Handling hazardous waste presents certain risks to you, your coworkers and/or your employees.  Because of this a federal program to manage hazardous wastes from cradle to grave was established in 1976 through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C. The objective of the federal program was to ensure that hazardous waste is handled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. This law authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create regulations on the generation; transportation; and treatment, storage or disposal of hazardous wastes.

The RCRA training requirements can be found at 40 CFR 264.16 and 40 CFR 265.16. These require facility personnel to take part in an initial training, with an annual review of that training, in order to maintain expertise in the areas to which they are assigned in order to reduce the potential for mistakes that might threaten human health or the environment.

This program must be directed by a person trained in hazardous waste management procedures, and must include instruction which teaches hazardous waste management procedures (including contingency plan implementation).

 At a minimum, the training program must be designed to ensure that facility personnel are able to respond effectively to emergencies by familiarizing them with emergency procedures, emergency equipment, and emergency systems, including where applicable:
1. Procedures for using, inspecting, repairing, and replacing facility emergency and monitoring equipment;
2. Key parameters for automatic waste feed cut-off systems;
3. Communications or alarm systems;
4. Response to fires or explosions; Response to ground-water contamination
incidents; and
5. Shutdown of operations.

Facility personnel must successfully complete the program within six months after the effective date of these regulations or six months after the date of their employment or assignment to a facility, or to a new position at a facility, whichever is later. Employees hired after the effective date of these regulations must not work in unsupervised positions until they have completed the training requirements.

Facility personnel must take part in an annual review of the initial training.

HAZMATEAM, Inc. / ESHINE offers comprehensive RCRA training.  We have initial courses geared for Large Quantity Generators (LQG), Small and Very Small Quantity Generators (SQG, VSQG), as well as refresher courses designed to meet the annual review requirement.  Visit our website for a complete schedule of course offerings.