03-21-2025 - HAZWOPER 8-Hour Annual Refresher - Rochester, NY

Why Should You Take This HAZWOPER 8-Hour Annual Refresher course?

Do not let your HAZWOPER certification expire! This HAZWOPER refresher course is a required 8-hour annual re-certification for persons engaged in hazardous waste operations and emergency response. This course covers site-specific requirements and information pertaining to hazardous waste sites and operations in accordance with the requirements for health and safety training in OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.120.

Intended Audience:  This course is required for anyone engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which may expose them to hazardous substances and health hazards on a regulated hazardous waste site. The course includes a combination of lectures, class exercises, and hands-on training.

Topics To Be Covered:

• Regulations Overview
• Toxicology & Handling Chemicals
• Risk Assessment & Safety Principles
• Medical Surveillance & Personal Protective Equipment
• Emergency Response & First Aid
• Site Control & Emergencies
• Decontamination
• Health & Physical Hazards
• Confined Spaces
• Drum Handling
• Lockout/Tag Out
• Hazard Communication

Please Note: This course is designed as an annual refresher for those certified in either 40-hour or 24-hour HAZWOPER and satisfies the requirements for health and safety training in the OSHA/DOSH Standard on Hazardous Waste Operations, 29 CFR 1910.120.

What if it's been over 1 year since I took my last initial or refresher course?

"If the date for refresher training has lapsed, the need to repeat the initial training must be determined based on the employee's familiarity with safety and health procedures used on site. The employee should take the next available refresher training course. "There should be a record in the employee's file indicating why the training has been delayed and when the training will be completed."

Source: https://www.osha.gov/html/faq-hazwoper.html#faq5

How Do HAZWOPER and HAZMAT Differ?

Hazardous Material:  A substance (gas, liquid, or solid) capable of creating harm to people, the environment, and/or property. Some examples include solvents, paints, gasoline, adhesives, lubricants, etc.

Hazardous Waste: A contaminated chemical or by-product of a production process that no longer serves its purpose, and needs to be disposed of properly by EPA and DOT laws/regulations.  

HAZMAT: Is often used when discussing the transport of hazardous materials, but any aspect of hazardous materials production, transport, use, disposal, or cleanup is covered under this standard.

HAZWOPER: Refers to ALL training that deals with the hazardous waste operation and emergency response to chemical spills or releases - Toxicity, Volatility, Flammability, Explosiveness, Corrosiveness. 

The HAZWOPER Standard covers five (5) specific areas of operations, including:

• Clean-up operations required by a governmental body, involving hazardous substances at an uncontrolled/abandoned hazardous waste site
• Corrective actions involving cleanup operations at controlled sites covered by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 
• Voluntary cleanup operations at sites recognized by the government as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites
• Operations involving hazardous waste that are conducted at treatment, storage, and disposal facilities regulated by RCRA (EPA)
• Emergency response operations for releases, or substantial threats of releases, of hazardous substances without regard to the location