377 

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

11. ‘‘Loss Prevention in the Process Industries,’’ Volumes I and II; Frank P. Lees, 

Butterworth; London 1983. 

12. ‘‘Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines,’’ 1989; U.S. Department of 

Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

13. ‘‘Safety and Health Guide for the Chemical Industry,’’ 1986, (OSHA 3091); U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration; 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. 

14. ‘‘Review of Emergency Systems,’’ June 

1988; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 

Response, Washington, DC 20460. 

15. ‘‘Technical Guidance for Hazards Analysis, Emergency Planning for Extremely 

Hazardous Substances,’’ December 1987; U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT), Washington, DC 20460. 

16. ‘‘Accident Investigation * * * A New 

Approach,’’ 1983, National Safety Council; 444 

North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611– 

3991. 

17. ‘‘Fire & Explosion Index Hazard Classification Guide,’’ 6th Edition, May 1987, Dow 

Chemical Company; Midland, Michigan 48674. 

18. ‘‘Chemical Exposure Index,’’ May 1988, 

Dow Chemical Company; Midland, Michigan 

48674. 

[57 FR 6403, Feb. 24, 1992; 57 FR 7847, Mar. 4, 

1992, as amended at 61 FR 9238, Mar. 7, 1996; 

67 FR 67964, Nov. 7, 2002; 76 FR 80738, Dec. 27, 

2011; 77 FR 17776, Mar. 26, 2012; 78 FR 9313, 

Feb. 8, 2013] 

§ 1910.120 Hazardous waste operations 

and emergency response. 

(a) Scope, application, and definitions— 

(1) Scope. This section covers the following operations, unless the employer 

can demonstrate that the operation 

does not involve employee exposure or 

the reasonable possibility for employee 

exposure to safety or health hazards: 

(i) Clean-up operations required by a 

governmental body, whether Federal, 

state, local or other involving hazardous substances that are conducted 

at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites 

(including, but not limited to, the 

EPA’s National Priority Site List 

(NPL), state priority site lists, sites 

recommended for the EPA NPL, and 

initial investigations of government 

identified sites which are conducted before the presence or absence of hazardous substances has been 

ascertained); 

(ii) Corrective actions involving 

clean-up operations at sites covered by 

the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) as amended (42 

U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); 

(iii) Voluntary clean-up operations at 

sites recognized by Federal, state, local 

or other governmental bodies as uncontrolled hazardous waste sites; 

(iv) Operations involving hazardous 

wastes that are conducted at treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities regulated by 40 CFR parts 264 

and 265 pursuant to RCRA; or by agencies under agreement with U.S.E.P.A. 

to implement RCRA regulations; and 

(v) Emergency response operations 

for releases of, or substantial threats of 

releases of, hazardous substances without regard to the location of the hazard. 

(2) Application. (i) All requirements of 

part 1910 and part 1926 of title 29 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations apply pursuant to their terms to hazardous 

waste and emergency response operations whether covered by this section 

or not. If there is a conflict or overlap, 

the provision more protective of employee safety and health shall apply 

without regard to 29 CFR 1910.5(c)(1). 

(ii) Hazardous substance clean-up operations within the scope of paragraphs 

(a)(1)(i) through (a)(1)(iii) of this section must comply with all paragraphs 

of this section except paragraphs (p) 

and (q). 

(iii) Operations within the scope of 

paragraph (a)(1)(iv) of this section 

must comply only with the requirements of paragraph (p) of this section. 

NOTES AND EXCEPTIONS: (A) All provisions 

of paragraph (p) of this section cover any 

treatment, storage or disposal (TSD) operation regulated by 40 CFR parts 264 and 265 

or by state law authorized under RCRA, and 

required to have a permit or interim status 

from EPA pursuant to 40 CFR 270.1 or from 

a state agency pursuant to RCRA. 

(B) Employers who are not required to 

have a permit or interim status because they 

are conditionally exempt small quantity 

generators under 40 CFR 261.5 or are generators who qualify under 40 CFR 262.34 for exemptions from regulation under 40 CFR parts 

264, 265 and 270 (‘‘excepted employers’’) are 

not covered by paragraphs (p)(1) through 

(p)(7) of this section. Excepted employers 

who are required by the EPA or state agency 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

to have their employees engage in emergency response or who direct their employees to engage in emergency response are covered by paragraph (p)(8) of this section, and 

cannot be exempted by (p)(8)(i) of this section. Excepted employers who are not required to have employees engage in emergency response, who direct their employees 

to evacuate in the case of such emergencies 

and who meet the requirements of paragraph 

(p)(8)(i) of this section are exempt from the 

balance of paragraph (p)(8) of this section. 

(C) If an area is used primarily for treatment, storage or disposal, any emergency response operations in that area shall comply 

with paragraph (p)(8) of this section. In other 

areas not used primarily for treatment, storage, or disposal, any emergency response operations shall comply with paragraph (q) of 

this section. Compliance with the requirements of paragraph (q) of this section shall 

be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (p)(8) of this section. 

(iv) Emergency response operations 

for releases of, or substantial threats of 

releases of, hazardous substances which 

are not covered by paragraphs (a)(1)(i) 

through (a)(1)(iv) of this section must 

only comply with the requirements of 

paragraph (q) of this section. 

(3) Definitions—Buddy system means a 

system of organizing employees into 

work groups in such a manner that 

each employee of the work group is 

designated to be observed by at least 

one other employee in the work group. 

The purpose of the buddy system is to 

provide rapid assistance to employees 

in the event of an emergency. 

Clean-up operation means an operation where hazardous substances are 

removed, contained, incinerated, neutralized, stabilized, cleared-up, or in 

any other manner processed or handled 

with the ultimate goal of making the 

site safer for people or the environment. 

Decontamination means the removal 

of hazardous substances from employees and their equipment to the extent 

necessary to preclude the occurrence of 

foreseeable adverse health affects. 

Emergency response or responding to 

emergencies means a response effort by 

employees from outside the immediate 

release area or by other designated responders (i.e., mutual-aid groups, local 

fire departments, etc.) to an occurrence 

which results, or is likely to result, in 

an uncontrolled release of a hazardous 

substance. Responses to incidental releases of hazardous substances where 

the substance can be absorbed, neutralized, or otherwise controlled at the 

time of release by employees in the immediate release area, or by maintenance personnel are not considered to 

be emergency responses within the 

scope of this standard. Responses to releases of hazardous substances where 

there is no potential safety or health 

hazard (i.e., fire, explosion, or chemical 

exposure) are not considered to be 

emergency responses. 

Facility means (A) any building, 

structure, installation, equipment, pipe 

or pipeline (including any pipe into a 

sewer or publicly owned treatment 

works), well, pit, pond, lagoon, impoundment, ditch, storage container, 

motor vehicle, rolling stock, or aircraft, or (B) any site or area where a 

hazardous substance has been deposited, stored, disposed of, or placed, or 

otherwise come to be located; but does 

not include any consumer product in 

consumer use or any water-borne vessel. 

Hazardous materials response 

(HAZMAT) team means an organized 

group of employees, designated by the 

employer, who are expected to perform 

work to handle and control actual or 

potential leaks or spills of hazardous 

substances requiring possible close approach to the substance. The team 

members perform responses to releases 

or potential releases of hazardous substances for the purpose of control or 

stabilization of the incident. A 

HAZMAT team is not a fire brigade nor 

is a typical fire brigade a HAZMAT 

team. A HAZMAT team, however, may 

be a separate component of a fire brigade or fire department. 

Hazardous substance means any substance designated or listed under paragraphs (A) through (D) of this definition, exposure to which results or may 

result in adverse affects on the health 

or safety of employees: 

(A) Any substance defined under section 103(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and 

Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. 

9601). 

(B) Any biological agent and other 

disease-causing agent which after release into the environment and upon 


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exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into any person, either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food 

chains, will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic 

mutation, physiological malfunctions 

(including malfunctions in reproduction) or physical deformations in such 

persons or their offspring; 

(C) Any substance listed by the U.S. 

Department of Transportation as hazardous materials under 49 CFR 172.101 

and appendices; and 

(D) Hazardous waste as herein defined. 

Hazardous waste means— 

(A) A waste or combination of wastes 

as defined in 40 CFR 261.3, or 

(B) Those substances defined as hazardous wastes in 49 CFR 171.8. 

Hazardous waste operation means any 

operation conducted within the scope 

of this standard. 

Hazardous waste site or Site means 

any facility or location within the 

scope of this standard at which hazardous waste operations take place. 

Health hazard means a chemical or a 

pathogen where acute or chronic 

health effects may occur in exposed 

employees. It also includes stress due 

to temperature extremes. The term 

health hazard includes chemicals that 

are classified in accordance with the 

Hazard Communication Standard, 29 

CFR 1910.1200, as posing one of the following hazardous effects: Acute toxicity (any route of exposure); skin corrosion or irritation; serious eye damage or eye irritation; respiratory or 

skin sensitization; germ cell mutagenicity; carcinogenicity; reproductive 

toxicity; specific target organ toxicity 

(single or repeated exposure); aspiration toxicity or simple asphyxiant. (See 

Appendix A to §1910.1200—Health Hazard Criteria (Mandatory) for the criteria for determining whether a chemical is classified as a health hazard.) 

IDLH orImmediately dangerous to life 

or health means an atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive or 

asphyxiant substance that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause 

irreversible or delayed adverse health 

effects or would interfere with an individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere. 

Oxygen deficiency means that concentration of oxygen by volume below 

which atmosphere supplying respiratory protection must be provided. 

It exists in atmospheres where the percentage of oxygen by volume is less 

than 19.5 percent oxygen. 

Permissible exposure limit means the 

exposure, inhalation or dermal permissible exposure limit specified in 29 CFR 

part 1910, subparts G and Z. 

Published exposure level means the exposure limits published in ‘‘NIOSH 

Recommendations for Occupational 

Health Standards’’ dated 1986, which is 

incorporated by reference as specified 

in §1910.6 or if none is specified, the exposure limits published in the standards specified by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in their publication ‘‘Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices for 1987–88’’ dated 1987, 

which is incorporated by reference as 

specified in §1910.6. 

Post emergency response means that 

portion of an emergency response performed after the immediate threat of a 

release has been stabilized or eliminated and clean-up of the site has 

begun. If post emergency response is 

performed by an employer’s own employees who were part of the initial 

emergency response, it is considered to 

be part of the initial response and not 

post emergency response. However, if a 

group of an employer’s own employees, 

separate from the group providing initial response, performs the clean-up operation, then the separate group of employees would be considered to be performing post-emergency response and 

subject to paragraph (q)(11) of this section. 

Qualified person means a person with 

specific training, knowledge and experience in the area for which the person 

has the responsibility and the authority to control. 

Site safety and health supervisor (or official) means the individual located on 

a hazardous waste site who is responsible to the employer and has the authority and knowledge necessary to 

implement the site safety and health 

plan and verify compliance with applicable safety and health requirements. 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

Small quantity qenerator means a generator of hazardous wastes who in any 

calendar month generates no more 

than 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) of 

hazardous waste in that month. 

Uncontrolled hazardous waste site, 

means an area identified as an uncontrolled hazardous waste site by a governmental body, whether Federal, 

state, local or other where an accumulation of hazardous substances creates 

a threat to the health and safety of individuals or the environment or both. 

Some sites are found on public lands 

such as those created by former municipal, county or state landfills where illegal or poorly managed waste disposal 

has taken place. Other sites are found 

on private property, often belonging to 

generators or former generators of hazardous substance wastes. Examples of 

such sites include, but are not limited 

to, surface impoundments, landfills, 

dumps, and tank or drum farms. Normal operations at TSD sites are not 

covered by this definition. 

(b) Safety and health program. 

NOTE TO (b): Safety and health programs 

developed and implemented to meet other 

Federal, state, or local regulations are considered acceptable in meeting this requirement if they cover or are modified to cover 

the topics required in this paragraph. An additional or separate safety and health program is not required by this paragraph. 

(1) General. (i) Employers shall develop and implement a written safety 

and health program for their employees involved in hazardous waste operations. The program shall be designed 

to identify, evaluate, and control safety and health hazards, and provide for 

emergency response for hazardous 

waste operations. 

(ii) The written safety and health 

program shall incorporate the following: 

(A) An organizational structure; 

(B) A comprehensive workplan; 

(C) A site-specific safety and health 

plan which need not repeat the employer’s standard operating procedures required in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(F) of this 

section; 

(D) The safety and health training 

program; 

(E) The medical surveillance program; 

(F) The employer’s standard operating procedures for safety and health; 

and 

(G) Any necessary interface between 

general program and site specific activities. 

(iii) Site excavation. Site excavations 

created during initial site preparation 

or during hazardous waste operations 

shall be shored or sloped as appropriate 

to prevent accidental collapse in accordance with subpart P of 29 CFR part 

1926. 

(iv) Contractors and sub-contractors. 

An employer who retains contractor or 

sub-contractor services for work in 

hazardous waste operations shall inform those contractors, sub-contractors, or their representatives of the 

site emergency response procedures 

and any potential fire, explosion, 

health, safety or other hazards of the 

hazardous waste operation that have 

been identified by the employer, including those identified in the employer’s information program. 

(v) Program availability. The written 

safety and health program shall be 

made available to any contractor or 

subcontractor or their representative 

who will be involved with the hazardous waste operation; to employees; 

to employee designated representatives; to OSHA personnel, and to personnel of other Federal, state, or local 

agencies with regulatory authority 

over the site. 

(2) Organizational structure part of the 

site program—(i) The organizationa1 

structure part of the program shall establish the specific chain of command 

and specify the overall responsibilities 

of supervisors and employees. It shall 

include, at a minimum, the following 

elements: 

(A) A general supervisor who has the 

responsibility and authority to direct 

all hazardous waste operations. 

(B) A site safety and health supervisor who has the responsibility and 

authority to develop and implement 

the site safety and health plan and 

verify compliance. 

(C) All other personnel needed for 

hazardous waste site operations and 

emergency response and their general 

functions and responsibilities. 

(D) The lines of authority, responsibility, and communication. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

(ii) The organizational structure 

shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect the current status of 

waste site operations. 

(3) Comprehensive workplan part of the 

site program. The comprehensive 

workplan part of the program shall address the tasks and objectives of the 

site operations and the logistics and resources required to reach those tasks 

and objectives. 

(i) The comprehensive workplan shall 

address anticipated clean-up activities 

as well as normal operating procedures 

which need not repeat the employer’s 

procedures available elsewhere. 

