What is HAZWOPER?

What is HAZWOPER?
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Safety Helpers LLC – OSHA HAZWOPER, DOT HAZMAT, Compliance Training Experts.

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According to Wikipedia:

HAZWOPER

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HAZWOPER (pronounced /ˈhæzwɒpər/) is an acronym for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. It refers to five types of hazardous waste operations conducted in the United States under OSHA Standard 1910.120 "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response." The standard contains the safety requirements employers must meet in order to conduct these operations.

History

In 1978, the Love Canal disaster and Valley of the Drums^[1] awakened America to the need to control and contain hazardous waste in the United States. Two programs, CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and RCRA, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 were implemented to deal with these wastes. CERCLA, also known as the Superfund, was designed to deal with already existing waste sites while RCRA was designed to deal with newly generated wastes. Originally, the term HAZWOPER was derived from the United States Department of Defense's Hazardous Waste Operations (HAZWOP), implemented on military bases which were slated for clean-up operations to dispose of hazardous wastes that were left on-site after World War II. One such location is the Hanford Site, where materials for the first nuclear bomb to be used in war were produced. The over 500-square-mile (1,300 km²) site is run by the US Government and constructors such as some of the world's largest like Bechtel National, Inc. and others.^[2] Mike Moore (former OSHA employee) and others who worked on the original standards with OSHA created HAZWOPER as it was based on input from OSHA, USCG, NIOSH, and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1984 the joint agency effort published the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Guidance Manual.^[3] In 1989, OSHA promulgated the standard in 1990 March 6 as the HAZWOPER Standard, 1910.120,^[4][5] Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response which codified the safety and health requirements companies would have to meet in order to perform hazardous waste cleanups or to respond to emergencies.
US Occupational Safety and Health administration (OSHA) ^[6] check interpretations search HAZWOPER their as the agency recently released an interpretation the OSHA 40 hour for clean-up workers will not suffice as a 24 hour technician level training for emergency response; in response to a letter from TRC in Indiana. However the Gulf Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill OSHA may now be making exceptions according to the Washington DC compliance division in that the forty hour persons trained in marine modules may be allowed to do the technician level work on the water and on the beaches where employee could potentially contact the oil. Site Safety and Health Officer verify marine compliance and the Site Specific Health and safety plans on chemical clean-ups or on oil spills with other agencies. A Site Safety Supervisor typically has 40 hours of HAZWOPER training unless they are required to go on freash air in the Washington then they must have 80 hours of training too.

Scope

The HAZWOPER standard covers 5 specific areas of operations, including:

1. 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 (including, but not limited to, the EPA's National Priorities List of sites (NPL), state priority site lists, sites recommended for the EPA NPL, and initial investigations of government identified sites which are conducted before the presence or absence of hazardous substances has been ascertained);
2. 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);
3. Voluntary clean-up operations at sites recognized by Federal, state, local or other governmental bodies as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites;
4. Operations involving hazardous waste that are conducted at treatment, storage, disposal (TSD) facilities regulated by 40 CFR Parts 264 and 265 pursuant to RCRA; or by agencies under agreement with U.S.E.P.A. to implement RCRA regulations; and
5. Emergency response operations for releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances without regard to the location of the hazard.

Hazardous wastes are defined by the standard as:
[A] A waste or combination of wastes as defined in 40 CFR 261.3,^[7] or
[B] Those substances defined as hazardous wastes in 49 CFR 171.8.^[8]
The term HAZWOPER recently has been referenced in international cleanup, mostly where U.S. military bases are still being cleaned up, or in some cases with NATO allies such as Canada, particularly when U.S. firms are involved with Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. While the OSHA standard does not apply to these operations, some of the countries involved are working on adopting similar standards to protect workers. In some cases it has proven difficult because they lack the safety infrastructure that the HAZWOPER standard is built on.

Levels of Training

OSHA recognizes several levels of training, based on the work the employee will be performing and the level of hazard they will be facing. Each level requires a different training program, and OSHA specifies topics and minimum training times.

1. General site workers initially require 40 hours of instruction, 3 days of supervised hands on training, and 8 hours of refresher training annually
2. Workers limited to a specific task or workers on fully characterized sites with no hazards above acceptable levels require 24 hours of initial training, 1 day supervised hands on training, and 8 hours of refresher training annually
3. Managers and supervisors require the same level of training as the people they supervise, plus 8 additional hours of training
4. Workers who are working at a Treatment, Storage, or Disposal facility that handles RCRA wastes require 24 hours of initial training and 8 hours of refresher training annually
5. First Responder Awareness level require sufficient training to demonstrate competency in their assigned duties
6. First Responder Operations level Awareness level training plus 8 hours training
7. Hazardous Materials Technician 24 hours training plus additional training to achieve competency in several areas
8. Hazardous Materials Specialist 24 hours training at the technician level, plus additional training to achieve competency in several areas
9. On Scene Incident commander 24 hours training plus additional training to achieve competency in several areas

The training is what makes HAZWOPER unique. In some instances the training levels may or may not overlap in other cases these are prohibited by OSHA because workers without specific training may be able to characterize waste unless trained to do that task.^[9] The Site Safety Supervisor or Officer should be consulted and a competent industrial hygienist or other technically qualified person who is HAZWOPER trained.

Training and Certification Sources

There are many sources for OSHA compliant HAZWOPER training. Community colleges, labor unions, employers, and training companies are all good sources for training. The employer must ensure the training provider covers the areas of knowledge required by the standard and provides certification to the student that they have passed the training. The certification attaches to the student, not the employer, so it is imperative that the trainer cover all aspects of HAZWOPER operations, not just those expected at the current worksite.

Safety Helpers LLC currently holds OSHA HAZWOPER Certification classes in Colorado, Illinois, Florida, and Nationwide.

                                                         
Safety Helpers LLC is conducting an Instructor-Led OSHA HAZWOPER Seminar class in your area.. Sign up today!   To register for the upcoming class, visit http://safetyhelpers.com/ .  Each student receives a certificate and wallet card.