Hazardous Material Training Required for Fire Debris Clean-up

In the wake of the recent Northern California fires, cleaning up the fire debris will become one of the first tasks tackled.  Companies with backhoes, dozers, excavators, and more, will be called upon to help start on the road to recovery.  BUT, did you know that many sites will require a certified person to handle the clean-up, due to hazardous materials contaminating the debris?  Hazardous Material training (HAZWOPER) certified companies will be in short supply.  Find out more about the regulations and training available below.

Hazardous Material Training (HAZWOPER)

Title 8, General Safety Orders, Section 5192:

• All employees working on site (such as but not limited to equipment operators, general laborers, and others) exposed to hazardous substances, health hazards, or safety hazards, and their supervisors and management responsible for the site shall receive training meeting the requirements of this subsection before they are permitted to engage in hazardous waste operations that could expose them to hazardous substances, safety, or health hazards, and they shall receive review training as specified in this subsection.
• General site workers (such as equipment operators, general laborers, and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.
• Qualifications for trainers: Trainers shall be qualified to instruct employees about the subject matter that is being presented in training. Such trainers shall have satisfactorily completed a training program for teaching the subjects they are expected to teach, or they shall have the academic credentials and instructional experience necessary for teaching the subjects. Instructors shall demonstrate competent instructional skills and knowledge of the applicable subject matter.

While online training sources may seem like the easiest way to go, you would still need hands-on equipment training, as well as field evaluations, to fulfill the training requirements of this section.

Training Resources:

• Cal, Inc., Vacaville, CA: http://www.cal-inc.com/training/displayclass.php?cid=39&cat=9
• ClickSafety, Online: https://www.clicksafety.com/courses/detail/osha-hazwoper-40-hour-course
  • NOTE: Students must also obtain additional site-specific training, along with three days of actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.
• 360Training, Online: https://www.360training.com/environmental-health-safety/osha-training/hazwoper-training/hazwoper-40hr-osha-training
  • Meets OSHA’s preliminary 40-hour training requirement. Prior to entering a hazardous or potentially hazardous site, workers must also have three days of field experience.
• OSHA Training Institue, Dublin CA: https://osha.asapconnected.com/CourseDetail.aspx?CourseId=28274

VCE does not endorse any trainer and/or training facility.  Individuals/Companies must verify their training meets Cal/OSHA requirements.