OSHA HAZWOPER Standard

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OSHA HAZWOPER Standard

The HAZWOPER Standard was created by The Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) to protect workers that handle or work around hazardous materials. HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard.

Who Does the HAZWOPER Standard Cover?

The HAZWOPER standard applies to five distinct groups of employers and their employees. This includes employees who are exposed or may potentially be exposed to hazardous substances, including hazardous waste, and 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
Emergency response operations for releases of, or substantial threats of release of, hazardous substances regardless of the hazard location.

What Are The Levels Of HAZWOPER Training?

There are three HAZWOPER Training levels, including:

24 Hour HAZWOPER Training: The 24-hour course is generally for people who aren’t involved in the actual cleanup of hazardous materials. They are commonly referred to as occasional site workers.
40 Hour HAZWOPER Training: The 40 Hour Course is the highest level of training for people involved with the clean-up and remediation of hazardous materials. Many companies will give their employees this training even if they only need the 24-hour course to be extra safe or get breaks from insurance.
8 Hour HAZWOPER Training (HAZWOPER Refresher Training): The 8-hour course is required annually after the initial certification whether you take the 24-hour or 40-hour course. This course will keep students up to date on any changes in training or HAZWOPER and keep them compliant with OSHA.
16 Hour HAZWOPER: Although not an official HAZWOPER course, Compliance Solutions has created a course for those who want to upgrade their 24-hour HAZWOPER Training to a 40 Hour HZWOPER Certification.

The 40 Hour HAZWOPER Course must include the hands-on portion of the training to be compliant with OSHA. Without the hands-on portion of the course, the training is pretty much useless. When you sign up for a 40-hour course, make sure it includes hands-on training!

Frequently Asked HAZWOPER Questions

Is online training acceptable for HAZWOPER Refresher Training?

Online or computer-based refresher training is sufficient as long as it covers the requirements under The HAZWOPER Standard for refresher training. If you are going to take an online course, make sure it covers these requirements.

Can HAZWOPER Refresher be taken in segments?

Yes, you can take the refresher course in segments as long as you finish before the annual training anniversary.

What if I miss the annual refresher training window?

OSHA does have a grace period if you miss the training, but you will be required to take the next available course and provide a written statement as to why you did the training late; if not, you will have to retake the initial training course.

Do onsite workers that aren’t involved with the cleanup of hazardous materials need training?

Workers on-site such as utility workers, truck drivers, etc. that work at sites that have not been characterized yet but where contamination is expected or sites where contamination is possible will be required to get training. They will most likely need the 24 Hour HAZWOPER Class, but as mentioned before, many companies give all workers the 40-hour course to be safe and get insurance breaks.