What Is 40 Hour HAZWOPER?
HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response and falls under the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 (e). it was created to protect workers who work at hazardous sites where exposure to hazardous substances is at or above the permissible exposure limit or PEL.
HAZWOPER Standard
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 bodies 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 release of, hazardous substances regardless of the hazard location.
Who Needs 40 Hour HAZWOPER Training?
40 Hour HAZWOPER is for people who are involved in direct clean-up operations (such as construction, Hazardous Waste Operations, Hazardous Materials Handling and positions normally referred to as Hazmat Operations, First Responder, Emergency Responders, Firemen, Site Safety Officer, and Site Supervisors need to receive 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training.
This includes workers involved in the removal or handling of underground tanks and/or piping, handling contaminated soil and/or groundwater, subsurface investigations, construction work in which hazardous materials may potentially be present or encountered.
40-Hour HAZWOPER Training is also required in situations where HAZMAT is prepared, packaged, labeled, marked, stored, or shipped for disposal and for any facility wherein hazardous wastes are treated, stored, or disposed of.
Many employers will get the 40 Hour Training for everyone on site to be extra careful and often time they will receive breaks on their insurance for having everyone 40 Hour HAZWOPER Certified.
How Long Does 40-Hour HAZWOPER Certification Last?
After you receive your 40-Hour HAZWOPER Certification you will be required to complete refresher training annually after that. The annual refresher training often referred to as 8-Hour HAZWOPER Training or HAZWOPER Refresher Training is available thru Compliance Solutions as a traditional seminar (onsite or at regularly scheduled locations in 58 cities) or, it can be taken online (web-based) or with a virtual live-Instructor online.
Hands-On Training
The 40-Hour HAZWOPER Certification requires hands-on training (specifically the opportunity to don and doff PPE and have questions answered by an instructor). It CANNOT be completed 100% online nor can the "hands-on" portion be included in the OSHA required "3-days of site-specific training". This requirement was verified by OSHA (something online training companies have been "relying on" for quite some time) in April of 2021. In short, it MUST be part of the "initial" 40-Hour certification. If you have ANY questions on this, please give us a call or search OSHA's site for the recent clarification on this issue.
The 40-Hour HAZWOPER must include hands-on, in-person training to be compliant with OSHA regulations. If your EH&S Department (or even another online training company) tells you differently, please contact us before you spend money on a course that does not meet regulations. Not only will you risk your safety, but you'll also end up with a certificate that's highly suspect.... after all, OSHA is keenly aware of those companies who fall short in this area. All it takes is one look at the name on the certificate.
Hands-on training gives students an opportunity to don and doff (put on and take off) equipment, respirators, SCBA’s, etc. which is an incredibly important part of the training students need at this phase in their career. It also provides the opportunity to discuss issues and hazards with peers and Instructors who understand from experience what it's really like in the field. It's better to know BEFORE you need the knowledge than AFTER ... when it's too late!
Have any other questions about 40-Hour HAZWOPER? Visit OSHA’s FAQ or call us at Call us at 1-800-711-2706