(ii) The comprehensive workplan 

shall define work tasks and objectives 

and identify the methods for accomplishing those tasks and objectives. 

(iii) The comprehensive workplan 

shall establish personnel requirements 

for implementing the plan. 

(iv) The comprehensive workplan 

shall provide for the implementation of 

the training required in paragraph (e) 

of this section. 

(v) The comprehensive workplan 

shall provide for the implementation of 

the required informational programs 

required in paragraph (i) of this section. 

(vi) The comprehensive workplan 

shall provide for the implementation of 

the medical surveillance program described in paragraph (f) of this section. 

(4) Site-specific safety and health plan 

part of the program—(i) General. The site 

safety and health plan, which must be 

kept on site, shall address the safety 

and health hazards of each phase of site 

operation and include the requirements 

and procedures for employee protection. 

(ii) Elements. The site safety and 

health plan, as a minimum, shall address the following: 

(A) A safety and health risk or hazard analysis for each site task and operation found in the workplan. 

(B) Employee training assignments 

to assure compliance with paragraph 

(e) of this section. 

(C) Personal protective equipment to 

be used by employees for each of the 

site tasks and operations being conducted as required by the personal protective equipment program in paragraph (g)(5) of this section. 

(D) Medical surveillance requirements in accordance with the program 

in paragraph (f) of this section. 

(E) Frequency and types of air monitoring, personnel monitoring, and environmental sampling techniques and instrumentation to be used, including 

methods of maintenance and calibration of monitoring and sampling equipment to be used. 

(F) Site control measures in accordance with the site control program required in paragraph (d) of this section. 

(G) Decontamination procedures in 

accordance with paragraph (k) of this 

section. 

(H) An emergency response plan 

meeting the requirements of paragraph 

(l) of this section for safe and effective 

responses to emergencies, including 

the necessary PPE and other equipment. 

(I) Confined space entry procedures. 

(J) A spill containment program 

meeting the requirements of paragraph 

(j) of this section. 

(iii) Pre-entry briefing. The site specific safety and health plan shall provide for pre-entry briefings to be held 

prior to initiating any site activity, 

and at such other times as necessary to 

ensure that employees are apprised of 

the site safety and health plan and 

that this plan is being followed. The information and data obtained from site 

characterization and analysis work required in paragraph (c) of this section 

shall be used to prepare and update the 

site safety and health plan. 

(iv) Effectiveness of site safety and 

health plan. Inspections shall be conducted by the site safety and health supervisor or, in the absence of that individual, another individual who is 

knowledgeable in occupational safety 

and health, acting on behalf of the employer as necessary to determine the 

effectiveness of the site safety and 

health plan. Any deficiencies in the effectiveness of the site safety and 

health plan shall be corrected by the 

employer. 

(c) Site characterization and analysis— 

(1) General. Hazardous waste sites shall 

be evaluated in accordance with this 

paragraph to identify specific site hazards and to determine the appropriate 

safety and health control procedures 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

needed to protect employees from the 

identified hazards. 

(2) Preliminary evaluation. A preliminary evaluation of a site’s characteristics shall be performed prior to site 

entry by a qualified person in order to 

aid in the selection of appropriate employee protection methods prior to site 

entry. Immediately after initial site 

entry, a more detailed evaluation of 

the site’s specific characteristics shall 

be performed by a qualified person in 

order to further identify existing site 

hazards and to further aid in the selection of the appropriate engineering 

controls and personal protective equipment for the tasks to be performed. 

(3) Hazard identification. All suspected 

conditions that may pose inhalation or 

skin absorption hazards that are immediately dangerous to life or health 

(IDLH), or other conditions that may 

cause death or serious harm, shall be 

identified during the preliminary survey and evaluated during the detailed 

survey. Examples of such hazards include, but are not limited to, confined 

space entry, potentially explosive or 

flammable situations, visible vapor 

clouds, or areas where biological indicators such as dead animals or vegetation are located. 

(4) Required information. The following information to the extent available shall be obtained by the employer 

prior to allowing employees to enter a 

site: 

(i) Location and approximate size of 

the site. 

(ii) Description of the response activity and/or the job task to be performed. 

(iii) Duration of the planned employee activity. 

(iv) Site topography and accessibility 

by air and roads. 

(v) Safety and health hazards expected at the site. 

(vi) Pathways for hazardous substance dispersion. 

(vii) Present status and capabilities 

of emergency response teams that 

would provide assistance to hazardous 

waste clean-up site employees at the 

time of an emergency. 

(viii) Hazardous substances and 

health hazards involved or expected at 

the site, and their chemical and physical properties. 

(5) Personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment (PPE) shall 

be provided and used during initial site 

entry in accordance with the following 

requirements: 

(i) Based upon the results of the preliminary site evaluation, an ensemble 

of PPE shall be selected and used during initial site entry which will provide 

protection to a level of exposure below 

permissible exposure limits and published exposure levels for known or suspected hazardous substances and 

health hazards, and which will provide 

protection against other known and 

suspected hazards identified during the 

preliminary site evaluation. If there is 

no permissible exposure limit or published exposure level, the employer 

may use other published studies and information as a guide to appropriate 

personal protective equipment. 

(ii) If positive-pressure self-contained 

breathing apparatus is not used as part 

of the entry ensemble, and if respiratory protection is warranted by the 

potential hazards identified during the 

preliminary site evaluation, an escape 

self-contained breathing apparatus of 

at least five minute’s duration shall be 

carried by employees during initial site 

entry. 

(iii) If the preliminary site evaluation does not produce sufficient information to identify the hazards or suspected hazards of the site, an ensemble 

providing protection equivalent to 

Level B PPE shall be provided as minimum protection, and direct reading 

instruments shall be used as appropriate for identifying IDLH conditions. 

(See appendix B for a description of 

Level B hazards and the recommendations for Level B protective equipment.) 

(iv) Once the hazards of the site have 

been identified, the appropriate PPE 

shall be selected and used in accordance with paragraph (g) of this section. 

(6) Monitoring. The following monitoring shall be conducted during initial 

site entry when the site evaluation 

produces information that shows the 

potential for ionizing radiation or 

IDLH conditions, or when the site information is not sufficient reasonably 

to eliminate these possible conditions: 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

(i) Monitoring with direct reading instruments for hazardous levels of ionizing radiation. 

(ii) Monitoring the air with appropriate direct reading test equipment 

(i.e., combustible gas meters, detector 

tubes) for IDLH and other conditions 

that may cause death or serious harm 

(combustible or explosive atmospheres, 

oxygen deficiency, toxic substances). 

(iii) Visually observing for signs of 

actual or potential IDLH or other dangerous conditions. 

(iv) An ongoing air monitoring program in accordance with paragraph (h) 

of this section shall be implemented 

after site characterization has determined the site is safe for the start-up 

of operations. 

(7) Risk identification. Once the presence and concentrations of specific 

hazardous substances and health hazards have been established, the risks 

associated with these substances shall 

be identified. Employees who will be 

working on the site shall be informed 

of any risks that have been identified. 

In situations covered by the Hazard 

Communication Standard, 29 CFR 

1910.1200, training required by that 

standard need not be duplicated. 

NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (c)(7): Risks to consider include, but are not limited to: 

(a) Exposures exceeding the permissible exposure limits and published exposure levels. 

(b) IDLH concentrations. 

(c) Potential skin absorption and irritation 

sources. 

(d) Potential eye irritation sources. 

(e) Explosion sensitivity and flammability 

ranges. 

(f) Oxygen deficiency. 

(8) Employee notification. Any information concerning the chemical, physical, and toxicologic properties of each 

substance known or expected to be 

present on site that is available to the 

employer and relevant to the duties an 

employee is expected to perform shall 

be made available to the affected employees prior to the commencement of 

their work activities. The employer 

may utilize information developed for 

the hazard communication standard for 

this purpose. 

(d) Site control—(1) General. Appropriate site control procedures shall be 

implemented to control employee exposure to hazardous substances before 

clean-up work begins. 

(2) Site control program. A site control 

program for protecting employees 

which is part of the employer’s site 

safety and health program required in 

paragraph (b) of this section shall be 

developed during the planning stages of 

a hazardous waste clean-up operation 

and modified as necessary as new information becomes available. 

(3) Elements of the site control program. 

The site control program shall, as a 

minimum, include: A site map; site 

work zones; the use of a ‘‘buddy system’’; site communications including 

alerting means for emergencies; the 

standard operating procedures or safe 

work practices; and, identification of 

the nearest medical assistance. Where 

these requirements are covered elsewhere they need not be repeated. 

(e) Training—(1) General. (i) All employees working on site (such as but 

not limited to equipment operators, 

general laborers and others) exposed to 

hazardous substances, health hazards, 

or safety hazards and their supervisors 

and management responsible for the 

site shall receive training meeting the 

requirements of this paragraph before 

they are permitted to engage in hazardous waste operations that could expose them to hazardous substances, 

safety, or health hazards, and they 

shall receive review training as specified in this paragraph. 

(ii) Employees shall not be permitted 

to participate in or supervise field activities until they have been trained to 

a level required by their job function 

and responsibility. 

(2) Elements to be covered. The training shall thoroughly cover the following: 

(i) Names of personnel and alternates 

responsible for site safety and health; 

(ii) Safety, health and other hazards 

present on the site; 

(iii) Use of personal protective equipment; 

(iv) Work practices by which the employee can minimize risks from hazards; 

(v) Safe use of engineering controls 

and equipment on the site; 

(vi) Medical surveillance requirements, including recognition of symptoms and signs which might indicate 

overexposure to hazards; and 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

(vii) The contents of paragraphs (G) 

through (J) of the site safety and 

health plan set forth in paragraph 

(b)(4)(ii) of this section. 

(3) Initial training. (i) General site 

workers (such as equipment operators, 

general laborers and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substance 

removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to 

hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 

hours of instruction off the site, and a 

minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of 

a trained, experienced supervisor. 

(ii) Workers on site only occasionally 

for a specific limited task (such as, but 

not limited to, ground water monitoring, land surveying, or geo-physical 

surveying) and who are unlikely to be 

exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits shall 

receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a 

trained, experienced supervisor. 

(iii) Workers regularly on site who 

work in areas which have been monitored and fully characterized indicating that exposures are under permissible exposure limits and published 

exposure limits where respirators are 

not necessary, and the characterization 

indicates that there are no health hazards or the possibility of an emergency 

developing, shall receive a minimum of 

24 hours of instruction off the site and 

the minimum of one day actual field 

experience under the direct supervision 

of a trained, experienced supervisor. 

(iv) Workers with 24 hours of training 

who are covered by paragraphs (e)(3)(ii) 

and (e)(3)(iii) of this section, and who 

become general site workers or who are 

required to wear respirators, shall have 

the additional 16 hours and two days of 

training necessary to total the training 

specified in paragraph (e)(3)(i). 

(4) Management and supervisor training. On-site management and supervisors directly responsible for, or who 

supervise employees engaged in, hazardous waste operations shall receive 

40 hours initial training, and three 

days of supervised field experience (the 

training may be reduced to 24 hours 

and one day if the only area of their responsibility is employees covered by 

paragraphs (e)(3)(ii) and (e)(3)(iii)) and 

at least eight additional hours of specialized training at the time of job assignment on such topics as, but not 

limited to, the employer’s safety and 

health program and the associated employee training program, personal protective equipment program, spill containment program, and health hazard 

monitoring procedure and techniques. 

(5) Qualifications for trainers. Trainers 

shall be qualified to instruct employees 

about the subject matter that is being 

presented in training. Such trainers 

shall have satisfactorily completed a 

training program for teaching the subjects they are expected to teach, or 

they shall have the academic credentials and instructional experience necessary for teaching the subjects. Instructors shall demonstrate competent 

instructional skills and knowledge of 

the applicable subject matter. 

(6) Training certification. Employees 

and supervisors that have received and 

successfully completed the training 

and field experience specified in paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(4) of this section shall be certified by their instructor or the head instructor and trained 

supervisor as having successfully completed the necessary training. A written certificate shall be given to each 

person so certified. Any person who has 

not been so certified or who does not 

meet the requirements of paragraph 

(e)(9) of this section shall be prohibited 

from engaging in hazardous waste operations. 

(7) Emergency response. Employees 

who are engaged in responding to hazardous emergency situations at hazardous waste clean-up sites that may 

expose them to hazardous substances 

shall be trained in how to respond to 

such expected emergencies. 

(8) Refresher training. Employees specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, 

and managers and supervisors specified 

in paragraph (e)(4) of this section, shall 

receive eight hours of refresher training annually on the items specified in 

paragraph (e)(2) and/or (e)(4) of this 

section, any critique of incidents that 

have occurred in the past year that can 

serve as training examples of related 

work, and other relevant topics. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

(9) Equivalent training. Employers 

who can show by documentation or certification that an employee’s work experience and/or training has resulted in 

training equivalent to that training required in paragraphs (e)(1) through 

(e)(4) of this section shall not be required to provide the initial training 

requirements of those paragraphs to 

such employees and shall provide a 

copy of the certification or documentation to the employee upon request. 

However, certified employees or employees with equivalent training new 

to a site shall receive appropriate, site 

specific training before site entry and 

have appropriate supervised field experience at the new site. Equivalent 

training includes any academic training or the training that existing employees might have already received 

from actual hazardous waste site work 

experience. 

(f) Medical surveillance—(1) General. 

Employers engaged in operations specified in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through 

(a)(1)(iv) of this section and not covered by (a)(2)(iii) exceptions and employers of employees specified in paragraph (q)(9) shall institute a medical 

surveillance program in accordance 

with this paragraph. 

(2) Employees covered. The medical 

surveillance program shall be instituted by the employer for the following 

employees: 

(i) All employees who are or may be 

exposed to hazardous substances or 

health hazards at or above the permissible exposure limits or, if there is no 

permissible exposure limit, above the 

published exposure levels for these substances, without regard to the use of 

respirators, for 30 days or more a year; 

(ii) All employees who wear a respirator for 30 days or more a year or as 

required by §1910.134; 

(iii) All employees who are injured, 

become ill or develop signs or symptoms due to possible overexposure involving hazardous substances or health 

hazards from an emergency response or 

hazardous waste operation; and 

(iv) Members of HAZMAT teams. 

