This page provides a comprehensive guide to information regarding hazardous waste operations. It briefly covers emergency response for hazardous waste sites. For additional information, see OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response Safety and Health Topics Page.

Hazardous waste is addressed in specific standards for the general and construction industries.

Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), model training programs, and other federal and national consensus standards related to hazardous waste.

OSHA

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart E, Exit routes, emergency action plans, and fire prevention plans [related topic page]
  • 1910.38, Emergency action plans
    
• 1910 Subpart H, Hazardous materials [related topic page]
  • 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
    • Appendix A, Personal protective equipment test methods
    • Appendix B, General description and discussion of the levels of protective gear
    • Appendix C, Compliance guidelines
    • Appendix D, References
    • Appendix E, Training curriculum guidelines (Non-mandatory)
      
• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment [related topic page]
  • 1910.134, Respiratory protection [related topic page]
    
• 1910 Subpart J, General environmental controls
  • 1910.141, Sanitation
  • 1910.146, Permit-required confined spaces [related topic page]
    • Appendix A, Permit-required confined spaces decision flow chart
    • Appendix B, Procedures for atmospheric testing
    • Appendix C, Examples of permit-required confined spaces programs
    • Appendix D, Confined space pre-entry check list
    • Appendix E, Sewer system entry
      
• 1910 Subpart L, Fire protection [related topic page]
  • 1910.165, Employee alarm systems
    
• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1200, Hazard communication [related topic page]

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
  • 1926.65, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
    • Appendix A, Personal protective equipment test methods
    • Appendix B, General description and discussion of the levels of protective gear
    • Appendix C, Compliance guidelines
    • Appendix D, References
    • Appendix E, Training curriculum guidelines (Non-mandatory)

Preambles to Final Rules

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response.
  


• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Federal Registers

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Final Rules 59:43268-43280 (1994, August 22).
  


• Search all available Federal Registers.

Directives

• Inspection Procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65, Paragraph (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. CPL 02-02-073, (2007, August 27). Also available as a 444 KB PDF, 119 pages. Updates enforcement procedures for compliance officers who need to conduct inspections of emergency response operations. It defines additional terms and expands on training requirements for emergency responders and other groups such as skilled support personnel. This OSHA instruction revises CPL 02-02-059, issued April 24, 1998.
  


• Technical Enforcement and Assistance Guidelines for Hazardous Waste Site and RCRA Corrective Action Clean-up Operations HAZWOPER 1910.120 (b)-(o) Directive. CPL 02-02-071, (2003, November 5).
  


• Compliance policy for emergency action plans and fire prevention plans. CPL 02-01-037 [CPL 2-1.037], (2002, July 9). Clarifies several Regional Instructions regarding 29 CFR 1910.38. Change to OSHA Instruction CPL 2-2.59A, Inspection Procedures for the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard, Appendix F, page F-3, rescind citation policy of 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1). Rescinds Clarifications of Interpretations and Citation Policy on 29 CFR 1910.38 and 1910.157 Standards.
  


• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response; Final Rule and Corrections. CSP 01-01-024 [STP 2-1.154C], (1991, June 10). Describes a federal program change to the regions and state designees.
  


• Search all available directives.

Model Training Programs

• Draft Model Training Program for Hazard Communication
  

Other Federal

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• 40 CFR Part 311, Worker protection. Describes the applicability of OSHA's HAZWOPER Standard, 29 CFR 1910.120, to state and local government employees.

National Consensus

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

• D6235 - 04, Standard Practice for Expedited Site Characterization of Vadose Zone and Ground Water Contamination at Hazardous Waste Contaminated Sites.
  


• D6498 - 99(2007), Standard Guide for Household Hazardous Waste Training Outline for Household Hazardous Waste Collection Operations. (2007).

Hazard Recognition

The types of hazards most frequently identified for hazardous waste sites are similar to those that exist on construction sites and include: electrical, excavations, walking/working surfaces, lockout/tag out, cranes and other material handling equipment, hand and portable powered tools, and welding and cutting. The following references aid in recognizing hazards at a waste site.

• Remediation Technology and Health Safety Standards: Thermal Desorption. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin, (2003, February 3). Provides employers assistance with recognizing hazards associated with thermal desorption and controlling them in a manner consistent with OSHA requirements and other industry standards.
  


• Chemical Reactivity Hazards. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149, (2007, September). Provides a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals.
  


• ToxFAQs™. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Provides a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Answers are provided to the most frequently asked questions about exposure to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites.
  


• Medical Management Guidelines (MMGs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Aids emergency department physicians and other emergency healthcare professionals who manage acute exposures resulting from chemical incidents.
  


