HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) training requirements apply to certain operations involving hazardous waste. These requirements dictate the amount, type and levels of training that employees working with hazardous waste must receive. The requirements for hazwoper training can be found in Cal/OSHA § 5192 and Federal 49 CFR 1910.120 . In general, there are three categories of hazmat operations, and specific training requirements for each. These three categories are hazmat site cleanup, emergency response, and operations at treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. Site Cleanup Cleanup and removal work at sites that have been identified by a government agency (state, federal, or local) as having an accumulation of hazardous substances that creates a threat to the health and safety of individuals or the environment or both. General site workers removing hazmat with potential exposure to hazardous substances and health hazards shall have 40 Hours of Training + 3 Days Supervised Field Experience. General site workers in areas where hazard levels have been fully identified, exposures are below published safety limits, there are no health hazards, no possibility of an emergency release, and respirators are not required shall have 24 hours of training + 1 day supervised field experience. Occasional/limited site workers (such as those doing monitoring or surveying) and are unlikely to be exposed to dangerous levels of hazmat shall have 24 hours of training + 1 day supervised field experience. Supervisors of general site workers shall meet the same training requirements as that category of general site worker, plus have an additional eight additional hours of specialized hazardous waste operations management training. All categories of site cleanup workers shall have 8 hours of annual refresher training. Emergency Response Emergency response to releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances, regardless of location. Awareness Level (FRA): Basic awareness, recognize hazmat threat, call for help. Competence based, no hourly requirement. Operations Level (FRO): Defensive response, contain and limit the release. Competence based, or 8 hours of training required. Hazmat Technicians and Hazmat Specialists: Direct response to stop a release of hazardous substances. Training scope and duties varies depending on position/role. 24 hours of training required. Incident Commander/Manager: Control and manage scene, implement response plans. 24 hours of training required. All emergency response workers shall receive annual refresher training or evaluation to demonstrate competency in their required areas. TSDF Operations Operations at Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) Workers are required to have 24 hours of initial training, and 8 hours annual refresher training.

The most important thing to know about snakebites is that people drastically overestimate both the likelihood and the severity of venomous snake bites in the US. Snakebites are fairly rare, and fatalities from snakebites are so unlikely (generally 5-10 per year in the entire country), a person is many times more likely to die from a lightning strike, or a heat-related emergency, or any number of other outdoor hazards. Prevention is simple. It is relatively simple to avoid most snakebites by being aware of where you step, not reaching or climbing on any area you haven't visually inspected first, and not approaching snakes to catch, kill, or photograph them. There are some significant misunderstandings about first aid measures for snake bites, many unfortunately perpetuated by uninformed first aid instructors and irresponsible equipment vendors. Do NOT apply suction. Avoid the use of commercial snakebite kits with suction pumps, like the Sawyer Extractor. See our article on venom extractors for more information on these ineffective and dangerous devices. Do NOT apply tourniquets or constricting bands. Do NOT cut the skin. Basic first aid measures are simple. Here's what you should do: Keep the person calm and avoid unnecessary movement. Why: Keeping the person's heartrate in a normal range slows the distribution of venom in their body. Remove watches, rings, and other tight fitting items. Why: These can constrict bloodflow if the person's limbs start to swell due to the venom. Call 911. If you do not have cellphone service, you will have to consider either finding a way to transport the person, or leaving them while you try to reach an area with cellphone service. Why: The only definitive care for a venomous snakebite is transport to a hospital for supportive care, and possibly anti-venom medication. For people working (or recreating) outdoors, mindfulness of where you place your feet and hands is your best defense against snakebites. If you will be in an area without cellphone coverage, investing in a means of emergency communication such as a satellite phone or messenger, personal locator beacon, two-way radio is the most important part of your emergency response plan. Three action steps for California employers: Review this information with your workers in April or March, which is when snake sightings will begin to increase. Ensure workplace first aid supplies do not contain outdated and dangerous supplies like snakebite kits and venom extractors. Ensure workers in remote areas have adequate means of emergency communications.

