What HAZMAT Course Should I Take?
HAZMAT certification refers to the training employees undergo to handle hazardous waste in the workplace. This certification is necessary for many employees across various industries. Employees must complete hazardous material training before performing their everyday tasks. Those who ship, handle, clean, package or otherwise prepare hazardous materials must complete HAZMAT shipping courses.
HAZMAT & Waster Courses Made Simple
While most people in the safety world know of the OSHA and Cal-OSHA regulation known as the HAZWOPER regulation, we find that many do not fully understand what it actually requires and how to apply it to various types of operations.
While this may not seem like a big deal, the consequences of not certifying employees to do the types of work that you want them to perform can be both dangerous and costly. And then you add in the regulations for DOT HazMat Employee and EPA’s requirements for Waste Handlers. It’s easy to get confused!
Hazmat School makes your safety solutions simple, and that includes our training courses. Following is a short summary with some information about the courses we offer and who needs to take which course. You can also go to our course catalog to read about each course, which type of worker needs that training and the cost of each training. If you need any help selecting a training course after reading this let us know. We are happy to help!
Our courses are virtual, so you can complete them on your own time when it works best for you. With 24/7 access to remote instructors and a variety of helpful resources, getting your certification couldn’t be easier.
Types of HAZMAT Certifications
Hazmat School offers HAZMAT training and certifications for HAZWOPER, DOT and hazardous waste. Training typically covers security awareness, function-specific, familiarization, safety and in-depth security education to ensure all employees know how to handle hazardous substances in all situations, including accidental spills.
Those who work in clean-up industries need HAZWOPER training, while shipping or transporting employees need DOT training. Anyone storing or treating hazardous substances needs hazardous waste training. Taking the proper training and ensuring you complete the required refresher courses will help keep you up-to-date and certified to perform your daily tasks.
HAZWOPER Training
DOT HAZMAT Training
Hazardous Waste Training (EPA)
HAZWOPER Training Courses
HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. This training details proper clean-up techniques as well as how emergency responders can safely operate during various scenarios that involve hazardous waste. HAZWOPER training covers practices, procedures and policies that reduce risks and promote safety when handling hazardous substances.
OSHA regulation includes three distinct types of operations and outlines nine HAZMAT certification levels within those three types of operations. You can find this regulation in 29 CFR, Part 1910.120 in the Federal OSHA system, and in 8 CCR, Section 5192 in California regulations. While slightly different, each of the regulations apply to these three types of operations found in sections (a) of both the Federal and State versions.
HAZWOPER training courses are for employees who clean up hazardous materials. Regulations define waste site clean-up personnel as those who:
- Participate in clean-up operations at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites involving hazardous materials. A local, state, federal or other governmental body requires these operations.
- Perform corrective actions at RCRA-covered sites involving clean-up operations.
- Volunteer to clean up after operations at sites that state, local, federal or other governmental bodies recognized as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
If employees perform clean-up at your recognized waste site, this training applies to you.
General Site Workers (40-hour HAZWOPER Training)
OSHA requires that general site workers have 40 hours classroom training plus three days of documented field experience. General site workers are those who are typically at the site and whose job responsibilities place them in possible contact with hazardous waste above the Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) established by OSHA. They may wear the various levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and engage in activities that are moderately to highly hazardous.
Who needs to take this training?
- People who work at a hazardous waste clean up site on a frequent basis, such as an equipment operator or laborer
- Corrective actions involving clean-up operations at sites covered by Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- People who regularly work with, or clean up hazardous materials or wastes with a potential for exposures above “permissible” levels, and might be required to use respiratory protection in the course of that work
If you’re working at a recognized hazardous waste site where clean-up operations are being performed, then this training is for you! This course details PPE, decontamination, types of hazards, materials handling and more. You will learn fall protection and risks and how to manage safety and health and varying levels of protection.
This full 40-hour HAZWOPER Training cannot be done 100% online per OSHA regulations (see what OSHA says here). Instead, you can take the 24-hour HAZWOPER Training portion online, then, join any hands-on 16-hour Crossover class in person to complete your 40-hour HAZWOPER certification. You can also take the full 40-hour HAZWOPER class in person. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area you can check out our class calendar with dates to our upcoming HAZWOPER classes.
OSHA requires that HAZWOPER Occasional Site Workers have 24 hours of classroom training plus one day of documented field experience. Occasional site workers are those whose job responsibilities do not allow exposure to hazardous substances above the Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL). They would not be required to wear respiratory protection, since the need for respiratory protection implies that an exposure level above the PEL is present.
