The 24 hr HAZWOPER training was created by OSHA for occasional site workers who are onsite for a specific task (such as, but not limited to, ground water monitoring, air monitoring, site management, land surveying, or geophysical surveying) and are unlikely to be exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits.  Or workers regularly onsite who work in areas which have been monitored and fully characterized indicating that exposures are under permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits where respirators are not necessary, and the characterization indicates that there are no health hazards or the possibility of an emergency developing.

In both scenarios, these workers are not involved with clean-up operations. Should you need to be involved with the clean-up or abatement operations of a hazardous material or should you need to wear a respirator, you will need to take the 40 hr HAZWOPER course.This training includes the 24 hrs of offsite instruction in accordance with OSHA 1910.120(e)(3)(ii-iii). Attendees will need to complete a minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained experienced supervisor. Field training is not included and is the responsibility of the employer/student post course.

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 location of the hazard.