Hazwoper Training Prepares Workers For Hazardous Toxic Cleanup Duty
The recent deep-water oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico shows the need for qualified
, trained workers to assist in cleanup operations. Ironically, while the oil spill has put many fishermen out of work, there have been hundreds of jobs created to deal with managing and removing the gooey hazard. HAZWOPER training, which stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, details the course individuals must complete before being allowed to come in contact with crude oil, which contains toxins such as benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
When these chemicals get dispersed by wind they reach beaches and coastal towns with a characteristic strong odor of petroleum. This allows anyone who breathes the air to experience varying levels of toxicity. Others are vulnerable to skin contact with floating crude, or eat seafood that may be subject to petroleum pollution. Concentrations of toxins varies by area, and danger levels rise with increased exposure.
Why is there a need for a special agency when there are so many people willing to help? Aren't oil workers routinely exposed to these substances without much ill effect? Basically, there are two types of exposure, chronic and acute. Chronic exposure usually involves coming into contact with poisons usually at low levels. Even those people who don't experience immediate problems of dizziness, headaches, nausea, respiratory distress or severe fatigue may be in for more problems as time passes.
Those experiencing acute exposure risk contact through air, water or food, and often direct contact. Crude oil properties include irritants which can severely damage skin and mucous membranes when applied directly, and eventually the entire organism is contaminated. Even more alarming are the long-term problems resulting in future medical conditions, including blood disorders, lung, liver and kidney problems, hormonal disruptions, infertility, and genetic mutations up to and including cancer. This doesn't include those chemicals used to disperse the oil.
The common factor in all these areas of cleanup management is the need for adequately trained and protected individuals. Because it is so toxic, cleanup cannot be safely undertaken by casually instructed residents, even though they may wish to help. The key to safe and successful toxic removal is the HAZWOPER program. This series of courses, which is sponsored by OSHA (the U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration), has distinct levels of training required for Gulf responders. The first one lasts a total of twenty-four hours, and is aimed at workers or supervisors who will be exposed to toxins under the permissible exposure limits (PEL). Drivers, managers, or surveyors fall into this category.
The second is a forty-hour course essential for anyone directly in contact with the spilled crude. This covers those who are involved in the front-line cleanup operations, including voluntary workers, emergency response teams, and people involved in the storage, treatment and disposal of the pollutants. These workers will be trained in ways to protect themselves against those hazardous chemicals, even while eliminating them from the area. The primary efforts of stopping the spill fall into OSHA's "emergency response" activities, while beach and environmental efforts are considered "post emergency cleanup operations".
Covered in these training sessions are lessons in toxicology, and poisonous hazard recognition. Students are taught to analyze the potential for hazards, including those from radioactive sources. They learn how to operate while wearing personal protective equipment and devices for respiratory protection. Site control and decontamination processes are emphasized, as is air monitoring and medical surveillance of those already exposed. Other topics include emergency procedures and materials sampling from affected areas, and how to use protective clothing while undertaking cleanup.
Training is ongoing, and periodic HAZWOPER refresher courses are required. As the current Gulf situation demonstrates, safe dispersal of such a massive and deadly spill demands adequate protection and training for cleanup workers. Those who wish to pursue this training should check HAZWOPER training internet sites, and choose a course that is OSHA recognized and certified. There will, unfortunately, always be a demand for personnel trained in toxic cleanup, and it is better to be prepared ahead of time for the next disaster.
by: Darrell Surmons
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