(3) Frequency of medical examinations 

and consultations. Medical examinations and consultations shall be made 

available by the employer to each employee covered under paragraph (f)(2) of 

this section on the following schedules: 

(i) For employees covered under 

paragraphs (f)(2)(i), (f)(2)(ii), and 

(f)(2)(iv): 

(A) Prior to assignment; 

(B) At least once every twelve 

months for each employee covered unless the attending physician believes a 

longer interval (not greater than biennially) is appropriate; 

(C) At termination of employment or 

reassignment to an area where the employee would not be covered if the employee has not had an examination 

within the last six months; 

(D) As soon as possible upon notification by an employee that the employee 

has developed signs or symptoms indicating possible overexposure to hazardous substances or health hazards, or 

that the employee has been injured or 

exposed above the permissible exposure 

limits or published exposure levels in 

an emergency situation; 

(E) At more frequent times, if the examining physician determines that an 

increased frequency of examination is 

medically necessary. 

(ii) For employees covered under 

paragraph (f)(2)(iii) and for all employees including those of employers covered by paragraph (a)(1)(v) who may 

have been injured, received a health 

impairment, developed signs or symptoms which may have resulted from exposure to hazardous substances resulting from an emergency incident, or exposed during an emergency incident to 

hazardous substances at concentrations above the permissible exposure 

limits or the published exposure levels 

without the necessary personal protective equipment being used: 

(A) As soon as possible following the 

emergency incident or development of 

signs or symptoms; 

(B) At additional times, if the examining physician determines that followup examinations or consultations are 

medically necessary. 

(4) Content of medical examinations and 

consultations. (i) Medical examinations 

required by paragraph (f)(3) of this section shall include a medical and work 

history (or updated history if one is in 

the employee’s file) with special emphasis on symptoms related to the handling of hazardous substances and 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

health hazards, and to fitness for duty 

including the ability to wear any required PPE under conditions (i.e., temperature extremes) that may be expected at the work site. 

(ii) The content of medical examinations or consultations made available 

to employees pursuant to paragraph (f) 

shall be determined by the attending 

physician. The guidelines in the Occupational Safety and Health Guidance 

Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities (See appendix D, Reference #10) 

should be consulted. 

(5) Examination by a physician and 

costs. All medical examinations and 

procedures shall be performed by or 

under the supervision of a licensed physician, preferably one knowledgeable in 

occupational medicine, and shall be 

provided without cost to the employee, 

without loss of pay, and at a reasonable time and place. 

(6) Information provided to the physician. The employer shall provide one 

copy of this standard and its appendices to the attending physician, and in 

addition the following for each employee: 

(i) A description of the employee’s 

duties as they relate to the employee’s 

exposures. 

(ii) The employee’s exposure levels or 

anticipated exposure levels. 

(iii) A description of any personal 

protective equipment used or to be 

used. 

(iv) Information from previous medical examinations of the employee 

which is not readily available to the 

examining physician. 

(v) Information required by §1910.134. 

(7) Physician’s written opinion. (i) The 

employer shall obtain and furnish the 

employee with a copy of a written 

opinion from the attending physician 

containing the following: 

(A) The physician’s opinion as to 

whether the employee has any detected 

medical conditions which would place 

the employee at increased risk of material impairment of the employee’s 

health from work in hazardous waste 

operations or emergency response, or 

from respirator use. 

(B) The physician’s recommended 

limitations upon the employee’s assigned work. 

(C) The results of the medical examination and tests if requested by the 

employee. 

(D) A statement that the employee 

has been informed by the physician of 

the results of the medical examination 

and any medical conditions which require further examination or treatment. 

(ii) The written opinion obtained by 

the employer shall not reveal specific 

findings or diagnoses unrelated to occupational exposures. 

(8) Recordkeeping. (i) An accurate 

record of the medical surveillance required by paragraph (f) of this section 

shall be retained. This record shall be 

retained for the period specified and 

meet the criteria of 29 CFR 1910.1020. 

(ii) The record required in paragraph 

(f)(8)(i) of this section shall include at 

least the following information: 

(A) The name and social security 

number of the employee; 

(B) Physician’s written opinions, recommended limitations, and results of 

examinations and tests; 

(C) Any employee medical complaints related to exposure to hazardous substances; 

(D) A copy of the information provided to the examining physician by 

the employer, with the exception of the 

standard and its appendices. 

(g) Engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment 

for employee protection. Engineering 

controls, work practices, personal protective equipment, or a combination of 

these shall be implemented in accordance with this paragraph to protect 

employees from exposure to hazardous 

substances and safety and health hazards. 

(1) Engineering controls, work practices 

and PPE for substances regulated in subparts G and Z. (i) Engineering controls 

and work practices shall be instituted 

to reduce and maintain employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limits for substances regulated by 

29 CFR part 1910, to the extent required 

by subpart Z, except to the extent that 

such controls and practices are not feasible. 

NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (g)(1)(i): Engineering 

controls which may be feasible include the 

use of pressurized cabs or control booths on 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

equipment, and/or the use of remotely operated material handling equipment. Work 

practices which may be feasible are removing all non-essential employees from potential exposure during opening of drums, wetting down dusty operations and locating employees upwind of possible hazards. 

(ii) Whenever engineering controls 

and work practices are not feasible or 

not required, any reasonable combination of engineering controls, work 

practices and PPE shall be used to reduce and maintain employee exposures 

to or below the permissible exposure 

limits or dose limits for substances 

regulated by 29 CFR part 1910, subpart 

Z. 

(iii) The employer shall not implement a schedule of employee rotation 

as a means of compliance with permissible exposure limits or dose limits except when there is no other feasible 

way of complying with the airborne or 

dermal dose limits for ionizing radiation. 

(iv) The provisions of 29 CFR, subpart 

G, shall be followed. 

(2) Engineering controls, work practices, 

and PPE for substances not regulated in 

subparts G and Z. An appropriate combination of engineering controls, work 

practices and personal protective 

equipment shall be used to reduce and 

maintain employee exposure to or 

below published exposure levels for 

hazardous substances and health hazards not regulated by 29 CFR part 1910, 

subparts G and Z. The employer may 

use the published literature and SDS as 

a guide in making the employer’s determination as to what level of protection the employer believes is appropriate for hazardous substances and 

health hazards for which there is no 

permissible exposure limit or published 

exposure limit. 

(3) Personal protective equipment selection. (i) Personal protective equipment 

(PPE) shall be selected and used which 

will protect employees from the hazards and potential hazards they are 

likely to encounter as identified during 

the site characterization and analysis. 

(ii) Personal protective equipment 

selection shall be based on an evaluation of the performance characteristics 

of the PPE relative to the requirements and limitations of the site, the 

task-specific conditions and duration, 

and the hazards and potential hazards 

identified at the site. 

(iii) Positive pressure self-contained 

breathing apparatus, or positive pressure air-line respirators equipped with 

an escape air supply, shall be used 

when chemical exposure levels present 

will create a substantial possibility of 

immediate death, immediate serious 

illness or injury, or impair the ability 

to escape. 

(iv) Totally-encapsulating chemical 

protective suits (protection equivalent 

to Level A protection as recommended 

in appendix B) shall be used in conditions where skin absorption of a hazardous substance may result in a substantial possibility of immediate 

death, immediate serious illness or injury, or impair the ability to escape. 

(v) The level of protection provided 

by PPE selection shall be increased 

when additional information on site 

conditions indicates that increased 

protection is necessary to reduce employee exposures below permissible exposure limits and published exposure 

levels for hazardous substances and 

health hazards. (See appendix B for 

guidance on selecting PPE ensembles.) 

NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (g)(3): The level of employee protection provided may be decreased 

when additional information or site conditions show that decreased protection will not 

result in hazardous exposures to employees. 

(vi) Personal protective equipment 

shall be selected and used to meet the 

requirements of 29 CFR part 1910, subpart I, and additional requirements 

specified in this section. 

(4) Totally-encapsulating chemical protective suits. (i) Totally-encapsulating 

suits shall protect employees from the 

particular hazards which are identified 

during site characterization and analysis. 

(ii) Totally-encapsulating suits shall 

be capable of maintaining positive air 

pressure. (See appendix A for a test 

method which may be used to evaluate 

this requirement.) 

(iii) Totally-encapsulating suits shall 

be capable of preventing inward test 

gas leakage of more than 0.5 percent. 

(See appendix A for a test method 

which may be used to evaluate this requirement.) 

(5) Personal protective equipment (PPE) 

program. A written personal protective 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

equipment program, which is part of 

the employer’s safety and health program required in paragraph (b) of this 

section or required in paragraph (p)(1) 

of this section and which is also a part 

of the site-specific safety and health 

plan shall be established. The PPE program shall address the elements listed 

below. When elements, such as donning 

and doffing procedures, are provided by 

the manufacturer of a piece of equipment and are attached to the plan, 

they need not be rewritten into the 

plan as long as they adequately address 

the procedure or element. 

(i) PPE selection based upon site hazards, 

(ii) PPE use and limitations of the 

equipment, 

(iii) Work mission duration, 

(iv) PPE maintenance and storage, 

(v) PPE decontamination and disposal, 

(vi) PPE training and proper fitting, 

(vii) PPE donning and doffing procedures, 

(viii) PPE inspection procedures 

prior to, during, and after use, 

(ix) Evaluation of the effectiveness of 

the PPE program, and 

(x) Limitations during temperature 

extremes, heat stress, and other appropriate medical considerations. 

(h) Monitoring—(1) General. (i) Monitoring shall be performed in accordance with this paragraph where there 

may be a question of employee exposure to hazardous concentrations of 

hazardous substances in order to assure 

proper selection of engineering controls, work practices and personal protective equipment so that employees 

are not exposed to levels which exceed 

permissible exposure limits, or published exposure levels if there are no 

permissible exposure limits, for hazardous substances. 

(ii) Air monitoring shall be used to 

identify and quantify airborne levels of 

hazardous substances and safety and 

health hazards in order to determine 

the appropriate level of employee protection needed on site. 

(2) Initial entry. Upon initial entry, 

representative air monitoring shall be 

conducted to identify any IDLH condition, exposure over permissible exposure limits or published exposure levels, exposure over a radioactive material’s dose limits or other dangerous 

condition such as the presence of flammable atmospheres or oxygen-deficient 

environments. 

(3) Periodic monitoring. Periodic monitoring shall be conducted when the possibility of an IDLH condition or flammable atmosphere has developed or 

when there is indication that exposures 

may have risen over permissible exposure limits or published exposure levels 

since prior monitoring. Situations 

where it shall be considered whether 

the possibility that exposures have 

risen are as follows: 

(i) When work begins on a different 

portion of the site. 

(ii) When contaminants other than 

those previously identified are being 

handled. 

(iii) When a different type of operation is initiated (e.g., drum opening as 

opposed to exploratory well drilling). 

(iv) When employees are handling 

leaking drums or containers or working in areas with obvious liquid contamination (e.g., a spill or lagoon). 

(4) Monitoring of high-risk employees. 

After the actual clean-up phase of any 

hazardous waste operation commences; 

for example, when soil, surface water 

or containers are moved or disturbed; 

the employer shall monitor those employees likely to have the highest exposures to hazardous substances and 

health hazards likely to be present 

above permissible exposure limits or 

published exposure levels by using personal sampling frequently enough to 

characterize employee exposures. If the 

employees likely to have the highest 

exposure are over permissible exposure 

limits or published exposure limits, 

then monitoring shall continue to determine all employees likely to be 

above those limits. The employer may 

utilize a representative sampling approach by documenting that the employees and chemicals chosen for monitoring are based on the criteria stated 

above. 

NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (h): It is not required 

to monitor employees engaged in site characterization operations covered by paragraph 

(c) of this section. 

(i) Informational programs. Employers 

shall develop and implement a program, which is part of the employer’s 

safety and health program required in 


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paragraph (b) of this section, to inform 

employees, contractors, and subcontractors (or their representative) 

actually engaged in hazardous waste 

operations of the nature, level and degree of exposure likely as a result of 

participation in such hazardous waste 

operations. Employees, contractors and 

subcontractors working outside of the 

operations part of a site are not covered by this standard. 

(j) Handling drums and containers—(1) 

General. (i) Hazardous substances and 

contaminated soils, liquids, and other 

residues shall be handled, transported, 

labeled, and disposed of in accordance 

with this paragraph. 

(ii) Drums and containers used during the clean-up shall meet the appropriate DOT, OSHA, and EPA regulations for the wastes that they contain. 

(iii) When practical, drums and containers shall be inspected and their integrity shall be assured prior to being 

moved. Drums or containers that cannot be inspected before being moved 

because of storage conditions (i.e., buried beneath the earth, stacked behind 

other drums, stacked several tiers high 

in a pile, etc.) shall be moved to an accessible location and inspected prior to 

further handling. 

(iv) Unlabelled drums and containers 

shall be considered to contain hazardous substances and handled accordingly until the contents are positively 

identified and labeled. 

(v) Site operations shall be organized 

to minimize the amount of drum or 

container movement. 

(vi) Prior to movement of drums or 

containers, all employees exposed to 

the transfer operation shall be warned 

of the potential hazards associated 

with the contents of the drums or containers. 

(vii) U.S. Department of Transportation specified salvage drums or containers and suitable quantities of proper absorbent shall be kept available 

and used in areas where spills, leaks, or 

ruptures may occur. 

(viii) Where major spills may occur, a 

spill containment program, which is 

part of the employer’s safety and 

health program required in paragraph 

(b) of this section, shall be implemented to contain and isolate the entire volume of the hazardous substance 

being transferred. 

(ix) Drums and containers that cannot be moved without rupture, leakage, 

or spillage shall be emptied into a 

sound container using a device classified for the material being transferred. 

(x) A ground-penetrating system or 

other type of detection system or device shall be used to estimate the location and depth of buried drums or containers. 

(xi) Soil or covering material shall be 

removed with caution to prevent drum 

or container rupture. 

(xii) Fire extinguishing equipment 

meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 

part 1910, subpart L, shall be on hand 

and ready for use to control incipient 

fires. 

(2) Opening drums and containers. The 

following procedures shall be followed 

in areas where drums or containers are 

being opened: 

(i) Where an airline respirator system 

is used, connections to the source of air 

supply shall be protected from contamination and the entire system shall 

be protected from physical damage. 

(ii) Employees not actually involved 

in opening drums or containers shall be 

kept a safe distance from the drums or 

containers being opened. 

(iii) If employees must work near or 

adjacent to drums or containers being 

opened, a suitable shield that does not 

interfere with the work operation shall 

be placed between the employee and 

the drums or containers being opened 

to protect the employee in case of accidental explosion. 

