Inherent in the entire concept of hazardous waste is the recognition that these substances cannot simply be cleaned up by some guy with a paper towel and a trash bag. The threat they represent to the environment as well as to the health of the clean-up worker means that a degree of specialized training is essential for those tasked with remedial operations. For this reason, the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has issued regulations governing the minimum acceptable standards of training necessary before a worker is qualified to assist in such operations.

These training regimes are covered under the term HAZWOPER, or Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. HAZWOPER certification is built around the idea of a worker being able to identify and isolate a particular threat out of a menu of multiple possibilities, and then deal with it safely and rapidly. In order to achieve this level of proficiency, a general 40-hour HAZWOPER basic instruction course is the foundation, backed up with 3 days of hands-on experience, and an annual 8-hour refresher course to maintain familiarity with existing threats and bring new and improved procedures to the worker’s attention.

40-hour HAZWOPER courses are offered through many public and private organizations. There are many dedicated OSHA-certified consultants and companies that provide the basic training as well as the annual re-certification courses. Large companies often certified companies conduct educational programs specific to hazardous waste operator certification.

The most recent trend in training comes from the spread of online 40-hour HAZWOPER courses coupled with onsite hands-on instruction to meet the 3-day requirement. This hybridized form of instruction allows most workers to perform the classroom work at their convenience, often at night or on weekends, and not lose time on the job or interfere with the need to have full staffing at work. Hands-on training remains face-to-face due to the need for workers to be certified with the specific equipment they will use at their jobsite. Instruction on the use of respirators, for example, needs to include specific training on the exact model of respiratory equipment available for that worker’s use.

Hazardous Waste operator certification is always a good item to put on any resume. Nor is it particularly expensive. Once a worker has been trained and received a certificate of completion, that certification travels with the worker wherever they go. Portable and in growing demand, OSHA HAZWOPER training is a helpful career move.