Know the Basics of Hazwoper Training

What is Hazwoper?

Hazwoper is the acronym that stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. refers to five types of hazardous waste operations conducted in the United States under OSHA Standard 1910.120 "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response."

Any employer conducting operations using hazardous materials or in or around hazardous areas, their employees must understand how to work with and handle hazardous materials and waste. To ensure the workers' health and safety, OSHA has implemented extensive regulations around Hazard Communication Training. For this reason, if you are going to take a Hazwoper Hazmat training course make sure that it is OSHA accepted and meets or exceeds all OSHA requirements.

OSHA defines a few different levels of Hazwoper training. These levels are based on the work that the employee will be performing and the type of hazardous conditions they will be working in or with.

The OSHA HAZWOPER standard requires that workers are trained to complete their work without endangering themselves or others. The first step in compliance with the HAZWOPER standard is to complete an assessment of the hazards in the workplace and community and what will be required of your staff to respond to such hazards.

The first responder operations level training requirement is as follows:

• First responders must have the knowledge of the basic hazard and risk assessment techniques in the RCRA training.

• They must know how to select and use proper personal protective equipment.

• They must have an understanding of basic hazardous materials terms.

• First responders should know how to perform basic control, containment and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available with their unit.

• They must know how to implement basic decontamination procedures.

• First responders must have an understanding of the relevant standard operating procedures and termination procedures.