials. These workers must have 8 hours of training and “awareness level” competency.
• Hazardous materials technicians respond to stop the release of hazardous materials. These workers must have 24 hours of training equal to the “operations level” and know how to implement the employer’s plan and carry out decontamination.
• Hazardous materials specialists require specific knowledge of the substances to be contained. These workers must have 24 hours of training equal to the “technical level” and act as liaison with all government authorities.
• On-scene incident commanders assume control of the scene. These workers must have 24 hours of training equal to the “operations level” and demonstrate competence in implementing the incident command system, the employer’s plan and the state and local emergency response plans.

HAZWOPER Training Methods

There are a variety training methods available for acquiring your HAZWOPER certification of training completion. Training can be completed Online, in a Classroom setting, or Onsite at your work location. Many students prefer 100% Online training, due to the flexibility and convenience. Some students prefer in-person training for the hands-on equipment training. Regardless of the method of training you use, it’s imperative that you get follow-up training with the actual equipment you’ll use on-the-job so that you can be prepared and protected.

Hazmat Student offers Online, Classroom, and Onsite training to meet your needs. Visit our HAZWOPER Training page to see all of our HAZWOPER course options. For further information about hazardous waste operations and emergency response, please visit OSHA’s HAZWOPER page.