Course Objectives

The purpose of this course is to train individuals on OSHA HAZWOPER methods and procedures including:

• Hazard Communication Standards
• Site Characterization and Control
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Hazard Recognition
• Decontamination
• Managing Spills
• Emergency Response
• Toxicology
• Health and Safety Programs
• Medical Surveillance

OSHA HAZWOPER Initial Course Overview

• Names of personnel and alternates responsible for site safety and health
• Safety, health and other hazards present on the site
• Use of personal protective equipment
• Work practices by which the employee can minimize risks from hazards
• Safe use of engineering controls and equipment on the site
• Medical surveillance requirements including recognition of symptoms and signs which might indicate over exposure to hazards
• The contents of the site safety and health plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is covered by OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard?

The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) applies to five distinct groups of employers and their employees. This includes any employees who are exposed or potentially exposed to hazardous substances — including hazardous waste — and who are engaged in one of the following operations as specified by 1910.120(a)(1)(i-v) and 1926.65(a)(1)(i-v):

• 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.

What are the HAZWOPER training requirements for hospital staff?

OSHA’s Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response standard (HAZWOPER) requires that workers be trained to perform their anticipated job duties without endangering themselves or others. To determine the level and type of training your workers need, you must consider the hazards in your community and what capabilities your personnel need to respond to those hazards. You should make your determination based on worst-case scenarios. If your personnel are expected to provide limited decontamination services in order to attend to medical problems, they must be trained to the first responder operations level with emphasis on the use of PPE and decontamination procedures. This level of emergency response training is described in 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii); additional guidance about the content of this training is available in HAZWOPER’s Appendix E. Hospitals may develop in-house training or they may send personnel to a standard first responder operations level course, then provide additional training in decontamination and PPE as needed. HAZWOPER requires the employer to certify that workers have the training and competencies listed in (q)(6)(ii). The standard also requires annual refresher training or demonstration of competency, as described in (q)(8).

How long does OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour initial certification last?

OSHA HAZAWOPER 40-hour initial certification will expire 12 months from the course completion date. If the expiration date has lapsed and an OSHA HAZAWOPER refresher course has not been completed, the need to repeat 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.”

Are Management and Supervisors required to receive OSHA HAZWOPER Training?

On-site management and supervisors directly responsible for, or who supervise employees engaged in, hazardous waste operations shall receive 40 hours initial training, and three days of supervised field experience (the training may be reduced to 24 hours and one day if the only area of their responsibility is employees covered by paragraphs (e)(3)(ii) and (e)(3)(iii)) and at least eight additional hours of specialized training at the time of job assignment on such topics as, but not limited to, the employer’s safety and health program and the associated employee training program, personal protective equipment program, spill containment program, and health hazard monitoring procedure and techniques.

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