(iv) Controls for drum or container 

opening equipment, monitoring equipment, and fire suppression equipment 

shall be located behind the explosionresistant barrier. 

(v) When there is a reasonable possibility of flammable atmospheres being 

present, material handling equipment 

and hand tools shall be of the type to 

prevent sources of ignition. 

(vi) Drums and containers shall be 

opened in such a manner that excess 

interior pressure will be safely relieved. If pressure can not be relieved 

from a remote location, appropriate 

shielding shall be placed between the 

employee and the drums or containers 

to reduce the risk of employee injury. 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

(vii) Employees shall not stand upon 

or work from drums or containers. 

(3) Material handling equipment. Material handiing equipment used to transfer drums and containers shall be selected, positioned and operated to minimize sources of ignition related to the 

equipment from igniting vapors released from ruptured drums or containers. 

(4) Radioactive wastes. Drums and containers containing radioactive wastes 

shall not be handled until such time as 

their hazard to employees is properly 

assessed. 

(5) Shock sensitive wastes. As a minimum, the following special precautions shall be taken when drums 

and containers containing or suspected 

of containing shock-sensitive wastes 

are handled: 

(i) All non-essential employees shall 

be evacuated from the area of transfer. 

(ii) Material handling equipment 

shall be provided with explosive containment devices or protective shields 

to protect equipment operators from 

exploding containers. 

(iii) An employee alarm system capable of being perceived above surrounding light and noise conditions 

shall be used to signal the commencement and completion of explosive 

waste handling activities. 

(iv) Continuous communications (i.e., 

portable radios, hand signals, telephones, as appropriate) shall be maintained between the employee-in-charge 

of the immediate handling area and 

both the site safety and health supervisor and the command post until such 

time as the handling operation is completed. Communication equipment or 

methods that could cause shock sensitive materials to explode shall not be 

used. 

(v) Drums and containers under pressure, as evidenced by bulging or swelling, shall not be moved until such time 

as the cause for excess pressure is determined and appropriate containment 

procedures have been implemented to 

protect employees from explosive relief 

of the drum. 

(vi) Drums and containers containing 

packaged laboratory wastes shall be 

considered to contain shock-sensitive 

or explosive materials until they have 

been characterized. 

CAUTION: Shipping of shock sensitive 

wastes may be prohibited under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. Employers and their shippers should refer to 49 CFR 

173.21 and 173.50. 

(6) Laboratory waste packs. In addition 

to the requirements of paragraph (j)(5) 

of this section, the following precautions shall be taken, as a minimum, 

in handling laboratory waste packs 

(lab packs): 

(i) Lab packs shall be opened only 

when necessary and then only by an individual knowledgeable in the inspection, classification, and segregation of 

the containers within the pack according to the hazards of the wastes. 

(ii) If crystalline material is noted on 

any container, the contents shall be 

handled as a shock-sensitive waste 

until the contents are identified. 

(7) Sampling of drum and container 

contents. Sampling of containers and 

drums shall be done in accordance with 

a sampling procedure which is part of 

the site safety and health plan developed for and available to employees 

and others at the specific worksite. 

(8) Shipping and transport. (i) Drums 

and containers shall be identified and 

classified prior to packaging for shipment. 

(ii) Drum or container staging areas 

shall be kept to the minimum number 

necessary to identify and classify materials safely and prepare them for 

transport. 

(iii) Staging areas shall be provided 

with adequate access and egress routes. 

(iv) Bulking of hazardous wastes 

shall be permitted only after a thorough characterization of the materials 

has been completed. 

(9) Tank and vault procedures. (i) 

Tanks and vaults containing hazardous 

substances shall be handled in a manner similar to that for drums and containers, taking into consideration the 

size of the tank or vault. 

(ii) Appropriate tank or vault entry 

procedures as described in the employer’s safety and health plan shall be followed whenever employees must enter 

a tank or vault. 

(k) Decontamination—(1) General. Procedures for all phases of decontamination shall be developed and implemented in accordance with this paragraph. 


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(2) Decontamination procedures. (i) A 

decontamination procedure shall be developed, communicated to employees 

and implemented before any employees 

or equipment may enter areas on site 

where potential for exposure to hazardous substances exists. 

(ii) Standard operating procedures 

shall be developed to minimize employee contact with hazardous substances or with equipment that has 

contacted hazardous substances. 

(iii) All employees leaving a contaminated area shall be appropriately decontaminated; all contaminated clothing and equipment leaving a contaminated area shall be appropriately disposed of or decontaminated. 

(iv) Decontamination procedures 

shall be monitored by the site safety 

and health supervisor to determine 

their effectiveness. When such procedures are found to be ineffective, appropriate steps shall be taken to correct any deficiencies. 

(3) Location. Decontamination shall 

be performed in geographical areas 

that will minimize the exposure of 

uncontaminated employees or equipment to contaminated employees or 

equipment. 

(4) Equipment and solvents. All equipment and solvents used for decontamination shall be decontaminated or 

disposed of properly. 

(5) Personal protective clothing and 

equipment. (i) Protective clothing and 

equipment shall be decontaminated, 

cleaned, laundered, maintained or replaced as needed to maintain their effectiveness. 

(ii) Employees whose non-impermeable clothing becomes wetted with 

hazardous substances shall immediately remove that clothing and proceed to shower. The clothing shall be 

disposed of or decontaminated before it 

is removed from the work zone. 

(6) Unauthorized employees. Unauthorized employees shall not remove protective clothing or equipment from 

change rooms. 

(7) Commercial laundries or cleaning establishments. Commercial laundries or 

cleaning establishments that decontaminate protective clothing or equipment shall be informed of the potentially harmful effects of exposures to 

hazardous substances. 

(8) Showers and change rooms. Where 

the decontamination procedure indicates a need for regular showers and 

change rooms outside of a contaminated area, they shall be provided and 

meet the requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.141. If temperature conditions prevent the effective use of water, then 

other effective means for cleansing 

shall be provided and used. 

(l) Emergency response by employees at 

uncontrolled hazardous waste sites—(1) 

Emergency response plan. (i) An emergency response plan shall be developed 

and implemented by all employers 

within the scope of paragraphs (a)(1) 

(i)–(ii) of this section to handle anticipated emergencies prior to the commencement of hazardous waste operations. The plan shall be in writing and 

available for inspection and copying by 

employees, their representatives, 

OSHA personnel and other governmental agencies with relevant responsibilities. 

(ii) Employers who will evacuate 

their employees from the danger area 

when an emergency occurs, and who do 

not permit any of their employees to 

assist in handling the emergency, are 

exempt from the requirements of this 

paragraph if they provide an emergency action plan complying with 29 

CFR 1910.38. 

(2) Elements of an emergency response 

plan. The employer shall develop an 

emergency response plan for emergencies which shall address, as a minimum, the following: 

(i) Pre-emergency planning. 

(ii) Personnel roles, lines of authority, and communication. 

(iii) Emergency recognition and prevention. 

(iv) Safe distances and places of refuge. 

(v) Site security and control. 

(vi) Evacuation routes and procedures. 

(vii) Decontamination procedures 

which are not covered by the site safety and health plan. 

(viii) Emergency medical treatment 

and first aid. 

(ix) Emergency alerting and response 

procedures. 

(x) Critique of response and followup. 

(xi) PPE and emergency equipment. 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

(3) Procedures for handling emergency 

incidents. (i) In addition to the elements for the emergency response plan 

required in paragraph (l)(2) of this section, the following elements shall be 

included for emergency response plans: 

(A) Site topography, layout, and prevailing weather conditions. 

(B) Procedures for reporting incidents to local, state, and federal governmental agencies. 

(ii) The emergency response plan 

shall be a separate section of the Site 

Safety and Health Plan. 

(iii) The emergency response plan 

shall be compatible and integrated 

with the disaster, fire and/or emergency response plans of local, state, 

and federal agencies. 

(iv) The emergency response plan 

shall be rehearsed regularly as part of 

the overall training program for site 

operations. 

(v) The site emergency response plan 

shall be reviewed periodically and, as 

necessary, be amended to keep it current with new or changing site conditions or information. 

(vi) An employee alarm system shall 

be installed in accordance with 29 CFR 

1910.165 to notify employees of an emergency situation; to stop work activities 

if necessary; to lower background noise 

in order to speed communication; and 

to begin emergency procedures. 

(vii) Based upon the information 

available at time of the emergency, the 

employer shall evaluate the incident 

and the site response capabilities and 

proceed with the appropriate steps to 

implement the site emergency response 

plan. 

(m) Illumination. Areas accessible to 

employees shall be lighted to not less 

than the minimum illumination intensities listed in the following Table H– 

120.1 while any work is in progress: 

TABLE H–120.1—MINIMUM ILLUMINATION

INTENSITIES IN FOOT-CANDLES

Footcandles 

Area or operations 

5 ........ General site areas. 

3 ........ Excavation and waste areas, accessways, active 

storage areas, loading platforms, refueling, and 

field maintenance areas. 

5 ........ Indoors: Warehouses, corridors, hallways, and 

exitways. 

TABLE H–120.1—MINIMUM ILLUMINATION

INTENSITIES IN FOOT-CANDLES—Continued 

Footcandles 

Area or operations 

5 ........ Tunnels, shafts, and general underground work 

areas. (Exception: Minimum of 10 foot-candles is 

required at tunnel and shaft heading during drilling 

mucking, and scaling. Mine Safety and Health Administration approved cap lights shall be acceptable for use in the tunnel heading.) 

10 ...... General shops (e.g., mechanical and electrical 

equipment rooms, active storerooms, barracks or 

living quarters, locker or dressing rooms, dining 

areas, and indoor toilets and workrooms.) 

30 ...... First aid stations, infirmaries, and offices. 

(n) Sanitation at temporary workplaces—(1) Potable water. (i) An adequate supply of potable water shall be 

provided on the site. 

(ii) Portable containers used to dispense drinking water shall be capable 

of being tightly closed, and equipped 

with a tap. Water shall not be dipped 

from containers. 

(iii) Any container used to distribute 

drinking water shall be clearly marked 

as to the nature of its contents and not 

used for any other purpose. 

(iv) Where single service cups (to be 

used but once) are supplied, both a sanitary container for the unused cups and 

a receptacle for disposing of the used 

cups shall be provided. 

(2) Nonpotable water. (i) Outlets for 

nonpotable water, such as water for 

firefighting purposes, shall be identified to indicate clearly that the water 

is unsafe and is not to be used for 

drinking, washing, or cooking purposes. 

(ii) There shall be no cross-connection, open or potential, between a system furnishing potable water and a 

system furnishing nonpotable water. 

(3) Toilet facilities. (i) Toilets shall be 

provided for employees according to 

the following Table H–120.2. 

TABLE H–120.2—TOILET FACILITIES

Number of employees Minimum number of facilities 

20 or fewer ............................. One. 

More than 20, fewer than 200 One toilet seat and one urinal per 40 employees. 

More than 200 ........................ One toilet seat and one urinal per 50 employees. 

(ii) Under temporary field conditions, 

provisions shall be made to assure that 

at least one toilet facility is available. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

(iii) Hazardous waste sites not provided with a sanitary sewer shall be 

provided with the following toilet facilities unless prohibited by local 

codes: 

(A) Chemical toilets; 

(B) Recirculating toilets; 

(C) Combustion toilets; or 

(D) Flush toilets. 

(iv) The requirements of this paragraph for sanitation facilities shall not 

apply to mobile crews having transportation readily available to nearby toilet facilities. 

(v) Doors entering toilet facilities 

shall be provided with entrance locks 

controlled from inside the facility. 

(4) Food handling. All food service facilities and operations for employees 

shall meet the applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they are located. 

(5) Temporary sleeping quarters. When 

temporary sleeping quarters are provided, they shall be heated, ventilated, 

and lighted. 

(6) Washing facilities. The employer 

shall provide adequate washing facilities for employees engaged in operations where hazardous substances 

may be harmful to employees. Such facilities shall be in near proximity to 

the worksite; in areas where exposures 

are below permissible exposure limits 

and published exposure levels and 

which are under the controls of the employer; and shall be so equipped as to 

enable employees to remove hazardous 

substances from themselves. 

(7) Showers and change rooms. When 

hazardous waste clean-up or removal 

operations commence on a site and the 

duration of the work will require six 

months or greater time to complete, 

the employer shall provide showers and 

change rooms for all employees exposed to hazardous substances and 

health hazards involved in hazardous 

waste clean-up or removal operations. 

(i) Showers shall be provided and 

shall meet the requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.141(d)(3). 

(ii) Change rooms shall be provided 

and shall meet the requirements of 29 

CFR 1910.141(e). Change rooms shall 

consist of two separate change areas 

separated by the shower area required 

in paragraph (n)(7)(i) of this section. 

One change area, with an exit leading 

off the worksite, shall provide employees with a clean area where they can 

remove, store, and put on street clothing. The second area, with an exit to 

the worksite, shall provide employees 

with an area where they can put on, remove and store work clothing and personal protective equipment. 

(iii) Showers and change rooms shall 

be located in areas where exposures are 

below the permissible exposure limits 

and published exposure levels. If this 

cannot be accomplished, then a ventilation system shall be provided that 

will supply air that is below the permissible exposure limits and published 

exposure levels. 

(iv) Employers shall assure that employees shower at the end of their work 

shift and when leaving the hazardous 

waste site. 

(o) New technology programs. (1) The 

employer shall develop and implement 

procedures for the introduction of effective new technologies and equipment developed for the improved protection of employees working with hazardous waste clean-up operations, and 

the same shall be implemented as part 

of the site safety and health program 

to assure that employee protection is 

being maintained. 

(2) New technologies, equipment or 

control measures available to the industry, such as the use of foams, 

absorbents, adsorbents, neutralizers, or 

other means to suppress the level of air 

contaminates while excavating the site 

or for spill control, shall be evaluated 

by employers or their representatives. 

Such an evaluation shall be done to determine the effectiveness of the new 

methods, materials, or equipment before implementing their use on a large 

scale for enhancing employee protection. Information and data from manufacturers or suppliers may be used as 

part of the employer’s evaluation effort. Such evaluations shall be made 

available to OSHA upon request. 

(p) Certain Operations Conducted 

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). Employers 

conducting operations at treatment, 

storage and disposal (TSD) facilities 

specified in paragraph (a)(1)(iv) of this 

section shall provide and implement 

the programs specified in this paragraph. See the ‘‘Notes and Exceptions’’ 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

to paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section 

for employers not covered.)’’. 