Cal/OSHA's requirements for workplace respiratory protection can be found in Section 5144 of the California Code of Regulations. Any employer with tasks requiring employee respirator use needs to comply with these requirements, and employees must be medically approved, trained, and fit tested prior to using a respirator at work. Remember, you can't adequately protect employees unless you know what to protect them against, and how serious the potential exposure is. For this reason, a hazard assessment should be the first step before starting a respiratory protection program. You should determine what sort of respiratory hazards exist in the workplace. You have to consider the types and concentration of contaminants employees they might be exposed to. Always start by seeing if you can eliminate the need for respirator use by controlling the hazard some other way. If not, then your next step is to develop an appropriate workplace respirator program. This short guide explains the basics of respirator use in the workplace; always refer to the full OSHA standard when developing your program. Administrative Program Why: Without a formal plan, you cannot effectively implement and run a safety program. A written respiratory protection program identifies respiratory hazards, and details the steps you are taking to reduce these hazards, including employee respirator use. This program must be customized to your location. Your written program should summarize the results of your hazard assessment, and how respirators will be used in your workplace to keep employees safe. It should specify which positions or tasks require respirator use, what types of NIOSH-approved respirators are to be used, and how your company will provide required medical evaluations, fit testing and training for your employees. The program should also describe procedures for respirator use and maintenance, ongoing program evaluation, and who is in charge of overseeing the respirator program. Cal/OSHA §5144(c): "The employer shall ... develop and implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use. The program must be administered by a suitably trained program administrator." Cal/OSHA §5144(f): "The employer shall ... provide for the cleaning and disinfecting, storage, inspection, and repair of respirators used by employees." Cal/OSHA §5144(g): "The employer shall ... establish and implement procedures for the proper use of respirators..." Medical Evaluation Why: Respirator use puts greater stress on the worker's body, especially the heart and lungs. A medical evaluation helps rule out any serious health problems that could be worsened by respirator use. Before wearing a respirator at work, employees are required to complete a health history questionnaire, which should be evaluated by a healthcare provider, who will give their approval for that employee to wear a respirator. Most employees will be approved right away, while others may need to provide additional information to the healthcare provider, have a more detailed evaluation, or have limitations on respirator use. Some companies will also require employees to have a physical evaluation, or a pulmonary function test. The medical evaluation should be renewed according to the recommendation of the healthcare provider issuing the approval (usually annually), or sooner if the employee has any health changes or problems that could affect their safe use of the respirator. Cal/OSHA §5144(e): "The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace." Employee Training Why: Workers need to know how the respirator works, how to use it correctly in the workplace and problems to watch out for. Employees should receive training on the capabilities and the limitations of the respirator, what tasks they should use the respirator for, how to inspect, put on, remove, and use the mask, procedures for maintenance (if applicable) and storage, recognition of the medical signs and the symptoms that may limit or prevent an employee’s effective use of a respirator, and the general requirements of the OSHA standard. Training should be renewed at least annually, or sooner if there are significant changes to the type of work being done, or the style of respirator used by the employee. Cal/OSHA §5144(k): "The employer shall ... provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators. The training must be comprehensive, understandable, and recur annually, and more often if necessary." Fit Testing Why: Every person's body is different, and employees need to make sure they are wearing a respirator that makes an adequate seal to their face. Employees should be fit tested to identify the specific make, model, style, and size of the respirator that is best suited for each employee, and check for problems with respirator condition, use, and donning procedure. There are different fit test methods required depending on the mask type and workplace contaminants. Fit testing should be renewed at least annually, or sooner if the employee has physical changes that could affect respirator fit, or experiences issues with the fit of their issued respirator. Cal/OSHA §5144(f): "...before an employee may be required to use any respirator with a negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece, the employee must be fit tested with the same make, model, style, and size of respirator that will be used." Together, the administrative program, medical evaluations, employee training, and fit testing form the core of an OSHA-compliant workplace respirator program. Safewest can assist employers with all required elements of a respiratory protection program. If you need help, or just want a few questions answered, contact us for a free consultation.