Course Description: Using the Internet this course will provide the student with a comprehensive look at household hazardous waste operations. This class will meet or exceed requirements for the educational components of certification and/or licensing required for solid waste professionals.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1 – Regulations Overview

• Recognize OSHA and EPA standards that apply to work on hazardous waste sites.
• Identify provisions of 29 CFR 1910.120 applicable to waste site work.
• Describe the purpose and content of the employer's general safety and health program.
• Identify relevant portions of a complete site-specific safety and health plan, to include, but not be limited to:
  • Contact personnel and alternates for site safety and health;
  • Safety, health, and other hazards present on a given site;
  • Personal protective equipment requirements;
  • Engineering controls and equipment safety;
• Medical surveillance technique requirements, including recognition of symptoms and signs that might indicate overexposure to hazards;
• An emergency response plan meeting the requirements for safe and effective responses to emergencies, including all necessary equipment;
  • Confined space entry procedures;
  • A spill containment program; and
  • Decontamination procedures.

Lesson 2 – Chemical Awareness

• List the primary health hazards associated with acids and bases.
• Describe the basic treatment for skin and eye exposure to chemicals.
• List the acute effects of solvent exposure.
• Identify potentially hazardous outcomes of chemical incompatibility.
• Describe the significance of the following terms:
  • Corrosive
  • Oxidizer
  • Reactivity
  • pH
  • Vapor Density
  • Vapor Pressure
  • Specific Gravity

Lesson 3 – Toxicology

• List the four main routes for toxic substances to enter into the body.
• Identify procedures to protect oneself from toxins.
• Differentiate between the ‘acute” and “chronic” responses of exposure to toxic substances.
• State the importance of the following terms:
  • Toxic Dose /LD100
  • Toxic Dose/LC50
  • Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL)
  • Threshold Limit Value (TLV)
  • Time-Weighted Average (TWA)
  • Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
  • Ceiling Limit (C)
  • Immediate Danger to Life and Health (IDLH)
  • Routes of Entry
  • Acute and Chronic exposure
• List the factors affecting human response to toxic chemicals.

Lesson 4 – Operational Hazards

• Describe specific hazards posed by working in a Regional Collection Center.
• List the definitions for hazard, safety, and risk.
• Describe a model for hazard recognition.
• Identify measures that can be taken to recognize and prevent injury from the following hazards:
  • Noise
  • Electrical
  • Site and equipment
  • Heat Stress
  • Cold Exposure
  • Biological
  • Blood borne pathogens

Lesson 5 – Hazard Identification

• Describe the NFPA 704 sign.
• Identify the numbers used in the NFPA numbering system.
• Identify the nine hazard classes under the DOT labels.
• Explain the importance of MSDS.
• Utilize the North American Emergency Response Guidebook to gather information on a selected chemical.

Lesson 6 – Respiratory Protection & PPE

• List the main categories of respirators.
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of a full-facepiece mask vs. a half-facepiece mask for air-purifying respirators.
• Describe reasons for poor respirator fit.
• List components of a respirator program as required by OSHA.
• List limitations associated with major types of respirators.

Lesson 7 – Decontamination

• Identify Standard Operating Procedures for minimizing worker contact with waste and maximizing work protection.
• List the four types of decontamination methods.
• Describe three of the chemical decontamination procedures
• Identify and describe procedures for emergency decontamination.
• Describe the general rule of PPE for decontamination workers.
• Identify priorities when planning for decontamination in medical emergencies.

Lesson 8 – Waste Management

• List the seven steps in a waste management process
• List the main classes of hazardous materials and how they should be sorted and stored
• Identify the proper selection, marking/labeling, and handling of containers of hazardous waste

Lesson 9 – Emergency Procedures

• Describe the elements of an effective emergency contingency / spill response plan.
• Identify guidelines for establishing safe evacuation routes and procedures.
• Describe the importance of a Site Control Log that is located at the access checkpoints.
• Identify what can be done to limit the number of spills on site.
• State the importance of not participating in a spill response if training or equipment is inadequate.
• Outline the steps to follow during an emergency response.
• Identify key elements of an emergency response plan.

All necessary materials are included.