(1) Safety and health program. The employer shall develop and implement a 

written safety and health program for 

employees involved in hazardous waste 

operations that shall be available for 

inspection by employees, their representatives and OSHA personnel. The 

program shall be designed to identify, 

evaluate and control safety and health 

hazards in their facilities for the purpose of employee protection, to provide 

for emergency response meeting the requirements of paragraph (p)(8) of this 

section and to address as appropriate 

site analysis, engineering controls, 

maximum exposure limits, hazardous 

waste handling procedures and uses of 

new technologies. 

(2) Hazard communication program. 

The employer shall implement a hazard communication program meeting 

the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1200 as 

part of the employer’s safety and program. 

NOTE TO §1910.120: The exemption for hazardous waste provided in §1910.1200 is applicable to this section. 

(3) Medical surveillance program. The 

employer shall develop and implement 

a medical surveillance program meeting the requirements of paragraph (f) of 

this section. 

(4) Decontamination program. The employer shall develop and implement a 

decontamination procedure meeting 

the requirements of paragraph (k) of 

this section. 

(5) New technology program. The employer shall develop and implement 

procedures meeting the requirements 

of paragraph (o) of this section for introducing new and innovative equipment into the workplace. 

(6) Material handling program. Where 

employees will be handling drums or 

containers, the employer shall develop 

and implement procedures meeting the 

requirements of paragraphs (j)(1) (ii) 

through (viii) and (xi) of this section, 

as well as (j)(3) and (j)(8) of this section 

prior to starting such work. 

(7) Training program—(i) New employees. The employer shall develop and implement a training program, which is 

part of the employer’s safety and 

health program, for employees exposed 

to health hazards or hazardous substances at TSD operations to enable 

the employees to perform their assigned duties and functions in a safe 

and healthful manner so as not endanger themselves or other employees. The 

initial training shall be for 24 hours 

and refresher training shall be for eight 

hours annually. Employees who have 

received the initial training required 

by this paragraph shall be given a written certificate attesting that they have 

successfully completed the necessary 

training. 

(ii) Current employees. Employers who 

can show by an employee’s previous 

work experience and/or training that 

the employee has had training equivalent to the initial training required by 

this paragraph, shall be considered as 

meeting the initial training requirements of this paragraph as to that employee. Equivalent training includes 

the training that existing employees 

might have already received from actual site work experience. Current employees shall receive eight hours of refresher training annually. 

(iii) Trainers. Trainers who teach initial training shall have satisfactorily 

completed a training course for teaching the subjects they are expected to 

teach or they shall have the academic 

credentials and instruction experience 

necessary to demonstrate a good command of the subject matter of the 

courses and competent instructional 

skills. 

(8) Emergency response program—(i) 

Emergency response plan. An emergency 

response plan shall be developed and 

implemented by all employers. Such 

plans need not duplicate any of the 

subjects fully addressed in the employer’s contingency planning required by 

permits, such as those issued by the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the contingency plan 

is made part of the emergency response 

plan. The emergency response plan 

shall be a written portion of the employer’s safety and health program required in paragraph (p)(1) of this section. Employers who will evacuate 

their employees from the worksite location when an emergency occurs and 

who do not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency 

are exempt from the requirements of 

paragraph (p)(8) if they provide an 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

emergency action plan complying with 

29 CFR 1910.38. 

(ii) Elements of an emergency response 

plan. The employer shall develop an 

emergency response plan for emergencies which shall address, as a minimum, the following areas to the extent that they are not addressed in any 

specific program required in this paragraph: 

(A) Pre-emergency planning and coordination with outside parties. 

(B) Personnel roles, lines of authority, and communication. 

(C) Emergency recognition and prevention. 

(D) Safe distances and places of refuge. 

(E) Site security and control. 

(F) Evacuation routes and procedures. 

(G) Decontamination procedures. 

(H) Emergency medical treatment 

and first aid. 

(I) Emergency alerting and response 

procedures. 

(J) Critique of response and followup. 

(K) PPE and emergency equipment. 

(iii) Training. (A) Training for emergency response employees shall be 

completed before they are called upon 

to perform in real emergencies. Such 

training shall include the elements of 

the emergency response plan, standard 

operating procedures the employer has 

established for the job, the personal 

protective equipment to be worn and 

procedures for handling emergency incidents. 

Exception #1: An employer need not train 

all employees to the degree specified if the 

employer divides the work force in a manner 

such that a sufficient number of employees 

who have responsibility to control emergencies have the training specified, and all 

other employees, who may first respond to 

an emergency incident, have sufficient 

awareness training to recognize that an 

emergency response situation exists and that 

they are instructed in that case to summon 

the fully trained employees and not attempt 

control activities for which they are not 

trained. 

Exception #2: An employer need not train 

all employees to the degree specified if arrangements have been made in advance for 

an outside fully-trained emergency response 

team to respond in a reasonable period and 

all employees, who may come to the incident 

first, have sufficient awareness training to 

recognize that an emergency response situation exists and they have been instructed to 

call the designated outside fully-trained 

emergency response team for assistance. 

(B) Employee members of TSD facility emergency response organizations 

shall be trained to a level of competence in the recognition of health 

and safety hazards to protect themselves and other employees. This would 

include training in the methods used to 

minimize the risk from safety and 

health hazards; in the safe use of control equipment; in the selection and 

use of appropriate personal protective 

equipment; in the safe operating procedures to be used at the incident scene; 

in the techniques of coordination with 

other employees to minimize risks; in 

the appropriate response to over exposure from health hazards or injury to 

themselves and other employees; and 

in the recognition of subsequent symptoms which may result from over exposures. 

(C) The employer shall certify that 

each covered employee has attended 

and successfully completed the training required in paragraph (p)(8)(iii) of 

this section, or shall certify the employee’s competency at least yearly. 

The method used to demonstrate competency for certification of training 

shall be recorded and maintained by 

the employer. 

(iv) Procedures for handling emergency 

incidents. (A) In addition to the elements for the emergency response plan 

required in paragraph (p)(8)(ii) of this 

section, the following elements shall be 

included for emergency response plans 

to the extent that they do not repeat 

any information already contained in 

the emergency response plan: 

(1) Site topography, layout, and prevailing weather conditions. 

(2) Procedures for reporting incidents 

to local, state, and federal governmental agencies. 

(B) The emergency response plan 

shall be compatible and integrated 

with the disaster, fire and/or emergency response plans of local, state, 

and federal agencies. 

(C) The emergency response plan 

shall be rehearsed regularly as part of 

the overall training program for site 

operations. 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

(D) The site emergency response plan 

shall be reviewed periodically and, as 

necessary, be amended to keep it current with new or changing site conditions or information. 

(E) An employee alarm system shall 

be installed in accordance with 29 CFR 

1910.165 to notify employees of an emergency situation; to stop work activities 

if necessary; to lower background noise 

in order to speed communication; and 

to begin emergency procedures. 

(F) Based upon the information available at time of the emergency, the employer shall evaluate the incident and 

the site response capabilities and proceed with the appropriate steps to implement the site emergency response 

plan. 

(q) Emergency response to hazardous 

substance releases. This paragraph covers employers whose employees are engaged in emergency response no matter 

where it occurs except that it does not 

cover employees engaged in operations 

specified in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through 

(a)(1)(iv) of this section. Those emergency response organizations who have 

developed and implemented programs 

equivalent to this paragraph for handling releases of hazardous substances 

pursuant to section 303 of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization 

Act of 1986 (Emergency Planning and 

Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 

42 U.S.C. 11003) shall be deemed to have 

met the requirements of this paragraph. 

(1) Emergency response plan. An emergency response plan shall be developed 

and implemented to handle anticipated 

emergencies prior to the commencement of emergency response operations. The plan shall be in writing and 

available for inspection and copying by 

employees, their representatives and 

OSHA personnel. Employers who will 

evacuate their employees from the 

danger area when an emergency occurs, 

and who do not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency, are exempt from the requirements of this paragraph if they provide 

an emergency action plan in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.38. 

(2) Elements of an emergency response 

plan. The employer shall develop an 

emergency response plan for emergencies which shall address, as a minimum, the following to the extent that 

they are not addressed elsewhere: 

(i) Pre-emergency planning and coordination with outside parties. 

(ii) Personnel roles, lines of authority, training, and communication. 

(iii) Emergency recognition and prevention. 

(iv) Safe distances and places of refuge. 

(v) Site security and control. 

(vi) Evacuation routes and procedures. 

(vii) Decontamination. 

(viii) Emergency medical treatment 

and first aid. 

(ix) Emergency alerting and response 

procedures. 

(x) Critique of response and followup. 

(xi) PPE and emergency equipment. 

(xii) Emergency response organizations may use the local emergency response plan or the state emergency response plan or both, as part of their 

emergency response plan to avoid duplication. Those items of the emergency response plan that are being 

properly addressed by the SARA Title 

III plans may be substituted into their 

emergency plan or otherwise kept together for the employer and employee’s 

use. 

(3) Procedures for handling emergency 

response. (i) The senior emergency response official responding to an emergency shall become the individual in 

charge of a site-specific Incident Command System (ICS). All emergency responders and their communications 

shall be coordinated and controlled 

through the individual in charge of the 

ICS assisted by the senior official 

present for each employer. 

NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (q)(3)(i): The ‘‘senior 

official’’ at an emergency response is the 

most senior official on the site who has the 

responsibility for controlling the operations 

at the site. Initially it is the senior officer 

on the first-due piece of responding emergency apparatus to arrive on the incident 

scene. As more senior officers arrive (i.e., 

battalion chief, fire chief, state law enforcement official, site coordinator, etc.) the position is passed up the line of authority which 

has been previously established. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

(ii) The individual in charge of the 

ICS shall identify, to the extent possible, all hazardous substances or conditions present and shall address as appropriate site analysis, use of engineering controls, maximum exposure limits, hazardous substance handling procedures, and use of any new technologies. 

(iii) Based on the hazardous substances and/or conditions present, the 

individual in charge of the ICS shall 

implement appropriate emergency operations, and assure that the personal 

protective equipment worn is appropriate for the hazards to be encountered. However, personal protective 

equipment shall meet, at a minimum, 

the criteria contained in 29 CFR 

1910.156(e) when worn while performing 

fire fighting operations beyond the incipient stage for any incident. 

(iv) Employees engaged in emergency 

response and exposed to hazardous substances presenting an inhalation hazard or potential inhalation hazard shall 

wear positive pressure self-contained 

breathing apparatus while engaged in 

emergency response, until such time 

that the individual in charge of the ICS 

determines through the use of air monitoring that a decreased level of respiratory protection will not result in 

hazardous exposures to employees. 

(v) The individual in charge of the 

ICS shall limit the number of emergency response personnel at the emergency site, in those areas of potential 

or actual exposure to incident or site 

hazards, to those who are actively performing emergency operations. However, operations in hazardous areas 

shall be performed using the buddy system in groups of two or more. 

(vi) Back-up personnel shall stand by 

with equipment ready to provide assistance or rescue. Advance first aid 

support personnel, as a minimum, shall 

also stand by with medical equipment 

and transportation capability. 

(vii) The individual in charge of the 

ICS shall designate a safety official, 

who is knowledgable in the operations 

being implemented at the emergency 

response site, with specific responsibility to identify and evaluate hazards 

and to provide direction with respect 

to the safety of operations for the 

emergency at hand. 

(viii) When activities are judged by 

the safety official to be an IDLH condition and/or to involve an imminent 

danger condition, the safety official 

shall have the authority to alter, suspend, or terminate those activities. 

The safety official shall immediately 

inform the individual in charge of the 

ICS of any actions needed to be taken 

to correct these hazards at the emergency scene. 

(ix) After emergency operations have 

terminated, the individual in charge of 

the ICS shall implement appropriate 

decontamination procedures. 

(x) When deemed necessary for meeting the tasks at hand, approved selfcontained compressed air breathing apparatus may be used with approved cylinders from other approved self-contained compressed air breathing apparatus provided that such cylinders are 

of the same capacity and pressure rating. All compressed air cylinders used 

with self-contained breathing apparatus shall meet U.S. Department of 

Transportation and National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health criteria. 

(4) Skilled support personnel. Personnel, not necessarily an employer’s 

own employees, who are skilled in the 

operation of certain equipment, such as 

mechanized earth moving or digging 

equipment or crane and hoisting equipment, and who are needed temporarily 

to perform immediate emergency support work that cannot reasonably be 

performed in a timely fashion by an 

employer’s own employees, and who 

will be or may be exposed to the hazards at an emergency response scene, 

are not required to meet the training 

required in this paragraph for the employer’s regular employees. However, 

these personnel shall be given an initial briefing at the site prior to their 

participation in any emergency response. The initial briefing shall include instruction in the wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment, what chemical hazards are involved, and what duties are to be performed. All other appropriate safety 

and health precautions provided to the 

employer’s own employees shall be 

used to assure the safety and health of 

these personnel. 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

(5) Specialist employees. Employees 

who, in the course of their regular job 

duties, work with and are trained in 

the hazards of specific hazardous substances, and who will be called upon to 

provide technical advice or assistance 

at a hazardous substance release incident to the individual in charge, shall 

receive training or demonstrate competency in the area of their specialization annually. 

(6) Training. Training shall be based 

on the duties and function to be performed by each responder of an emergency response organization. The skill 

and knowledge levels required for all 

new responders, those hired after the 

effective date of this standard, shall be 

conveyed to them through training before they are permitted to take part in 

actual emergency operations on an incident. Employees who participate, or 

are expected to participate, in emergency response, shall be given training 

in accordance with the following paragraphs: 

(i) First responder awareness level. 

First responders at the awareness level 

are individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance 

release and who have been trained to 

initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They would take no 

further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release. First responders at the awareness level shall have 

sufficient training or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the following 

areas: 

(A) An understanding of what hazardous substances are, and the risks associated with them in an incident. 

(B) An understanding of the potential 

outcomes associated with an emergency created when hazardous substances are present. 

(C) The ability to recognize the presence of hazardous substances in an 

emergency. 

(D) The ability to identify the hazardous substances, if possible. 

(E) An understanding of the role of 

the first responder awareness individual in the employer’s emergency response plan including site security and 

control and the U.S. Department of 

Transportation’s Emergency Response 

Guidebook. 

(F) The ability to realize the need for 

additional resources, and to make appropriate notifications to the communication center. 

(ii) First responder operations level. 