• Safety and Health Aspects of EM CX Remediation Technologies. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Publication No. EM 1110-1-4007, (2003, August 15). This engineering manual contains detailed hazard analyses for 25 commonly used EM CX site remediation technologies and is written for USACE project designers, Architect-Engineers (A-Es) and safety and health professionals.  The document serves as a resource in identifying potential hazards unique and/or significant to the technologies addressed along with recommended controls.

Evaluation

The following references aid in evaluating hazards at a waste site.

• OSHA Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC) Project Utilization of Direct Reading Monitors on Hazardous Waste Sites to Improve Worker Protection While Reducing Costs of Unnecessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and Sample Analyses. OSHA. Documents the testing of a personal photo ionization detector (PID) monitor to determine its suitability for use on hazardous waste sites, to determine the need to quickly evacuate the area or upgrade personal protective equipment (PPE), when an unexpected hazardous material vapor release occurs.
  


• Chemical Sampling Information. OSHA. Provides summary information on chemical properties, health effects, and sampling and analysis parameters.
  


• Sampling and Analytical Methods
  


• NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-154, (2003). Presents a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.
  


• International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Summarizes essential health and safety information on chemicals for their use at the "shop floor" level by workers and employers in factories, agriculture, construction and other work places.
  

Control and Prevention

• OSHA Occupational Chemical Database. OSHA maintains this chemical database as a convenient reference for the occupational safety and health community. It compiles information from several government agencies and organizations. This database originally was developed by OSHA in cooperation with EPA.
  


• Frequently Asked Questions - HAZWOPER. OSHA. Assists in determining who is covered by OSHA's HAZWOPER Standard.
  


• Fire and Explosive Hazards Associated with Biosolids Derived Fuel (BDF) and Waste Water Treatment Plants. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (1995, December 5).
  


• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response [355 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet. Gives a brief overview of requirements found in the HAZWOPER standard.
  


• Electronic Health and Safety Program (eHASP)₂. OSHA Expert System. Created in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the updated eHASP Guide uses modern (Windows-based) software, site-specific text, and expanded decision logic to assist the user in determining the appropriate controls of health and safety hazards for their sites.
  


• Applicability of OSHA Standards to Transporters of Hazardous Waste Materials [3 MB PPT^*, 23 slides]. OSHA Slide Presentation. Provides a presentation prepared for the Association of Waste Hazardous Materials Transporters conference in Salt Lake City, UT addressing OSHA's jurisdiction pertaining to hazardous waste transportation in the railroad and trucking industries, and discusses the application of key OSHA standards.
  


• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Process Safety Management. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Superfund Audits

• Summary Report: Hazardous Waste Site Safety Hazards Study. (2002, November 12). Also available as a 64 KB PDF, 13 pages.
  


• EPA Labor Superfund Health and Safety Task Force: OSHA Audits of Superfund Sites From 1993-1996. (1997, August 25). Summarizes the findings of OSHA site audits and site-specific safety and health plan (SSAHP) reviews performed on eleven hazardous waste remediation sites between 1993 and 1996 and is an update of the 1993 Summary Report listed above.
  


• Summary Report on OSHA Inspections Conducted at Superfund Incinerator Sites. (1993, September 16).
  


• Garrahan MA. "Seven steps to successful safety and health programs at superfund sites: a compendium of lessons learned." OSHA Job Safety & Health Quarterly (JSHQ). 1995 Winter;5(2). Lists the seven most frequent Safety and Health Program management problems found by the OSHA/EPA audits of Superfund incinerator sites.
  


• Baird N, Cook E, et al. "Evaluating surface contamination at hazardous waste sites." Occupational Health & Safety. 1996 Jan;65(1).
  
  
• Hazardous Waste Incinerators [478 KB PDF, 41 pages]. US General Accounting Office (GAO), (1995, January). Provides a report on EPA's and OSHA's actions to better protect health and safety on hazardous waste incinerator sites.
  


• Fairfax R. "OSHA compliance issues: correcting common health and safety program deficiencies at remediation sites. Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 1996 June;11(6):525. Describes some common deficiencies in Site Safety and Health Plans OSHA has found during plan review at thermal treatment facilities, through the EPA-Labor Superfund Safety and Health Task Force interagency agreement.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). Provides policy, guidance, and direction for the EPA's solid waste and emergency response programs.
  


• Superfund: Cleaning up the Nation's Hazardous Wastes Sites. Cleans up abandoned, accidentally spilled, or illegally dumped hazardous waste that poses a current or future threat to human health or the environment.
  


