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Emergency responders must be trained before their participation in emergency response operations. Their training must be based on the functions and duties they will be expected to perform.
Examples of activities emergency responders could be involved in include:
- Responding to the spill of a highly toxic substance from an overturned 55-gallon drum
- Responding to a leaking storage tank
- Responding to an overturned truck carrying hazardous materials
- Responding to a chemical fire
Meet your OSHA-required 8-, 24-, or 40-hour HAZWOPER training requirements with HAZWOPER Training Program!
Table: Training Requirements for Emergency Response Operations
| Emergency Responders | Training |
| First Responder Awareness Level
(Workers who witness or discover a release of hazardous substances and are trained to notify the proper authorities) |
Sufficient initial training and competencies
Annual refresher |
| First Responder Operations Level
(Workers who respond to releases of hazardous substances in a defensive manner, without trying to stop the release) |
8 hours initial training and competencies
Annual refresher |
| Hazardous Materials Technician
(Workers who respond aggressively to stop the release of hazardous substances) |
24 hours initial training and competencies
Annual refresher |
| Hazardous Materials Specialist
(Workers who respond with and in support of hazmat technicians, but who have knowledge of various hazardous substances) |
24 hours initial training and competencies
Annual refresher |
| On-Scene Incident Commander
(Workers who assume control of the incident scene beyond the first responder awareness level) |
24 hours initial training and competencies
Annual refresher |
| Other Employees | |
| Skilled Support Personnel
(Workers, not necessarily employer’s own employees, who are skilled in the operation of certain equipment and temporarily perform immediate emergency support work) |
Safety and health briefing at response site |
| Specialist Employees
(Workers who provide technical advice/assistance on specific hazardous substances) |
Annual demonstration of specialized competencies |
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