First responders at the operations level 

are individuals who respond to releases 

or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response 

to the site for the purpose of protecting 

nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of the release. They are trained to respond in a 

defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release. Their function 

is to contain the release from a safe 

distance, keep it from spreading, and 

prevent exposures. First responders at 

the operational level shall have received at least eight hours of training 

or have had sufficient experience to objectively demonstrate competency in 

the following areas in addition to those 

listed for the awareness level and the 

employer shall so certify: 

(A) Knowledge of the basic hazard 

and risk assessment techniques. 

(B) Know how to select and use proper personal protective equipment provided to the first responder operational 

level. 

(C) An understanding of basic hazardous materials terms. 

(D) Know how to perform basic control, containment and/or confinement 

operations within the capabilities of 

the resources and personal protective 

equipment available with their unit. 

(E) Know how to implement basic decontamination procedures. 

(F) An understanding of the relevant 

standard operating procedures and termination procedures. 

(iii) Hazardous materials technician. 

Hazardous materials technicians are 

individuals who respond to releases or 

potential releases for the purpose of 

stopping the release. They assume a 

more aggressive role than a first responder at the operations level in that 

they will approach the point of release 

in order to plug, patch or otherwise 

stop the release of a hazardous substance. Hazardous materials technicians shall have received at least 24 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in addition have competency in the following 

areas and the employer shall so certify: 

(A) Know how to implement the employer’s emergency response plan. 

(B) Know the classification, identification and verification of known and 

unknown materials by using field survey instruments and equipment. 

(C) Be able to function within an assigned role in the Incident Command 

System. 

(D) Know how to select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective equipment provided to the hazardous materials technician. 

(E) Understand hazard and risk assessment techniques. 

(F) Be able to perform advance control, containment, and/or confinement 

operations within the capabilities of 

the resources and personal protective 

equipment available with the unit. 

(G) Understand and implement decontamination procedures. 

(H) Understand termination procedures. 

(I) Understand basic chemical and 

toxicological terminology and behavior. 

(iv) Hazardous materials specialist. 

Hazardous materials specialists are individuals who respond with and provide 

support to hazardous materials technicians. Their duties parallel those of the 

hazardous materials technician, however, those duties require a more directed or specific knowledge of the various substances they may be called 

upon to contain. The hazardous materials specialist would also act as the 

site liaison with Federal, state, local 

and other government authorities in 

regards to site activities. Hazardous 

materials specialists shall have received at least 24 hours of training 

equal to the technician level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the employer shall so 

certify: 

(A) Know how to implement the local 

emergency response plan. 

(B) Understand classification, identification and verification of known and 

unknown materials by using advanced 

survey instruments and equipment. 

(C) Know of the state emergency response plan. 

(D) Be able to select and use proper 

specialized chemical personal protective equipment provided to the hazardous materials specialist. 

(E) Understand in-depth hazard and 

risk techniques. 

(F) Be able to perform specialized 

control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. 

(G) Be able to determine and implement decontamination procedures. 

(H) Have the ability to develop a site 

safety and control plan. 

(I) Understand chemical, radiological 

and toxicological terminology and behavior. 

(v) On scene incident commander. Incident commanders, who will assume 

control of the incident scene beyond 

the first responder awareness level, 

shall receive at least 24 hours of training equal to the first responder operations level and in addition have competency in the following areas and the 

employer shall so certify: 

(A) Know and be able to implement 

the employer’s incident command system. 

(B) Know how to implement the employer’s emergency response plan. 

(C) Know and understand the hazards 

and risks associated with employees 

working in chemical protective clothing. 

(D) Know how to implement the local 

emergency response plan. 

(E) Know of the state emergency response plan and of the Federal Regional Response Team. 

(F) Know and understand the importance of decontamination procedures. 

(7) Trainers. Trainers who teach any 

of the above training subjects shall 

have satisfactorily completed a training course for teaching the subjects 

they are expected to teach, such as the 

courses offered by the U.S. National 

Fire Academy, or they shall have the 

training and/or academic credentials 

and instructional experience necessary 

to demonstrate competent instructional skills and a good command of 

the subject matter of the courses they 

are to teach. 

(8) Refresher training. (i) Those employees who are trained in accordance 

with paragraph (q)(6) of this section 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

shall receive annual refresher training 

of sufficient content and duration to 

maintain their competencies, or shall 

demonstrate competency in those areas 

at least yearly. 

(ii) A statement shall be made of the 

training or competency, and if a statement of competency is made, the employer shall keep a record of the methodology used to demonstrate competency. 

(9) Medical surveillance and consultation. (i) Members of an organized and 

designated HAZMAT team and hazardous materials specialists shall receive a baseline physical examination 

and be provided with medical surveillance as required in paragraph (f) of 

this section. 

(ii) Any emergency response employees who exhibits signs or symptoms 

which may have resulted from exposure 

to hazardous substances during the 

course of an emergency incident, either 

immediately or subsequently, shall be 

provided with medical consultation as 

required in paragraph (f)(3)(ii) of this 

section. 

(10) Chemical protective clothing. 

Chemical protective clothing and 

equipment to be used by organized and 

designated HAZMAT team members, or 

to be used by hazardous materials specialists, shall meet the requirements of 

paragraphs (g) (3) through (5) of this 

section. 

(11) Post-emergency response operations. Upon completion of the emergency response, if it is determined that 

it is necessary to remove hazardous 

substances, health hazards, and materials contaminated with them (such as 

contaminated soil or other elements of 

the natural environment) from the site 

of the incident, the employer conducting the clean-up shall comply with 

one of the following: 

(i) Meet all of the requirements of 

paragraphs (b) through (o) of this section; or 

(ii) Where the clean-up is done on 

plant property using plant or workplace employees, such employees shall 

have completed the training requirements of the following: 29 CFR 1910.38, 

1910.134, 1910.1200, and other appropriate safety and health training made 

necessary by the tasks they are expected to perform such as personal protective equipment and decontamination procedures. All equipment to be 

used in the performance of the clean-up 

work shall be in serviceable condition 

and shall have been inspected prior to 

use. 

APPENDICES TO §1910.120—HAZARDOUS WASTE

OPERATIONS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

NOTE: The following appendices serve as 

non-mandatory guidelines to assist employees and employers in complying with the appropriate requirements of this section. However paragraph 1910.120(g) makes mandatory 

in certain circumstances the use of Level A 

and Level B PPE protection. 

APPENDIX A TO §1910.120—PERSONAL

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TEST METHODS

This appendix sets forth the non-mandatory examples of tests which may be used to 

evaluate compliance with §1910.120 (g)(4) (ii) 

and (iii). Other tests and other challenge 

agents may be used to evaluate compliance. 

A. Totally-encapsulating chemical protective 

suit pressure test 

1.0—Scope 

1.1 This practice measures the ability of a 

gas tight totally-encapsulating chemical 

protective suit material, seams, and closures 

to maintain a fixed positive pressure. The results of this practice allow the gas tight integrity of a totally-encapsulating chemical 

protective suit to be evaluated. 

1.2 Resistance of the suit materials to 

permeation, penetration, and degradation by 

specific hazardous substances is not determined by this test method. 

2.0—Definition of terms 

2.1 Totally-encapsulated chemical protective 

suit (TECP suit) means a full body garment 

which is constructed of protective clothing 

materials; covers the wearer’s torso, head, 

arms, legs and respirator; may cover the 

wearer’s hands and feet with tightly attached gloves and boots; completely encloses 

the wearer and respirator by itself or in combination with the wearer’s gloves and boots. 

2.2 Protective clothing material means any 

material or combination of materials used in 

an item of clothing for the purpose of isolating parts of the body from direct contact 

with a potentially hazardous liquid or gaseous chemicals. 

2.3 Gas tight means, for the purpose of this 

test method, the limited flow of a gas under 

pressure from the inside of a TECP suit to 

atmosphere at a prescribed pressure and 

time interval. 

3.0—Summary of test method 

3.1 The TECP suit is visually inspected and 

modified for the test. The test apparatus is 

attached to the suit to permit inflation to 


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the pre-test suit expansion pressure for removal of suit wrinkles and creases. The pressure is lowered to the test pressure and monitored for three minutes. If the pressure drop 

is excessive, the TECP suit fails the test and 

is removed from service. The test is repeated 

after leak location and repair. 

4.0—Required Supplies 

4.1 Source of compressed air. 

4.2 Test apparatus for suit testing, including a pressure measurement device with a 

sensitivity of at least 1⁄4 inch water gauge. 

4.3 Vent valve closure plugs or sealing 

tape. 

4.4 Soapy water solution and soft brush. 

4.5 Stop watch or appropriate timing device. 

5.0—Safety Precautions 

5.1 Care shall be taken to provide the correct pressure safety devices required for the 

source of compressed air used. 

6.0—Test Procedure 

6.1 Prior to each test, the tester shall perform a visual inspection of the suit. Check 

the suit for seam integrity by visually examining the seams and gently pulling on the 

seams. Ensure that all air supply lines, fittings, visor, zippers, and valves are secure 

and show no signs of deterioration. 

6.1.1 Seal off the vent valves along with 

any other normal inlet or exhaust points 

(such as umbilical air line fittings or face 

piece opening) with tape or other appropriate 

means (caps, plugs, fixture, etc.). Care should 

be exercised in the sealing process not to 

damage any of the suit components. 

6.1.2 Close all closure assemblies. 

6.1.3 Prepare the suit for inflation by providing an improvised connection point on the 

suit for connecting an airline. Attach the 

pressure test apparatus to the suit to permit 

suit inflation from a compressed air source 

equipped with a pressure indicating regulator. The leak tightness of the pressure test 

apparatus should be tested before and after 

each test by closing off the end of the tubing 

attached to the suit and assuring a pressure 

of three inches water gauge for three minutes can be maintained. If a component is removed for the test, that component shall be 

replaced and a second test conducted with 

another component removed to permit a 

complete test of the ensemble. 

6.1.4 The pre-test expansion pressure (A) 

and the suit test pressure (B) shall be supplied by the suit manufacturer, but in no 

case shall they be less than: (A)=three inches 

water gauge; and (B)=two inches water 

gauge. The ending suit pressure (C) shall be 

no less than 80 percent of the test pressure 

(B); i.e., the pressure drop shall not exceed 20 

percent of the test pressure (B). 

6.1.5 Inflate the suit until the pressure inside is equal to pressure (A), the pre-test expansion suit pressure. Allow at least one 

minute to fill out the wrinkles in the suit. 

Release sufficient air to reduce the suit pressure to pressure (B), the suit test pressure. 

Begin timing. At the end of three minutes, 

record the suit pressure as pressure (C), the 

ending suit pressure. The difference between 

the suit test pressure and the ending suit 

test pressure (B-C) shall be defined as the 

suit pressure drop. 

6.1.6 If the suit pressure drop is more than 

20 percent of the suit test pressure (B) during 

the three-minute test period, the suit fails 

the test and shall be removed from service. 

7.0—Retest Procedure 

7.1 If the suit fails the test check for leaks 

by inflating the suit to pressure (A) and 

brushing or wiping the entire suit (including 

seams, closures, lens gaskets, glove-to-sleeve 

joints, etc.) with a mild soap and water solution. Observe the suit for the formation of 

soap bubbles, which is an indication of a 

leak. Repair all identified leaks. 

7.2 Retest the TECP suit as outlined in 

Test procedure 6.0. 

8.0—Report 

8.1 Each TECP suit tested by this practice 

shall have the following information recorded: 

8.1.1 Unique identification number, identifying brand name, date of purchase, material 

of construction, and unique fit features, e.g., 

special breathing apparatus. 

8.1.2 The actual values for test pressures 

(A), (B), and (C) shall be recorded along with 

the specific observation times. If the ending 

pressure (C) is less than 80 percent of the test 

pressure (B), the suit shall be identified as 

failing the test. When possible, the specific 

leak location shall be identified in the test 

records. Retest pressure data shall be recorded as an additional test. 

8.1.3 The source of the test apparatus used 

shall be identified and the sensitivity of the 

pressure gauge shall be recorded. 

8.1.4 Records shall be kept for each pressure test even if repairs are being made at 

the test location. 

CAUTION

Visually inspect all parts of the suit to be 

sure they are positioned correctly and secured tightly before putting the suit back 

into service. Special care should be taken to 

examine each exhaust valve to make sure it 

is not blocked. 

Care should also be exercised to assure 

that the inside and outside of the suit is 

completely dry before it is put into storage. 

B. Totally-encapsulating chemical protective 

suit qualitative leak test 

1.0—Scope 

1.1 This practice semi-qualitatively tests 

gas tight totally-encapsulating chemical 

protective suit integrity by detecting inward 

leakage of ammonia vapor. Since no modifications are made to the suit to carry out 


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this test, the results from this practice provide a realistic test for the integrity of the 

entire suit. 

1.2 Resistance of the suit materials to permeation, penetration, and degradation is not 

determined by this test method. ASTM test 

methods are available to test suit materials 

for these characteristics and the tests are 

usually conducted by the manufacturers of 

the suits. 

2.0—Definition of terms 

2.1 Totally-encapsulated chemical protective 

suit (TECP suit) means a full body garment 

which is constructed of protective clothing 

materials; covers the wearer’s torso, head, 

arms, legs and respirator; may cover the 

wearer’s hands and feet with tightly attached gloves and boots; completely encloses 

the wearer and respirator by itself or in combination with the wearer’s gloves, and boots. 

2.2 Protective clothing material means any 

material or combination of materials used in 

an item of clothing for the purpose of isolating parts of the body from direct contact 

with a potentially hazardous liquid or gaseous chemicals. 

2.3 Gas tight means, for the purpose of this 

test method, the limited flow of a gas under 

pressure from the inside of a TECP suit to 

atmosphere at a prescribed pressure and 

time interval. 

2.4 Intrusion Coefficient means a number expressing the level of protection provided by a 

gas tight totally-encapsulating chemical 

protective suit. The intrusion coefficient is 

calculated by dividing the test room challenge agent concentration by the concentration of challenge agent found inside the suit. 

The accuracy of the intrusion coefficient is 

dependent on the challenge agent monitoring 

methods. The larger the intrusion coefficient 

the greater the protection provided by the 

TECP suit. 

