What are HAZWOPER Jobs?
In order to know what HAZWOPER jobs are, you first must know what HAZWOPER means. HAZWOPER is an acronym that stands for “HAZardous Waste OPerations and Emergency Response”. So, HAZWOPER jobs involve the handling/clean-up of hazardous wastes or materials, or they involve emergency response where hazardous substances may be encountered.
For these jobs, there are both initial and annual HAZWOPER training requirements, which are detailed in OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.120. The purpose of the OSHA standard is to protect employees from the dangers of working with hazardous materials and waste. These OSHA regulations describe different HAZWOPER training levels which are based on job function and how likely a worker is to be exposed to hazardous materials. In order to be employed in a HAZWOPER job and also be OSHA compliant, the HAZWOPER training requirements will need to met.