HAZWOPER Training and Improving Your Career Prospects

While most people think of HAZWOPER training as something you're forced to do as an employee of an industrial company, you can improve your career prospects by taking the initiative to educate yourself before seeking a job. Any employees working with hazardous chemicals are required by OSHA to have the proper training to meet the requirements of working with said materials. These materials represent a threat to both the individual working with them and the environment. Without strict regulations, disaster can easily occur. In an age where employers are interested in maintaining a clean and safe work environment, additional training in a prospective employee can never hurt.

Regulations and requirements are covered by OSHA under the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard. HAZWOPER training is intended to teach a worker how to both identify a threat in regards to working with hazardous chemicals, as well as give them the tools and knowledge they need to protect themselves and others. This includes teaching them how to work with the chemicals and how to respond in the event of an accident. To give students the ability to achieve these goals, the courses are generally 40 hours in length, enough time to give the instructor ample room to cover the material as well as take questions from the class. OSHA requires that employees take the course as a condition of working with said materials, as well as an annual 8-hour refresher course to stay current.

In an era where it is harder than ever to find a good job, any edge an employee can gain is worth exploring. If you're looking for a career in the industrial sector, being able to include HAZWOPER training on your resume is going to make you stand out from the competition. This is especially true if an employer sees that you took the initiative to seek out the classes on your own, rather than having taken them as a requirement of past employment. While the course alone isn't necessarily going to make up the difference between a candidate with years of experience and one fresh to the job force, it could very well be the tipping point between two candidates of otherwise equal status.

HAZWOPER training classes are available through a number of institutions and resources. One good thing about the course is that it will travel. Once you have the certification in one state, it should be good throughout the country. Don't forget to stay current with your yearly refresher courses, so you can continue to have that competitive advantage when seeking employment.