3.0—Summary of recommended practice 

3.1 The volume of concentrated aqueous 

ammonia solution (ammonia hydroxide NH4

OH) required to generate the test atmosphere is determined using the directions outlined in 6.1. The suit is donned by a person 

wearing the appropriate respiratory equipment (either a positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus or a positive 

pressure supplied air respirator) and worn inside the enclosed test room. The concentrated aqueous ammonia solution is 

taken by the suited individual into the test 

room and poured into an open plastic pan. A 

two-minute evaporation period is observed 

before the test room concentration is measured, using a high range ammonia length of 

stain detector tube. When the ammonia 

vapor reaches a concentration of between 

1000 and 1200 ppm, the suited individual 

starts a standardized exercise protocol to 

stress and flex the suit. After this protocol is 

completed, the test room concentration is 

measured again. The suited individual exits 

the test room and his stand-by person measures the ammonia concentration inside the 

suit using a low range ammonia length of 

stain detector tube or other more sensitive 

ammonia detector. A stand-by person is required to observe the test individual during 

the test procedure; aid the person in donning 

and doffing the TECP suit; and monitor the 

suit interior. The intrusion coefficient of the 

suit can be calculated by dividing the average test area concentration by the interior 

suit concentration. A colorimetric ammonia 

indicator strip of bromophenol blue or equivalent is placed on the inside of the suit face 

piece lens so that the suited individual is 

able to detect a color change and know if the 

suit has a significant leak. If a color change 

is observed the individual shall leave the test 

room immediately. 

4.0—Required supplies 

4.1 A supply of concentrated aqueous ammonium hydroxide (58% by weight). 

4.2 A supply of bromophenol/blue indicating paper or equivalent, sensitive to 5–10 

ppm ammonia or greater over a two-minute 

period of exposure. [pH 3.0 (yellow) to pH 4.6 

(blue)] 

4.3 A supply of high range (0.5–10 volume 

percent) and low range (5–700 ppm) detector 

tubes for ammonia and the corresponding 

sampling pump. More sensitive ammonia detectors can be substituted for the low range 

detector tubes to improve the sensitivity of 

this practice. 

4.4 A shallow plastic pan (PVC) at least 

12′′:14′′:1′′ and a half pint plastic container 

(PVC) with tightly closing lid. 

4.5 A graduated cylinder or other volumetric measuring device of at least 50 milliliters in volume with an accuracy of at least 

±1 milliliters. 

5.0—Safety precautions 

5.1 Concentrated aqueous ammonium hydroxide, NH4 OH, is a corrosive volatile liquid requiring eye, skin, and respiratory protection. The person conducting the test shall 

review the SDS for aqueous ammonia. 

5.2 Since the established permissible exposure limit for ammonia is 35 ppm as a 15 

minute STEL, only persons wearing a positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus or a positive pressure supplied air respirator shall be in the chamber. Normally 

only the person wearing the totally-encapsulating suit will be inside the chamber. A 

stand-by person shall have a positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus, or a 

positive pressure supplied air respirator 

available to enter the test area should the 

suited individual need assistance. 

5.3 A method to monitor the suited individual must be used during this test. Visual 

contact is the simplest but other methods 

using communication devices are acceptable. 

5.4 The test room shall be large enough to 

allow the exercise protocol to be carried out 

and then to be ventilated to allow for easy 


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exhaust of the ammonia test atmosphere 

after the test(s) are completed. 

5.5 Individuals shall be medically 

screened for the use of respiratory protection 

and checked for allergies to ammonia before 

participating in this test procedure. 

6.0—Test procedure 

6.1.1 Measure the test area to the nearest 

foot and calculate its volume in cubic feet. 

Multiply the test area volume by 0.2 milliliters of concentrated aqueous ammonia solution per cubic foot of test area volume to 

determine the approximate volume of concentrated aqueous ammonia required to generate 1000 ppm in the test area. 

6.1.2 Measure this volume from the supply 

of concentrated aqueous ammonia and place 

it into a closed plastic container. 

6.1.3 Place the container, several high 

range ammonia detector tubes, and the pump 

in the clean test pan and locate it near the 

test area entry door so that the suited individual has easy access to these supplies. 

6.2.1 In a non-contaminated atmosphere, 

open a pre-sealed ammonia indicator strip 

and fasten one end of the strip to the inside 

of the suit face shield lens where it can be 

seen by the wearer. Moisten the indicator 

strip with distilled water. Care shall be 

taken not to contaminate the detector part 

of the indicator paper by touching it. A 

small piece of masking tape or equivalent 

should be used to attach the indicator strip 

to the interior of the suit face shield. 

6.2.2 If problems are encountered with 

this method of attachment, the indicator 

strip can be attached to the outside of the 

respirator face piece lens being used during 

the test. 

6.3 Don the respiratory protective device 

normally used with the suit, and then don 

the TECP suit to be tested. Check to be sure 

all openings which are intended to be sealed 

(zippers, gloves, etc.) are completely sealed. 

DO NOT, however, plug off any venting 

valves. 

6.4 Step into the enclosed test room such 

as a closet, bathroom, or test booth, 

equipped with an exhaust fan. No air should 

be exhausted from the chamber during the 

test because this will dilute the ammonia 

challenge concentrations. 

6.5 Open the container with the pre-measured volume of concentrated aqueous ammonia within the enclosed test room, and pour 

the liquid into the empty plastic test pan. 

Wait two minutes to allow for adequate volatilization of the concentrated aqueous ammonia. A small mixing fan can be used near 

the evaporation pan to increase the evaporation rate of the ammonia solution. 

6.6 After two minutes a determination of 

the ammonia concentration within the 

chamber should be made using the high 

range colorimetric detector tube. A concentration of 1000 ppm ammonia or greater 

shall be generated before the exercises are 

started. 

6.7 To test the integrity of the suit the 

following four minute exercise protocol 

should be followed: 

6.7.1 Raising the arms above the head 

with at least 15 raising motions completed in 

one minute. 

6.7.2 Walking in place for one minute with 

at least 15 raising motions of each leg in a 

one-minute period. 

6.7.3 Touching the toes with a least 10 

complete motions of the arms from above 

the head to touching of the toes in a oneminute period. 

6.7.4 Knee bends with at least 10 complete 

standing and squatting motions in a oneminute period. 

6.8 If at any time during the test the colorimetric indicating paper should change 

colors, the test should be stopped and section 

6.10 and 6.12 initiated (See ¶4.2). 

6.9 After completion of the test exercise, 

the test area concentration should be measured again using the high range colorimetric 

detector tube. 

6.10 Exit the test area. 

6.11 The opening created by the suit zipper or other appropriate suit penetration 

should be used to determine the ammonia 

concentration in the suit with the low range 

length of stain detector tube or other ammonia monitor. The internal TECP suit air 

should be sampled far enough from the enclosed test area to prevent a false ammonia 

reading. 

6.12 After completion of the measurement 

of the suit interior ammonia concentration 

the test is concluded and the suit is doffed 

and the respirator removed. 

6.13 The ventilating fan for the test room 

should be turned on and allowed to run for 

enough time to remove the ammonia gas. 

The fan shall be vented to the outside of the 

building. 

6.14 Any detectable ammonia in the suit 

interior (five ppm ammonia (NH3) or more 

for the length of stain detector tube) indicates that the suit has failed the test. When 

other ammonia detectors are used a lower 

level of detection is possible, and it should be 

specified as the pass/fail criteria. 

6.15 By following this test method, an intrusion coefficient of approximately 200 or 

more can be measured with the suit in a 

completely operational condition. If the intrusion coefficient is 200 or more, then the 

suit is suitable for emergency response and 

field use. 

7.0—Retest procedures 

7.1 If the suit fails this test, check for 

leaks by following the pressure test in test A 

above. 

7.2 Retest the TECP suit as outlined in 

the test procedure 6.0. 

8.0—Report 


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§ 1910.120 29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–15 Edition) 

8.1 Each gas tight totally-encapsulating 

chemical protective suit tested by this practice shall have the following information recorded. 

8.1.1 Unique identification number, identifying brand name, date of purchase, material of construction, and unique suit features; e.g., special breathing apparatus. 

8.1.2 General description of test room 

used for test. 

8.1.3 Brand name and purchase date of 

ammonia detector strips and color change 

data. 

8.1.4 Brand name, sampling range, and expiration date of the length of stain ammonia 

detector tubes. The brand name and model of 

the sampling pump should also be recorded. 

If another type of ammonia detector is used, 

it should be identified along with its minimum detection limit for ammonia. 

8.1.5 Actual test results shall list the two 

test area concentrations, their average, the 

interior suit concentration, and the calculated intrusion coefficient. Retest data 

shall be recorded as an additional test. 

8.2 The evaluation of the data shall be 

specified as ‘‘suit passed’’ or ‘‘suit failed,’’ 

and the date of the test. Any detectable ammonia (five ppm or greater for the length of 

stain detector tube) in the suit interior indicates the suit has failed this test. When 

other ammonia detectors are used, a lower 

level of detection is possible and it should be 

specified as the pass fail criteria. 

CAUTION

Visually inspect all parts of the suit to be 

sure they are positioned correctly and secured tightly before putting the suit back 

into service. Special care should be taken to 

examine each exhaust valve to make sure it 

is not blocked. 

Care should also be exercised to assure 

that the inside and outside of the suit is 

completely dry before it is put into storage. 

APPENDIX B TO §1910.120—GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION OF THE LEVELS OF

PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE GEAR

This appendix sets forth information about 

personal protective equipment (PPE) protection levels which may be used to assist employers in complying with the PPE requirements of this section. 

As required by the standard, PPE must be 

selected which will protect employees from 

the specific hazards which they are likely to 

encounter during their work on-site. 

Selection of the appropriate PPE is a complex process which should take into consideration a variety of factors. Key factors involved in this process are identification of 

the hazards, or suspected hazards; their 

routes of potential hazard to employees (inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and eye 

or skin contact); and the performance of the 

PPE materials (and seams) in providing a barrier to these hazards. The amount of protection provided by PPE is material-hazard specific. That is, protective equipment materials will protect well against some hazardous substances and poorly, or not at all, 

against others. In many instances, protective equipment materials cannot be found 

which will provide continuous protection 

from the particular hazardous substance. In 

these cases the breakthrough time of the 

protective material should exceed the work 

durations. 

Other factors in this selection process to 

be considered are matching the PPE to the 

employee’s work requirements and task-specific conditions. The durability of PPE materials, such as tear strength and seam 

strength, should be considered in relation to 

the employee’s tasks. The effects of PPE in 

relation to heat stress and task duration are 

a factor in selecting and using PPE. In some 

cases layers of PPE may be necessary to provide sufficient protection, or to protect expensive PPE inner garments, suits or equipment. 

The more that is known about the hazards 

at the site, the easier the job of PPE selection becomes. As more information about 

the hazards and conditions at the site becomes available, the site supervisor can 

make decisions to up-grade or down-grade 

the level of PPE protection to match the 

tasks at hand. 

The following are guidelines which an employer can use to begin the selection of the 

appropriate PPE. As noted above, the site information may suggest the use of combinations of PPE selected from the different protection levels (i.e., A, B, C, or D) as being 

more suitable to the hazards of the work. It 

should be cautioned that the listing below 

does not fully address the performance of the 

specific PPE material in relation to the specific hazards at the job site, and that PPE 

selection, evaluation and re-selection is an 

ongoing process until sufficient information 

about the hazards and PPE performance is 

obtained. 

Part A. Personal protective equipment is 

divided into four categories based on the degree of protection afforded. (See part B of 

this appendix for further explanation of Levels A, B, C, and D hazards.) 

I. Level A—To be selected when the greatest level of skin, respiratory, and eye protection is required. 

The following constitute Level A equipment; it may be used as appropriate; 

1. Positive pressure, full face-piece selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA), or 

positive pressure supplied air respirator with 

escape SCBA, approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH). 

2. Totally-encapsulating chemical-protective suit. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

1Optional, as applicable. 

3. Coveralls. 1

4. Long underwear. 1

5. Gloves, outer, chemical-resistant. 

6. Gloves, inner, chemical-resistant. 

7. Boots, chemical-resistant, steel toe and 

shank. 

8. Hard hat (under suit). 1

9. Disposable protective suit, gloves and 

boots (depending on suit construction, may 

be worn over totally-encapsulating suit). 

II. Level B—The highest level of respiratory protection is necessary but a lesser 

level of skin protection is needed. 

The following constitute Level B equipment; it may be used as appropriate. 

1. Positive pressure, full-facepiece self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), or positive pressure supplied air respirator with escape SCBA (NIOSH approved). 

2. Hooded chemical-resistant clothing 

(overalls and long-sleeved jacket; coveralls; 

one or two-piece chemical-splash suit; disposable chemical-resistant overalls). 

3. Coveralls. 1

4. Gloves, outer, chemical-resistant. 

5. Gloves, inner, chemical-resistant. 

6. Boots, outer, chemical-resistant steel 

toe and shank. 

7. Boot-covers, outer, chemical-resistant 

(disposable). 1

8. Hard hat. 1

9. [Reserved] 

10. Face shield. 1

III. Level C—The concentration(s) and 

type(s) of airborne substance(s) is known and 

the criteria for using air purifying respirators are met. 

The following constitute Level C equipment; it may be used as appropriate. 

1. Full-face or half-mask, air purifying respirators (NIOSH approved). 

2. Hooded chemical-resistant clothing 

(overalls; two-piece chemical-splash suit; 

disposable chemical-resistant overalls). 

3. Coveralls. 1

4. Gloves, outer, chemical-resistant. 

5. Gloves, inner, chemical-resistant. 

6. Boots (outer), chemical-resistant steel 

toe and shank. 1

7. Boot-covers, outer, chemical-resistant 

(disposable) 1. 

8. Hard hat. 1

9. Escape mask. 1

10. Face shield. 1

IV. Level D—A work uniform affording 

minimal protection, used for nuisance contamination only. 

The following constitute Level D equipment; it may be used as appropriate: 

1. Coveralls. 

2. Gloves. 1

3. Boots/shoes, chemical-resistant steel toe 

and shank. 

4. Boots, outer, chemical-resistant (disposable). 1

5. Safety glasses or chemical splash 

goggles*. 

6. Hard hat. 1

7. Escape mask. 1

8. Face shield. 1

Part B. The types of hazards for which levels A, B, C, and D protection are appropriate 

are described below: 

I. Level A—Level A protection should be 

used when: 

1. The hazardous substance has been identified and requires the highest level of protection for skin, eyes, and the respiratory 

system based on either the measured (or potential for) high concentration of atmospheric vapors, gases, or particulates; or the 

site operations and work functions involve a 

high potential for splash, immersion, or exposure to unexpected vapors, gases, or particulates of materials that are harmful to 

skin or capable of being absorbed through 

the skin; 

2. Substances with a high degree of hazard 

to the skin are known or suspected to be 

present, and skin contact is possible; or 

3. Operations are being conducted in confined, poorly ventilated areas, and the absence of conditions requiring Level A have 

not yet been determined. 

