We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How Do I Get HAZWOPER Training?

By Ray Hawk
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,418
Share

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, or HAZWOPER, training is available online, at the job site, and through other outlets, such as community colleges, labor unions, and companies that specialize in offering the training to the public for a fee. Since there are nine different levels of training recognized by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for certification, initial training time can range from 24 hours to 40 hours. Annual eight-hour refresher courses are also necessary to remain certified. If someone certified in HAZWOPER training has gone over the 12-month period without taking the refresher course, OSHA does not necessarily consider the certification immediately revoked. The official OSHA stance is that the need for repeating initial HAZWOPER training is dependent on a particular employee's familiarity with health and safety procedures as determined by the employer, and refresher training itself will still need to be completed as soon as possible.

Safety training that offers OSHA certification is designed to be somewhat flexible based on what environment the employee works in. For instance, hospital staff in worst case scenario situations are expected to have decontamination training at the First Responder Operations level. This is level 6 in HAZWOPER training and requires an additional eight hours of study over level 5 at a First Responder Awareness level. Official OSHA levels of training range from General site workers HAZWOPER training that involves 40 hours of instruction and three days of supervision in a training environment on up to the level 9 Scene Incident Commander, who must demonstrate competence in several subordinate levels of hazardous materials and emergency response measures.

Emergency response situations can cover a broad range of topics, from hazardous waste clean-up procedures to chemical contamination and environmental hazards, equipment hazards and safety and health procedures, and emergency First Responder protocols. The training programs and OSHA certifications are designed to be customized to meet these varied needs within the context of the particular workplace for which the individual is being trained. Online training programs often offer the greatest diversity in terms of learning these procedures at first and getting certified. Refresher training, however, is only accepted by OSHA in a computer-based format if it is supplemented by the student's ability to ask questions directly of a qualified trainer, and if there is a further hands-on assessment of what has been learned.

The U.S. government lists five areas where HAZWOPER training is required, the first four of which all involve required or voluntary clean-up of hazardous substances located at federal, state, local, and other government sites, including storage facilities for hazardous waste operated under Environmental Protection Agreement (EPA) regulations. The fifth category specifies that HAZWOPER training is required of all emergency response personnel who deal with hazardous substances, regardless of location. The level of training required of workers is determined by the employer or government agency in charge of the site.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-get-hazwoper-training.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.