• Contaminated Site Clean-up Information (CLU-IN). Technology Innovation Office (TIO). Advocates more effective, less costly approaches (i.e. "smarter solutions") by government and industry to assess and clean up contaminated waste sites, soil, and groundwater.
  


• Cleanup: Technology & Tools. Uses the best available science to develop risk assessment tools and guidance for cleaning up sites that are contaminated with radioactive materials.
  


• Sector Notebooks. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Contains a national industrial process description, a waste release profile, a discussion of pollution prevention opportunities, a summary of statutes and regulations, a compliance and enforcement profile, a list of compliance activities, and a contact directory.
  


• Multi-Agency Radiation Surveys and Site Manual (MARSSIM). Provides detailed guidance for planning, implementing, and evaluating environmental and facility radiological surveys conducted to demonstrate compliance with a dose- or risk-based regulation.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety. Emergency preparedness and response.
    
• Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 85-115, (1985, October). Provides guidance for managers responsible for occupational safety and health programs at inactive hazardous waste sites.
  


• Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents (MHMIs): Volume I, Emergency Medical Services. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (Version 2001). Helps emergency medical services plan for incidents that involve hazardous materials and improve their ability to respond to these incidents appropriately.
  


• Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents (MHMIs): Volume II, Hospital Emergency Departments. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (Version 2001). Helps hospital emergency departments plan for incidents that involve hazardous materials and improve their ability to respond to these incidents appropriately.

US Department of Energy (DOE)

Chemical Management Archives

• Management Perspectives on Worker Protection During DOE Hazardous Waste Activities [409 KB PDF, 40 pages]. (1996, June). Provides a written for the project manager, who has overall responsibility for directing hazardous waste activities and ensuring that these activities protect the worker, the public, and the environment.
  


• Working Safely During DOE Hazardous Waste Activities [399 KB PDF, 35 pages]. (1996, June). Improves worker protection by indicating ways to minimize radiological, physical, chemical, and biological hazards and to reinforce the health, safety, and radiological training completed by hazardous waste workers.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

• Technical Guidelines for Hazardous & Toxic Waste Treatment and Cleanup Activities. Publication No. EM 1110-1-502, (1994, April 30). This manual provides design guidelines that will aide U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts and Divisions in the selection of remedial actions at uncontrolled hazards waste sites.
  


• Removal of Underground Storage Tanks (USTS). US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Publication No. EM 1110-1-4006, (1998, September 30). This manual addresses tanks subject to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle I underground storage tanks requirements.  The manual provides practical guidance for removal of UST's. The manual addresses site evaluation, monitoring, testing, removal, safety and health issues, and site restoration. 

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Brownfields
  


• Emergency Preparedness and Response

Training

• Decontamination. OSHA. Also available as a 1 MB PDF, 25 pages.
  


• Training Marine Oil Spill Response Workers Under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. OSHA Publication 3172.
  


• 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. OSHA Standard.
  • Appendix E, Training curriculum guidelines (Non-mandatory)
    
• OSHA Training Institute Course Catalog Search. OSHA. Searches training and education courses provided by OSHA Training Institute in occupational safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, state consultants, other federal agency personnel, and the private sector.
  • Hazardous Waste Site Inspection and Emergency Response. OSHA Course 3120. Includes the OSHA hazardous waste site and emergency response standard; site operations such as oil removal and handling; decontamination of heavy equipment; drilling; tank and drum removal; Superfund, RCRA, and SARA requirements; personal protective equipment; and construction strategies.
    
  
  
• OSHA Best Practices for Hospital Based First-Receivers of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances. OSHA, (2005, January).
  


• National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training Program (WETP).
  


• RCRA Orientation Manual 2011: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  

Other Resources

• US Department of Energy (DOE)
  • Office of Environmental Management (EM). Mitigates the risks and hazards posed by the legacy of nuclear weapons production and research.
  • The Office of Health, Safety, and Security
  • Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Responsible for the planning, research, and management necessary to dispose of spent nuclear fuel produced by commercial nuclear power plants and government-owned, high-level radioactive waste.
    
• Safety and Health Requirements Manual [8 MB PDF, 990 pages]. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), (2003, November 3). Provides a section on hazardous waste site requirements that is of special interest.
  • Section 28: Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) [8 MB PDF, 990 pages].
    


• Hazardous Materials: A Safety Information Guide [244 KB PDF, 2 pages]. (2006, September). American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE), Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). Provides the public with key information on what hazmats are, the hazmat laws and who to contact should an emergency occur, and much more.
  


• EXTOXNET - The EXTension TOXicology NETwork. The University of California-Davis, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, Cornell University, and the University of Idaho. Provides information more widely available via Pesticide Information Profiles, Toxicology Information Briefs, and Fact Sheets.

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