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Waste & RecyclingInto the hot zone and out through decontamination: A routine entry into the hot zone of a hazardous waste site

A routine entry into the hot zone of a hazardous waste site. You work on a hazardous waste site. Before you go in, the decontamination line is ready; inside the hot zone you work in your protective gear with a buddy, keep contact with the waste to a minimum and leave only through decontamination, where your gear is cleaned or disposed of. It follows the federal HAZWOPER rule for hazardous waste operations.

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This scenario

  • A routine entry into the hot zone of a hazardous waste site.

The steps

  1. Know the site safety and health plan and the site map with its zones: hot zone, decontamination zone and clean zone.
  2. Check the decontamination procedure is set up and explained before anyone or any equipment enters.
  3. Know the site's emergency alert and the nearest medical help before work starts.
  4. Suit up at the level of protection set for the job, from Level A to Level D.
  5. Work with the buddy system: someone always watches you and can help fast in an emergency.
  6. Follow the procedures that keep your contact with the waste and contaminated equipment to a minimum.
  7. If your clothing gets wet with a hazardous substance, take it off at once and go to the shower.
  8. Leave the contaminated area only through decontamination.
  9. Have contaminated clothing and equipment decontaminated or disposed of.
  10. Decontaminate where contaminated workers and gear stay apart from clean ones.

Safety rules that stop the station

  • No one and no equipment enters before the decontamination procedure is in place.
  • Never work alone in the hot zone.

To pass

  • General site workers: 40 hours of training off the site and 3 days of supervised field experience, with a written certificate.
  • 8 hours of refresher training every year; supervisors add at least 8 hours of specialized training.
  • The site safety and health supervisor checks the decontamination works and corrects it if it does not.

Official source

Federal · OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.120 (HAZWOPER)

29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER)

GovInfo publishes 29 CFR 1910.120 free: training, site control, levels of protection and decontamination for hazardous waste work.

Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by OSHA, NIOSH, EPA or any HAZWOPER training provider. Agency and rule names are named only to describe the content.

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