The ongoing Gulf Coast oil disaster illustrates the real need for trained, qualified personnel who can assist in toxic waste cleanup and management. Even while depriving fisherman and other ocean-dependent workers of jobs, the spill created opportunities for those removing the messy cocktail from beaches and marshes. Working in this arena requires more than a sun-hat and shovel. HAZWOPER training, or Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training, provides the instruction individuals need before confronting raw crude oil, which can contain such toxins as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene.
These chemicals can become airborne, reaching coastal towns and beaches in the form of a strong petroleum odor. Breathing the air is only one way to be exposed. Those working directly in and around the spill residue may experience skin contact, and possible contamination from eating food from sources subject to contamination. The toxicity of exposure depends on the duration and and concentrations of the poisons, and varies by location.
Doesn’t an emergency of this magnitude require bypassing bureaucratic roadblocks, especially when so many volunteers are eager to help? Don’t oil workers get immersed in the same chemicals without much ill effect? The truth is that chronic and acute exposure carries many health dangers. Those exposed to crude petroleum over a period of time usually ingest chemicals at low levels. But, even these small amounts can cause immediately noticeable symptoms, including severe fatigue, respiratory distress, headaches, nausea or dizziness. Cumulative effects are even more alarming.
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 next training tier involves a forty-hour course which is required for any working having direct contact with spilled oil. Included in this category are the front-line workers such as trained volunteers, those who deal with treatment, disposal and storage of cleaned-up floating crude, and emergency response teams. The course teaches how to avoid contact with pollutants as they are being contained and eliminated. Primary response efforts fall into OSHA’s “emergency response” category, while “post emergency cleanup operations” is the work arena for those cleaning beaches and marshes.
Toxicology and poisonous hazard recognition are two of the key lessons covered. Trainees are shown how to move and work while wearing special protective suits and respiratory masks. They are taught how to analyze a particular site for hazards, up to and including radioactivity. They are shown how to monitor the air, and perform medical surveillance of exposed workers. Emergency procedures and materials sampling are also stressed, and those who undertake this training come to realize how dangerous untrained and unsupervised cleanup can become.
The HAZWOPER courses are not a one-time coverage, and refresher classes are required periodically. Today’s Gulf spill demonstrates the need for this training, and the need for thorough instruction before disaster actually strikes. Those seeking qualification may choose from a variety of websites offering this schooling. Make sure that you are taking a course that has been OSHA approved, and that the agency will accept the training certification. HAZWOPER training won’t make disasters disappear, but makes cleanup safer for those who perform the difficult task.
Visit our website for a Free Test Drive of our Online HAZWOPER Training, or to learn more about the important topic of emergency response planning.
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.