| As an employer you want your workers to | | | | employees who may need to respond to a |
| receive the hazardous materials training they need | | | | hazardous emergency need a course appropriate |
| to keep them safe and to meet OSHA | | | | to their expected level of response. |
| regulations. However there are ten different | | | | First Responder Awareness is the lowest level of |
| HAZWOPER courses plus the 8-hour refresher. | | | | expected response. This would be the employee |
| Which is right for your employees? | | | | who pulls the alarm or calls 911 and then |
| Waste Operations vs. Emergency Response | | | | evacuates the area. There is no OSHA-defined |
| HAZWOPER means "Hazardous Waste Operations | | | | minimum training for this level. |
| and Emergency Response". It may not be clear | | | | First Responder Operations is a worker who is |
| but there are two distinct areas of authority: | | | | expected to take action regarding the release |
| waste operations and emergency response. Which | | | | without risking exposure to the release itself, such |
| course a worker needs depends on the area | | | | as operating valves from a safe control room. |
| worked in and the level of responsibility expected. | | | | This requires the 8-hour First Responder course. |
| Employees working at a hazardous waste site | | | | A First Responder Materials Technician must risk |
| who use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or | | | | exposure in order to plug or otherwise control the |
| are exposed to hazards in excess of OSHA's | | | | release. A First Responder Specialist supports |
| 8-hour Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) must take | | | | Materials Technicians with specialized knowledge. |
| the full 40-hour HAZWOPER General Site Worker | | | | Finally, the First Responder Incident Commander |
| course. | | | | oversees other First Responders and coordinates |
| Workers at a hazardous waste site who won't | | | | their actions. These roles require extra training |
| use PPE and whose exposure won't exceed the | | | | beyond the Operations level course. |
| PEL can take the 24-hour HAZWOPER Occasional | | | | Refresher Requirements |
| Site Worker program. Supervisors must take the | | | | The TSDF, 24- or 40-hour HAZWOPER courses |
| appropriate 24 or 40-hour HAZWOPER training | | | | require 8-hour refresher courses once per year. It |
| plus the 8-hour Hazardous Waste Supervisors | | | | is important to complete the refresher before the |
| course. | | | | year is up or the worker may have to repeat the |
| There are another course for TSDF (Treatment, | | | | entire HAZWOPER training course. |
| Storage and Disposal Facilities) workers and | | | | OSHA does not give specific guidelines for |
| anyone who transports or packages for transport | | | | emergency response refreshers. Many employers |
| hazardous waste requires Department of | | | | simply repeat the original training to be sure their |
| Transportation (DOT) training. | | | | first responders are ready in case of an |
| Most HAZWOPER students don't work at | | | | emergency. |
| hazardous waste sites. They work at facilities | | | | If you are still unsure which course you need, talk |
| with the potential for catastrophic release of | | | | to a 40-hour HAZWOPER training provider. This is |
| dangerous materials and they need emergency | | | | one of the most common questions they receive |
| response training. | | | | and they can help you determine what courses |
| Levels of Emergency Response | | | | your workers need. |
| Rather than the 40-hour HAZWOPER program, | | | | |