HAZWOPER Training

Requirements for Hospital

Staffs
















Exposure to hazardous waste may lead to safety and health hazards for
workers. Hospital staff treating contaminated patients who have been
exposed to chemical, biological or radiological materials may also be at
risk of exposure.












To protect the healthcare facility and its employees, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Hazardous Waste and
Emergency Response standard (HAZWOPER) requirements for hospital
staff are:



Workers must be trained to perform their anticipated job duties
without causing danger to themselves or to others.










Consider the hazards present in the community and the
capabilities of hospital staff to determine the level of training
those workers need to respond to these hazards.
Hazards must be based on worst-case scenarios.
If your personnel are expected to provide limited
decontamination services in order to attend to medical problems,
they must be trained to the first responder operations level with
emphasis on the use of PPE and decontamination procedures.
This level of emergency response training is described in 29 CFR
1910.120(q)(6)(ii); additional guidance about the content of this
training is available in HAZWOPER's Appendix E, says OSHA.



In-house training may be developed by hospitals or have an
employee trained in HAZWOPER first responder operations
courses. Training in decontamination and Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) must follow.
The HAZWOPER standard in 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii) requires the
employer to certify that employees have the training and
competencies needed.
The standard also entails annual refresher training or
demonstration of competency, as expressed in (q)(8).

HAZWOPER training comes in the following forms:
40 hours of initial training and 3 days of field experience in order
to be certified.
24 hours of initial training and 1 day of field experience under the
supervision of a trained employee.
8 hours of additional waste management training for supervisors
and managers.
8 hours of annual refresher.










Reference Links and Image Credits:

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9765
http://www.oshacampus.com/hazwoper-training/40-hours/

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