Those who need to take Occasional Site Workers (24-Hour HAZWOPER Training) include:
- People who work at a hazardous waste clean up site like an engineer or a surveyor
- People who regularly work with, or clean up hazardous materials or wastes with exposures within “permissible” levels and are not required to use respiratory protection
OSHA requires an additional 16 hours of classroom training plus two additional documented days of field experience for those whose job requirements have changed. For instance, if you received training as a 24 hour HAZWOPER Occasional Site Worker but have since or will have the potential to be exposed above permissible exposure limits as a General Site Worker, you will need Crossover Module (16-Hour HAZWOPER Training).
OSHA requires that all Site Workers, whether General or Occasional, receive 8 hours of Refresher training annually. This 8-Hour Annual HAZWOPER Refresher will keep you up-to-date on all current policies, procedures and practices involving hazardous waste.
DOT HAZMAT Training Courses
If your workplace duties consist of coming in contact with, handling, packaging or shipping hazardous materials, you need DOT HAZMAT training. Even employees who sign off on shipping papers for hazardous materials must receive this training.
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has a series of regulations for training programs for Hazmat Employees. It is sometimes referred to as HM-181 or HM-126 training. This training offers a realistic and understandable way to achieve the certification you need.
DOT HazMat Employee Training
This is the certification required for shipping or transporting hazmat within the US. Our DOT Hazmat courses meet the requirements for general awareness, function-specific, safety, security awareness and in-depth security training as prescribed in Title 49 CFR, Part 172, Subpart H. While the DOT does not have a requirement for the number of hours, this course takes four hours to complete.
Who should take this training?
- A person who prepares hazardous material(s) for transportation, including the shipping/receiving department where chemicals are used, stored, or processed
- A person involved in the transportation of a hazardous material, such as a truck driver
- A person who labels or marks packages that are being transported, or signs the shipping papers for packages of hazardous materials to be transported.
- A person who signs off on any DOT document such as Hazardous Waste Manifests, Bill of Ladings, etc..
You will need this course if you are hauling hazmat within the United States-
DOT HM-181 HazMat Employee Training Course – $99
You will need this course if you are packaging and shipping hazmat-
If you are going to be shipping hazmat internationally by air then you will also need some additional training. This training is the IATA Dangerous Goods Training and will certify you to ship internationally by air via FedEx, UPS, Etc. If you are going to be shipping hazmat both domestically and internationally by air then you will need both the DOT 49 CFR Training and the IATA Dangerous Goods Combined Training. We offer these as either hands on training, by webinar, or as an online course. Check out our course catalog for more information on the DOT Hazard Materials Course and the IATA DGR Training.
Those who need to complete IATA Dangerous Goods Training are:
- Those who label or mark packages that are being shipped overseas by air.
- Anyone who signs the shipping papers for packages that are being shipped overseas by air.
- Employees who ship hazmat by air domestically via FedEx (as they have stricter requirements than other carriers).
If you are shipping internationally by air and already have your DOT HAZMAT certification you will need this course-
IATA Dangerous Goods Shipping Training Course – $160
If you are shipping hazardous materials both domestically and internationally you will need this course-
If you are going to be shipping hazmat internationally by ocean then you will also need some additional training. This training is the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Training Course and will certify you to ship internationally by vessel. We offer this as either hands on training, by webinar, or as an online course. Check out our course catalog for more information on the different hazmat shipper courses that we offer.
Who should take the IMDG Vessel Shipper Training?
- A person who labels or marks packages that are being shipped overseas by vessel
- A person who signs the shipping papers for packages that are being shipped overseas by vessel
If you are shipping internationally by ocean and already have your DOT hazMat certification you will need this course-
International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Training Course – $199
If you are shipping hazardous materials domestically and internationally by air and ocean you will need this course-
Hazardous Waste Training (EPA)
You will likely need to take a refresher course every few years to ensure you stay certified. The purpose of this training program is to satisfy US EPA’s initial or refresher hazardous waste training mandates for managers and personnel at large, small, or very small quantity generator sites and protect those who handle the material, and the environment where employees store or treat the waste.
Our RCRA and CA Title 22 Hazardous Waste courses cover what you need to know to properly identify, store, and manage regulated hazardous wastes from cradle-to-grave under EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC).
Our hazardous waste training course’s provide the required knowledge for those employees who work directly with or around hazardous waste by providing information regarding waste handling procedures and emergency action procedures. While the regulations do not have a required number of hours for the training program, it takes 4 hours to complete.
