Train Employees to Properly Handle Hazardous Chemicals
Would your company know what to do if a hazardous material spilled at your workplace? What is considered a “hazardous material” anyways? Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) has everything to do with the safety of employees, the business’ property and the surrounding communities. When it comes to safety, being prepared is one of our best defenses to accidents and Chemical Emergencies are no exception!
Who Needs HAZWOPER Training?
If your employees work or are involved with any of the following five categories (per OSHA), they will need HAZWOPER training:
- Clean-up operations — required by a governmental body, whether federal, state, local, or other involving hazardous substances — that are conducted at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites;
- Corrective actions involving clean-up operations at sites covered by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) as amended (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.);
- Voluntary clean-up operations at sites recognized by federal, state, local, or other governmental body as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites;
- Operations involving hazardous wastes that are conducted at treatment, storage, and disposal facilities regulated by Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 264 and 265 pursuant to RCRA, or by agencies under agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement RCRA regulations; and
- Emergency response operations for releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances regardless of the location of the hazard.
If your employees engage in any of the five categories listed above, they need to go through a basic 40 hour HAZWOPER training. Training requirements are heavily based on employee job roles and responsibilities.
Examples of Levels of Exposure and Training Needed
Constant and/or Extensive Exposure – 40 hours
- General site workers and supervisors who can be exposed to hazardous substances or the removal of those substances will need to attend a 40 hour HAZWOPER training. Employees involved or exposed to clean-up operations, corrective action involving clean-up operations, voluntary clean-up operations, operations involving hazardous wastes that are conducted at treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, or emergency response operations for the release of hazardous substances.
Occasional and/or Mild Exposure – 24 Hours
- Team members that are coming on to the site only occasionally to do monitoring or surveying. They also need one day of on-site training.
- Hazardous Materials Technician
- Hazardous Materials Specialist
- Incident Commander
Annual Refresher and First Responders – 8 Hours
- After the initial 40 hour training is completed, OSHA requires attendees to take an 8 hour refresher class to maintain their training requirements. OSHA approves of companies conducting their refresher training in segments to meet the requirements of the standard, as long as all of the provisions for refresher training in paragraphs (e), (p), or (q), are met and completed by the anniversary date. 8 hours is a minimum requirement.
- First Responders are required to have a minimum of 8 hours of training and must display competency of all items listed in section 120(6)(ii).
Potential for Contact – Awareness
- OSHA requires HAZWOPER awareness training for all employees that may discover a spill so they know how to promptly contact an emergency response team. An example might be a utility worker who is on-site but would not directly be involved in the cleanup activities of a spill.
Additional HAZWOPER Training May Be Needed
On a hazardous waste site that has many site specific peculiarities the employer may need to train employees beyond the 40 or 24 hour minimum set by the standard. Employees must be provided training that prepares them for their job functions and responsibilities, as stated in the general requirements in 29 CFR 1910.120(e).
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