Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER; /ˈhæzwɒpər/ HAZ-waw-pər) is a set of guidelines produced by a collaboration between National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Coast Guard, and Environmental Protection Agency and more which regulates hazardous waste operations and emergency services in the United States and its territories. These regulations are recognized and implement throughout many government departments and need their cooperation to work effectively. With these guidelines, the U.S. government regulates hazardous wastes and dangerous goods from inception to disposal.
HAZWOPER applies to five groups of employers and their employees. This includes employees who are exposed (or potentially exposed) to hazardous substances (including hazardous waste) and who are engaged in one of the following operations as specified by OSHA regulations 1910.120(a)(1)(i-v) and 1926.65(a)(1)(i-v):
The most commonly used manual for HAZWOPER activities is Department of Health and Human Services Publication 85–115, Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities. Written for government contractors and first responders, the manual lists safety requirements for cleanups and emergency-response operations. Sources that should be used when determining the regulation of HAZWOPER are the Emergency Response Guidebook This is a book that shows how hazardous materials should be labelled and what each visual indicator means, this can assist emergency responders when trying to figure out the cause of the fire or what kind of material they are dealing with. This guidebook is through the Department of Transportation (DOT) so it is catered towards transporting and storing materials. It is very important that these rules and regulation to be put into place because these hazardous materials can cause chronic and acute problems such as irritation, sanitation, and other toxic illnesses that could be fatal. Incorrect disposal of hazardous waste can also have bigger effects such as fires, explosions, or other emergency events.