Employees who need to complete RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler Training include:
- People who work with, label and store hazardous wastes
- People who fill and manage drums
- People who sign manifests for removal of hazardous wastes
If you are in California you will need to take the CA Title 22 Hazardous Waste Training Course!
There are times when DOT and RCRA/Title 22 certification requirements blend. When hazardous wastes are transported, or prepared for transportation, or the hazardous waste manifest for the transport needs to be signed, both certifications are required.
You need to take RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler & DOT HAZMAT Employee Training if you do the following:
- Package, load or unload, and transport hazardous wastes
- Sign shipping papers and waste manifests
If you are in California you will need to take the CA Title 22 Hazardous Waste & DOT HazMat Employee course!
Why Is It Important to Keep Your Certifications Up-to-Date?
It’s critical to stay certified, safe, and up-to-date in our industry. Whether you’re earning new certifications or refreshing old ones, ensuring you have the skills and knowledge to comply with government regulations surrounding Hazmat practices is key to a successful and safe career.
We offer all of our courses online so you can access them anytime, anywhere. Below are the courses to take to get Hazmat-certified and keep your certification valid and up-to-date.
DOT Hazmat Certification Courses to Meet Regulations
All of our DOT Hazmat certification courses meet United States Department of Transportation regulations and requirements. We offer a full range of DOT, OSHA, IATA and EPA courses to help you fulfill your needs:
- Ground: Learn best practices and memorize the regulations for shipping hazardous materials via ground transportation.
- Air: Knowing how to handle, ship and pack dangerous goods via airways is critical for safe and secure hazmat transfers.
- Sea: Hazardous material that travels by sea is at risk of contaminating the oceans. In these courses, you will learn how to protect yourself and the well-being of our waterways.
DOT Hazardous Waste Certification Requirements
If you’re looking to complete your DOT hazardous waste certification requirements, you’ve come to the right place. Hazmat School offers a selection of courses dedicated to ensuring you know how to protect yourself when handling, packaging and shipping dangerous materials.
Our all-encompassing DOT course is only four hours long and will last for three years. It’s approved by FedEx, UPS and DHL, too, which means you won’t run into any issues when trying to ship your hazmat package.
Government Regulations for HAZWOPER Certification
If your job requires you to work with hazardous waste materials or to complete a HAZWOPER certification, you’re in luck. To answer government regulations for HAZWOPER certifications, we offer four courses:
- 24-hour course: Get your initial HAZWOPER certification online and learn everything you need to know about how to protect yourself from the hazards of working around hazardous materials whether you are helping with the cleanup of a natural disaster or taking soil samples.
- 8-hour refresher: Renew your annual HAZWOPER certification with our popular interactive 8-hour HAZWOPER Refresher course #936.
- 8-hour refresher plus: This is a great course if you take your refreshers with Hazmat School every year and want to look at new exciting content.
- 8-hour supervisor training: Earn a new certification for future promotions or positions.
How to Pick Hazmat Certification Courses
Choosing the correct HAZMAT course will depend on your situation. If you know the specific certification you need already, simply register from our list of courses. If you’re working towards a new certification, choose the one you think will most benefit you.
When choosing a HAZMAT course, it’s essential to remember that your training must be function-specific. Taking a course does not guarantee you will be able to safely and legally perform your job duties unless you take the correct course. For example, if you need training in shipping internationally, training for ground shipments will not suffice.
Your employer should be able to tell you what training you need to complete to perform your daily activities to ensure you select the right course. If a group of employees needs to participate in training, Hazmat School offers government and group discounts to make training more accessible.
Register for Your Courses Today!
Hazmat School offers high-quality training courses for employees who handle hazardous materials, and we provide certificates that comply with RCRA, OSHA, DOT and Title 22 regulations.
Most of our courses are entirely virtual, so students can complete training when it’s convenient for them. Students always have 24/7 access to professional instructors who can assist them by recommending resources, answering questions and guiding them through course materials.
Hazmat School is committed to delivering you a high-quality learning experience, offering practical training, responding to business and government needs and giving you the best value for your money. Remote instructors who actively work in these industries design our courses, and our information will help keep you and others safe on the job and better identify proper protocols.
Regardless of the course you choose to take online with Hazmat School, you’ll have full access to your training no matter where you are. You will also be able to learn at your own pace. We know how busy and hard-working HAZMAT employees are, which is why we designed our affordable courses to fit into your schedule. We also offer unparalleled customer service. If you ever have questions, simply contact us at any time. Otherwise, register for your course today!
