OSHA HAZWOPER Courses - 'Hands-On' or Online

Oct. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, is the division of the US Department of Transportation that monitors hazardous substances accidents nationwide. Exactly what is considered a reportable hazardous material accident? According to the PHMSA, its is any incident in which exposure to hazardous materials results in an evacuation of 25 or more persons, major injuries requiring hospitalization or death.

The agency concluded there were 4 fatalities and 22 cases requiring emergency medical attention among the 360 serious hazardous material accidents reported by US businesses in 2009. But that number is a significant decline from 2008, when the total was nearly 430 incidents of the same classification, and fatalities fell from a 2008 count of 9. Despite the higher number of incidents and greater loss of life in 2008, however, less of those accidents resulted in hospitalization that year than the following: Only 17 people were kept at the hospital from the 2008 hazmat accident list.

Federal authorities are likely to credit the decline in incidents to increased adherence to what is known in industrial safety parlance as HAZWOPER, or The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. OSHA implemented HAZWOPER in 1990, though the genesis of the standard dates back to an effort to clear hazardous materials from military bases after World War II.

Essentially covering five areas of operation, including clean-up of government-controlled waste sites and emergency response to spills and other accidents, HAZWOPER provides a legal standard that employers must meet in order to conduct such operations. Any business that handles, transports or remediates hazardous waste shows safety compliance by meeting the applicable HAZWOPER standards.

Without proper OSHA HAZWOPER training, most hazmat handlers cannot meet federal standards. Training facilities like Findlay All Hazards in Ohio, formally known as The All Hazards Training Center at The University of Findlay (http://seem.findlay.edu) are a key resource for such training.

Among the courses offered are the OSHA 40- Hour Hazardous Waste Site Worker, Operations and Technician Level Emergency Response, and Incident Command. Training is provided to a certification level and annual refresher courses are offered to help industry professionals stay current and compliant. Findlay exceeds many other trainers by offering training environments and simulators that their clients do not possess.

For example, at the 'Emergency Response Training Center', students perform emergency response drills, in full PPE, on simulated hazardous waste incident mockups likea leaking railcar or pipe rack, or perhaps an unauthorized waster disposal area.

Findlay also maintains a state-of-the-art indoor facility with setups for teaching decontamination procedures, confined space entry and rescue and personal protective equipment donning and use.

Despite this abundance of HAZWOPER training resources (see http://emergency-response-hazwoper-training.findlay.edu), Findlay All Hazards delivers the majority of their Emergency Response training at the client's location. This isn't just to cut down on travel costs. These clients want training exercises adapted to the particulars of their facilities and equipment - an area where Findlay instructors excel.And, selected courses - especially those dealing with Department of Transportation (DOT) and RCRA regulations - can be taken online.

Earning a HAZWOPER training certificate is perhaps the most important step in achieving safety confidence in dealing with hazardous materials. Findlay All Hazards HAZWOPER training offerings are a valuable resource that help promote safety in this complex, important industry.

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Findlay All Hazards provides over 60 adult-education training and certification programs, in OSHA and environmental safety, security, and emergency management, customized to the client's specific needs and delivered right at the client's locations.