Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

WHAT IS HAZWOPER TRAINING?

HAZWOPER training is a set of regulations and training requirements that prepare workers and supervisors to safely handle, clean up, and respond to situations involving hazardous waste. OSHA HAZWOPER training requirements are covered under the OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards 29 CFR 1910.120 and 29 CFR 1926.65.

WHAT DOES HAZWOPER STAND FOR?

HAZWOPER is an acronym that stands for “hazardous waste operations and emergency response”.

WHO NEEDS HAZWOPER TRAINING?

HAZWOPER training is required for workers who perform cleanup, emergency response, corrective actions or operate at treatment facilities. These include: 

• Government-required cleanup operations
• Corrective actions involving cleanup operations at sites covered by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Clean-up operations at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites
• Operations at treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities
• Emergency response operations involving the release of hazardous substances

WHICH HAZWOPER CERTIFICATION IS RIGHT FOR ME?

HAZWOPER 40-Hour	For workers and employers participating in hazardous waste operations and emergency response
HAZWOPER 24-Hour	For workers and employers with limited exposure to hazardous waste
HAZWOPER 16-Hour	For onsite managers and supervisors directly responsible for employees engaged in hazardous waste operations who need to complete their 40 hours of training after passing the 24-hour course
HAZWOPER 8-Hour Refresher	Meets the annual training requirement for hazardous waste operations and emergency response workers

 

HOW DO I GET A HAZWOPER CERTIFICATE?

OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard requires that all individuals receive a physical HAZWOPER certificate upon successful completion of their 8-, 24-, and/or 40-hour HAZWOPER training.

This involves:

1. Completing the HAZWOPER training online.
2. Scoring at least 70% on all knowledge checkpoints.
3. Filling out the course evaluation form.

After successfully completing the course, you will receive a certificate of completion. For courses where OSHA requires supervised field experience and hands-on training, these requirements must be completed through your employer before the worker can be considered fully qualified under the applicable HAZWOPER standard.

CAN I TAKE HAZWOPER TRAINING ONLINE?

Yes. ClickSafety’s HAZWOPER training online provides a flexible way for workers to complete their OSHA-required training from virtually any location. Online training allows workers to learn at their own pace while helping employers efficiently train multiple workers across different job sites.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE HAZWOPER TRAINING ONLINE, AND CAN I FINISH IT IN MORE THAN ONE SITTING? 

Our online HAZWOPER courses are self-paced. The 40-hour course typically takes multiple sessions over one to two weeks, while the 8-hour refresher can often be completed in a single day. Workers can log out and resume where they left off, which lets workers fit training around shift schedules instead of taking a full week off the job. 

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I FINISH HAZWOPER TRAINING ONLINE? 

Completing the online portion satisfies OSHA's classroom-hours requirement, but workers taking the 40-hour course also need a minimum of three days of field experience and workers taking the 24-hour course also need a minimum of one day of field experience under a trained, experienced supervisor before working unsupervised at a hazardous waste site. Employers are responsible for arranging and documenting this supervised field experience, since it isn't part of the online course itself. 

DOES HAZWOPER CERTIFICATION EXPIRE?

No. HAZWOPER certification itself doesn't have a hard expiration date, but OSHA requires an 8-hour refresher course every 12 months to ensure your training remains current. If a worker lets their annual refresher lapse, most employers and site owners will treat the original 24- or 40-hour certification as no longer valid until the refresher is completed. 

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZWOPER 40-HOUR AND 24-HOUR TRAINING?

The HAZWOPER 40-hour course is for workers with regular or high exposure to hazardous substances, such as general site workers at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The 24-hour course is for workers with occasional or limited exposure, such as site visitors or workers who won't be near hazardous substances above permissible exposure limits. Both are initial-training courses. An employer's site hazard assessment and job duties determine which one an employee needs, not seniority or job title. 

WHAT INDUSTRIES REQUIRE HAZWOPER TRAINING?

HAZWOPER training is required across environmental remediation, construction and demolition, oil and gas, utilities, manufacturing, and municipal or industrial emergency response, essentially any industry where workers may handle, clean up, or respond to hazardous substances. Specific job roles that typically need it include site workers, equipment operators, environmental consultants, firefighters and HazMat teams, and onsite supervisors. 

IS HAZWOPER TRAINING THE SAME AS HAZMAT TRAINING? 

No. HAZWOPER, governed by OSHA under 29 CFR 1910.120, applies to workers who handle, clean up, or respond to hazardous waste at a work site. HAZMAT training, governed by the Department of Transportation, applies to employees who ship, transport, or handle hazardous materials in transit. The two can overlap. For example, a HazMat team responding to a transportation spill may need both, but they come from different agencies and cover different activities. 

DOES WILDFIRE CLEANUP REQUIRE HAZWOPER TRAINING? 

Yes, in many cases. Wildland firefighting itself is generally covered by separate wildfire and emergency response standards, but the cleanup that follows a wildfire often falls under HAZWOPER. Ash and debris from burned homes, vehicles, and businesses can contain asbestos, lead, heavy metals, and lithium-ion battery residue from electric vehicles and home solar systems, which turns debris removal into a hazardous waste cleanup activity. After recent wildfires, regulators have reinforced HAZWOPER requirements for this work, including a written site safety plan, hazard assessments for airborne contaminants and unstable structures, proper respiratory protection and PPE, and HAZWOPER-trained workers and supervisors before cleanup crews can begin work on fire-damaged properties.