40 hour OSHA HAZWOPER course

[RIP - VTEnviro]

There's a good chance I will be taking this class either this month or next. Has anyone here taken it?

I hear it's pretty intense, and have heard some good war stories about it, like parading around in hazmat suits on a 90 degree day.

Does this :vadar: count as an approved face mask?

 

[chaosiscash]

I've taken it, its not that bad. I guess it depends on what you're used to. Compared to some of the places I've worked, a Hazmat suit isn't that bad. Plus, here in TN, every hour of Hazwoper counts towards PDHs, even the 8 hour refresher I take every year.

 

[snickerd3]

the 40 haz woper course is long!!!!! Yes you get all dressed up in the suits and SCBAs...supposed to be in the suit twice over the course of the week, but it really depends on class size. we had to walk laps and shoot basketballs for about 25 minutes while suited up.

There is a test at the end.

 

[Summ97]

It can be intense, it all depends on who your instructor is and how they teach. Most of it is common sense.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^Yeah, that 40 hours will be money as I need to renew my NH license in a few months and need a lot of hours still.

 

[EM_PS]

not intense at all - You'll likely be taking this type of class w/ everyone from engineers, geologists, surveyors down to well drillers & contractors.

At the close of the 40 hours, you DO do a simulated haz-site in full blown suits & scba's. Kinda fun actually, and i took it in late fall, so didnt have to worry about the 90 deg thing, but that certainly could be a possibility. Oh, you might have to shave any facial hair for a proper respirator fit, but they tend to be pretty laidback about it.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Yeah, it will be fall in New England, not bad weather at all.

I am kinda looking forward to the geared up simulation. I don't have a beard so I'm all set there.

I'd even be set if they make you wear protection over your...um, nevermind.

 

[EM_PS]

Yeah, it will be fall in New England, not bad weather at all.
I am kinda looking forward to the geared up simulation. I don't have a beard so I'm all set there.

I'd even be set if they make you wear protection over your...um, nevermind.

don't worry, that'll grow in eventually. . .and your voice may change a little bit too

 

[jeb6294]

Everybody can quit yer bitchin'...I took it in August in Florida. They actually let us get suited up just to show them we could actually do it and then strip off the mask and upper half of the suit before we ran through our little "situation". They really didn't have any choice because we had a limited air supply, i.e. half empty tanks, so no air + hot weather = sweat => a fogged up mask that you can't see out of.

They did our course at the Univ. of N. Florida so some of the scenery was awfully nice, although they wouldn't let us use my suggestion that we all get dressed up and go running into one of the biology/chemistry classes screaming "NOBODY PANIC!!!"

 

[Dleg]

90 degrees, in the hot sun.......

The only good thing was that no one checked us on the footwear.

 

[jeb6294]

90 degrees, in the hot sun.......

The only good thing was that no one checked us on the footwear.

Our suits were the big white ones that you had to wear your air supply on the inside so you had a mask to worry about and then a "window" in the suit.

 

[Dleg]

^You're talking about Level A suits. We had to wear those, too, but only indoors. The outdoor exercise was in the Level B suits above.

 

[Sschell]

HAZWOPER?

 

[Sschell]

or...

 

[Sschell]

oh wait...

HAZWOPER!!!

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

or...

You should have saved that for tomorrow, since it will be Caturday.

I can't tell you how many 'billable' hours I've spent on ICHC.com. That's good stuff.

 

[Guest]

Everybody can quit yer bitchin'...I took it in August in Florida. They actually let us get suited up just to show them we could actually do it and then strip off the mask and upper half of the suit before we ran through our little "situation". They really didn't have any choice because we had a limited air supply, i.e. half empty tanks, so no air + hot weather = sweat => a fogged up mask that you can't see out of.
They did our course at the Univ. of N. Florida so some of the scenery was awfully nice, although they wouldn't let us use my suggestion that we all get dressed up and go running into one of the biology/chemistry classes screaming "NOBODY PANIC!!!"

Ha!! I took it in July in Jacksonville with an Emergency Response guy from my agency. Talk about hot and intense ....

It was all good though. Agree with other posters - mostly common sense. Do you have any fears of being enclosed? Some people find out when they begin to suit-up since you don't have air supply for a brief moment ...

Otherwise, I think you should do just fine!

Out of curiousity, why are you taking the course? Expecting to have to work on a site with hazardous waste? I know someone who has A LOT of experience in that arena ...

90 degrees, in the hot sun.......

Um .. I think I still had you beat between heat and humidity!

JR

 

[Dleg]

^Possibly. I know FL can get up above 90degF, but we can match you for humidity....