HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. It's a set of standards developed by OSHA that provides guidelines to protect workers who deal with hazardous materials and help them handle hazardous substances effectively.
HAZWOPER is designed to protect against the dangers that hazardous waste poses. This type of waste is defined as any solids, liquids, or gases that exhibit at least one hazardous trait (toxicity, corrosivity, reactivity, or ignitability) and cannot be thrown away using traditional disposal methods due to the threat to environmental and/or human health.
Hazardous waste often contains carcinogens that can cause cancers, in addition to causing birth defects and other adverse effects. It can also harm plants and animals, and have wide-reaching environmental effects. HAZWOPER training is necessary for the employers and the employees at treatment, storage and disposal facilities dealing with hazardous waste and for the workers performing emergency response cleanup where hazardous substances have been released.
HAZWOPER is the OSHA standard 1910.120 which covers both operational procedures and emergency response concerning hazardous waste. The standard includes workers who participate in the activities like:
Storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste
Cleanup of hazardous spills/contaminated sites
Emergency response in the event of a catastrophic event such as an explosion, leak, or spill
HAZWOPER also includes workers who do not themselves interact directly with waste, but are employed in a facility where hazardous waste is treated, stored, or created. When a disaster strikes, everyone in the workplace needs to understand the correct course of action.
The accidental release of a hazardous substance may seriously threaten the health of workers as well as the immediate environment. The HAZWOPER standard specifies necessary safety practices and training that will keep workers safe in a broad variety of industries.
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