While there are numerous risks associated with operating in the industrial setting, one of the most dangerous aspects is the potential of encountering hazardous substances or waste.
Fortunately, your business can protect its teams from the dangers of handling hazardous waste by adhering to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards and training requirements.
Specifically, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the HAZWOPER OSHA standard and provide all applicable employees with HAZWOPER training.
What Is HAZWOPER Training?
HAZWOPER training is a workplace safety program designed to comply with the HAZWOPER OSHA standard. The abbreviation “HAZWOPER” stands for “Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response.”
The HAZWOPER OSHA standard outlines protocols and best practices for handling hazardous waste. This standard was created to protect personnel engaging in hazardous waste operations, such as those tasked with emergency cleanup of chemical spills.
Who Is Required to Have HAZWOPER Training?
HAZWOPER training should be administered to three groups of workers, which include:
- Workers tasked with cleaning up hazardous waste sites
- Treatment, storage, and disposal facility workers
- Emergency response personnel
Emergency responders must meet more stringent training requirements than the other two classes of workers, as they must stabilize rapidly evolving, dangerous situations using established best practices and hazardous waste control protocols.
HAZWOPER training should also be provided to staff members that will frequently be working in environments involving:
- Explosion or fire hazards
- Confined spaces
- High concentrations of hazardous chemicals
- Suboptimal oxygen levels
- Hazardous atmospheric conditions
This training will teach workers the skills to remain safe when working in these high-risk environments.
Work Environments that Benefit from HAZWOPER Training
All of the above work environments will benefit from HAZWOPER OSHA training. While workers in the fields mentioned above voluntarily choose to place themselves in potentially hazardous environments, it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that they have the skills necessary to work safely.
Employers that fail to adhere to OSHA’s training requirements not only endanger their workers but also expose themselves to significant civil liability.
If your organization’s activities involve the use, production, management, or cleanup of hazardous waste, it will benefit from HAZWOPER training, as will your staff. As such, you should strongly consider incorporating HAZWOPER training into your annual training schedule, even if you’re not required to do so under OSHA guidelines.
Advantages
OSHA HAZWOPER training promises to benefit your staff, company, and clients.
Among other things, OSHA HAZWOPER training enables your staff to:
- Decrease their risk of workplace injury
- Reduce their exposure to hazardous chemicals
- Safely and efficiently handle hazardous waste
At the same time, your company stands to gain the following advantages by investing in OSHA HAZWOPER training:
- Decreased risk of incurring worker’s comp claims
- Reduced exposure to civil liability
- Decreased risk of incurring OSHA fines or penalties
Administering OSHA HAZWOPER training will also enable you to protect your brand image and build trust among your employees, who will appreciate that you’re giving them the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to work safely.
Furthermore, your clients will benefit because your facility is less likely to experience an injury or accident-related disruption. This, in turn, allows you to serve them more reliably and avoid disruptions that could impact profitability. Safe businesses are successful businesses.
Contact Safety by Design for OSHA Training in Houston, Texas
The HAZWOPER OSHA standard and associated training are highly valuable for promoting workplace safety compliance at facilities that handle hazardous waste. With that in mind, it’s imperative that you make it possible for your employees to receive this training by partnering with an experienced provider like Safety By Design.
Safety By Design is the premier safety consulting firm in the Lone Star State. We also offer on-site OSHA HAZWOPER training to clients in and around Houston, Texas.
Contact Safety By Design today to learn more about our services or schedule on-site HAZWOPER training with our team of experts.