II. Level B—Level B protection should be 

used when: 

1. The type and atmospheric concentration 

of substances have been identified and require a high level of respiratory protection, 

but less skin protection; 

2. The atmosphere contains less than 19.5 

percent oxygen; or 

3. The presence of incompletely identified 

vapors or gases is indicated by a direct-reading organic vapor detection instrument, but 

vapors and gases are not suspected of containing high levels of chemicals harmful to 

skin or capable of being absorbed through 

the skin. 

NOTE: This involves atmospheres with 

IDLH concentrations of specific substances 

that present severe inhalation hazards and 

that do not represent a severe skin hazard; 

or that do not meet the criteria for use of 

air-purifying respirators. 

III. Level C—Level C protection should be 

used when: 

1. The atmospheric contaminants, liquid 

splashes, or other direct contact will not adversely affect or be absorbed through any exposed skin; 

2. The types of air contaminants have been 

identified, concentrations measured, and an 

air-purifying respirator is available that can 

remove the contaminants; and 

3. All criteria for the use of air-purifying 

respirators are met. 

IV. Level D—Level D protection should be 

used when: 

1. The atmosphere contains no known hazard; and 


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2. Work functions preclude splashes, immersion, or the potential for unexpected inhalation of or contact with hazardous levels 

of any chemicals. 

NOTE: As stated before, combinations of 

personal protective equipment other than 

those described for Levels A, B, C, and D protection may be more appropriate and may be 

used to provide the proper level of protection. 

As an aid in selecting suitable chemical 

protective clothing, it should be noted that 

the National Fire Protection Association 

(NFPA) has developed standards on chemical 

protective clothing. The standards that have 

been adopted by include: 

NFPA 1991—Standard on Vapor-Protective 

Suits for Hazardous Chemical Emergencies 

(EPA Level A Protective Clothing). 

NFPA 1992—Standard on Liquid SplashProtective Suits for Hazardous Chemical 

Emergencies (EPA Level B Protective Clothing). 

NFPA 1993—Standard on Liquid SplashProtective Suits for Non-emergency, Nonflammable Hazardous Chemical Situations 

(EPA Level B Protective Clothing). 

These standards apply documentation and 

performance requirements to the manufacture of chemical protective suits. Chemical 

protective suits meeting these requirements 

are labelled as compliant with the appropriate standard. It is recommended that 

chemical protective suits that meet these 

standards be used. 

APPENDIX C TO §1910.120—COMPLIANCE

GUIDELINES

1. Occupational Safety and Health Program. 

Each hazardous waste site clean-up effort 

will require an occupational safety and 

health program headed by the site coordinator or the employer’s representative. The 

purpose of the program will be the protection of employees at the site and will be an 

extension of the employer’s overall safety 

and health program. The program will need 

to be developed before work begins on the 

site and implemented as work proceeds as 

stated in paragraph (b). The program is to facilitate coordination and communication of 

safety and health issues among personnel responsible for the various activities which 

will take place at the site. It will provide the 

overall means for planning and implementing the needed safety and health training and job orientation of employees who 

will be working at the site. The program will 

provide the means for identifying and controlling worksite hazards and the means for 

monitoring program effectiveness. The program will need to cover the responsibilities 

and authority of the site coordinator or the 

employer’s manager on the site for the safety and health of employees at the site, and 

the relationships with contractors or support 

services as to what each employer’s safety 

and health responsibilities are for their employees on the site. Each contractor on the 

site needs to have its own safety and health 

program so structured that it will smoothly 

interface with the program of the site coordinator or principal contractor. 

Also those employers involved with treating, storing or disposal of hazardous waste as 

covered in paragraph (p) must have implemented a safety and health program for their 

employees. This program is to include the 

hazard communication program required in 

paragraph (p)(1) and the training required in 

paragraphs (p)(7) and (p)(8) as parts of the 

employers comprehensive overall safety and 

health program. This program is to be in 

writing. 

Each site or workplace safety and health 

program will need to include the following: 

(1) Policy statements of the line of authority 

and accountability for implementing the 

program, the objectives of the program and 

the role of the site safety and health supervisor or manager and staff; (2) means or 

methods for the development of procedures 

for identifying and controlling workplace 

hazards at the site; (3) means or methods for 

the development and communication to employees of the various plans, work rules, 

standard operating procedures and practices 

that pertain to individual employees and supervisors; (4) means for the training of supervisors and employees to develop the needed 

skills and knowledge to perform their work 

in a safe and healthful manner; (5) means to 

anticipate and prepare for emergency situations; and (6) means for obtaining information feedback to aid in evaluating the program and for improving the effectiveness of 

the program. The management and employees should be trying continually to improve 

the effectiveness of the program thereby enhancing the protection being afforded those 

working on the site. 

Accidents on the site or workplace should 

be investigated to provide information on 

how such occurrences can be avoided in the 

future. When injuries or illnesses occur on 

the site or workplace, they will need to be 

investigated to determine what needs to be 

done to prevent this incident from occurring 

again. Such information will need to be used 

as feedback on the effectiveness of the program and the information turned into positive steps to prevent any reoccurrence. Receipt of employee suggestions or complaints 

relating to safety and health issues involved 

with site or workplace activities is also a 

feedback mechanism that can be used effectively to improve the program and may serve 

in part as an evaluative tool(s). 

For the development and implementation 

of the program to be the most effective, professional safety and health personnel should 

be used. Certified Safety Professionals, 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

Board Certified Industrial Hygienists or Registered Professional Safety Engineers are 

good examples of professional stature for 

safety and health managers who will administer the employer’s program. 

2. Training. The training programs for employees subject to the requirements of paragraph (e) of this standard should address: the 

safety and health hazards employees should 

expect to find on hazardous waste clean-up 

sites; what control measures or techniques 

are effective for those hazards; what monitoring procedures are effective in characterizing exposure levels; what makes an effective employer’s safety and health program; 

what a site safety and health plan should include; hands on training with personal protective equipment and clothing they may be 

expected to use; the contents of the OSHA 

standard relevant to the employee’s duties 

and function; and, employee’s responsibilities under OSHA and other regulations. Supervisors will need training in their responsibilities under the safety and health program and its subject areas such as the spill 

containment program, the personal protective equipment program, the medical surveillance program, the emergency response 

plan and other areas. 

The training programs for employees subject to the requirements of paragraph (p) of 

this standard should address: the employers 

safety and health program elements impacting employees; the hazard communication 

program; the medical surveillance program; 

the hazards and the controls for such hazards 

that employees need to know for their job 

duties and functions. All require annual refresher training. 

The training programs for employees covered by the requirements of paragraph (q) of 

this standard should address those competencies required for the various levels of 

response such as: the hazards associated with 

hazardous substances; hazard identification 

and awareness; notification of appropriate 

persons; the need for and use of personal protective equipment including respirators; the 

decontamination procedures to be used; 

preplanning activities for hazardous substance incidents including the emergency 

reponse plan; company standard operating 

procedures for hazardous substance emergency responses; the use of the incident command system and other subjects. Hands-on 

training should be stressed whenever possible. Critiques done after an incident which 

include an evaluation of what worked and 

what did not and how could the incident be 

better handled the next time may be counted 

as training time. 

For hazardous materials specialists (usually members of hazardous materials teams), 

the training should address the care, use and/ 

or testing of chemical protective clothing including totally encapsulating suits, the medical surveillance program, the standard operating procedures for the hazardous materials 

team including the use of plugging and 

patching equipment and other subject areas. 

Officers and leaders who may be expected 

to be in charge at an incident should be fully 

knowledgeable of their company’s incident 

command system. They should know where 

and how to obtain additional assistance and 

be familiar with the local district’s emergency response plan and the state emergency 

response plan. 

Specialist employees such as technical experts, medical experts or environmental experts that work with hazardous materials in 

their regular jobs, who may be sent to the 

incident scene by the shipper, manufacturer 

or governmental agency to advise and assist 

the person in charge of the incident should 

have training on an annual basis. Their 

training should include the care and use of 

personal protective equipment including respirators; knowledge of the incident command system and how they are to relate to 

it; and those areas needed to keep them current in their respective field as it relates to 

safety and health involving specific hazardous substances. 

Those skilled support personnel, such as 

employees who work for public works departments or equipment operators who operate 

bulldozers, sand trucks, backhoes, etc., who 

may be called to the incident scene to provide emergency support assistance, should 

have at least a safety and health briefing before entering the area of potential or actual 

exposure. These skilled support personnel, 

who have not been a part of the emergency 

response plan and do not meet the training 

requirements, should be made aware of the 

hazards they face and should be provided all 

necessary protective clothing and equipment 

required for their tasks. 

There are two National Fire Protection Association standards, NFPA 472—‘‘Standard 

for Professional Competence of Responders 

to Hazardous Material Incidents’’ and NFPA 

471—‘‘Recommended Practice for Responding 

to Hazardous Material Incidents’’, which are 

excellent resource documents to aid fire departments and other emergency response organizations in developing their training program materials. NFPA 472 provides guidance 

on the skills and knowledge needed for first 

responder awareness level, first responder 

operations level, hazmat technicians, and 

hazmat specialist. It also offers guidance for 

the officer corp who will be in charge of hazardous substance incidents. 

3. Decontamination. Decontamination procedures should be tailored to the specific 

hazards of the site, and may vary in complexity and number of steps, depending on 

the level of hazard and the employee’s exposure to the hazard. Decontamination procedures and PPE decontamination methods 

will vary depending upon the specific substance, since one procedure or method may 


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not work for all substances. Evaluation of 

decontamination methods and procedures 

should be performed, as necessary, to assure 

that employees are not exposed to hazards 

by re-using PPE. References in appendix D 

may be used for guidance in establishing an 

effective decontamination program. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Manual, ‘‘Policy 

Guidance for Response to Hazardous Chemical Releases,’’ U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC (COMDTINST 

M16465.30) is a good reference for establishing 

an effective decontamination program. 

4. Emergency response plans. States, along 

with designated districts within the states, 

will be developing or have developed local 

emergency response plans. These state and 

district plans should be utilized in the emergency response plans called for in the standard. Each employer should assure that its 

emergency response plan is compatible with 

the local plan. The major reference being 

used to aid in developing the state and local 

district plans is the Hazardous Materials 

Emergency Planning Guide, NRT–1. The current Emergency Response Guidebook from 

the U.S. Department of Transportation, 

CMA’s CHEMTREC and the Fire Service 

Emergency Management Handbook may also 

be used as resources. 

Employers involved with treatment, storage, and disposal facilities for hazardous 

waste, which have the required contingency 

plan called for by their permit, would not 

need to duplicate the same planning elements. Those items of the emergency response plan that are properly addressed in 

the contingency plan may be substituted 

into the emergency response plan required in 

1910.120 or otherwise kept together for employer and employee use. 

5. Personal protective equipment programs. 

The purpose of personal protective clothing 

and equipment (PPE) is to shield or isolate 

individuals from the chemical, physical, and 

biologic hazards that may be encountered at 

a hazardous substance site. 

As discussed in appendix B, no single combination of protective equipment and clothing is capable of protecting against all hazards. Thus PPE should be used in conjunction with other protective methods and its 

effectiveness evaluated periodically. 

The use of PPE can itself create significant 

worker hazards, such as heat stress, physical 

and psychological stress, and impaired vision, mobility, and communication. For any 

given situation, equipment and clothing 

should be selected that provide an adequate 

level of protection. However, over-protection, as well as under-protection, can be hazardous and should be avoided where possible. 

Two basic objectives of any PPE program 

should be to protect the wearer from safety 

and health hazards, and to prevent injury to 

the wearer from incorrect use and/or malfunction of the PPE. To accomplish these 

goals, a comprehensive PPE program should 

include hazard identification, medical monitoring, environmental surveillance, selection, use, maintenance, and decontamination 

of PPE and its associated training. 

The written PPE program should include 

policy statements, procedures, and guidelines. Copies should be made available to all 

employees, and a reference copy should be 

made available at the worksite. Technical 

data on equipment, maintenance manuals, 

relevant regulations, and other essential information should also be collected and maintained. 

6. Incident command system (ICS). Paragraph 

1910.120(q)(3)(ii) requires the implementation 

of an ICS. The ICS is an organized approach 

to effectively control and manage operations 

at an emergency incident. The individual in 

charge of the ICS is the senior official responding to the incident. The ICS is not 

much different than the ‘‘command post’’ approach used for many years by the fire service. During large complex fires involving several companies and many pieces of apparatus, a command post would be established. 

This enabled one individual to be in charge of 

managing the incident, rather than having 

several officers from different companies 

making separate, and sometimes conflicting, 

decisions. The individual in charge of the 

command post would delegate responsibility 

for performing various tasks to subordinate 

officers. Additionally, all communications 

were routed through the command post to 

reduce the number of radio transmissions 

and eliminate confusion. However, strategy, 

tactics, and all decisions were made by one 

individual. 

The ICS is a very similar system, except it 

is implemented for emergency response to 

all incidents, both large and small, that involve hazardous substances. 

For a small incident, the individual in 

charge of the ICS may perform many tasks 

of the ICS. There may not be any, or little, 

delegation of tasks to subordinates. For example, in response to a small incident, the 

individual in charge of the ICS, in addition 

to normal command activities, may become 

the safety officer and may designate only 

one employee (with proper equipment) as a 

back-up to provide assistance if needed. 

OSHA does recommend, however, that at 

least two employees be designated as backup personnel since the assistance needed 

may include rescue. 

To illustrate the operation of the ICS, the 

following scenario might develop during a 

small incident, such as an overturned tank 

truck with a small leak of flammable liquid. 

The first responding senior officer would 

implement and take command of the ICS. 

That person would size-up the incident and 

determine if additional personnel and apparatus were necessary; would determine what 


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actions to take to control the leak; and, determine the proper level of personal protective equipment. If additional assistance is 

not needed, the individual in charge of the 

ICS would implement actions to stop and 

control the leak using the fewest number of 

personnel that can effectively accomplish 

the tasks. The individual in charge of the 

ICS then would designate himself as the safety officer and two other employees as a 

back-up in case rescue may become necessary. In this scenario, decontamination 

procedures would not be necessary. 

A large complex incident may require 

many employees and difficult, time-consuming efforts to control. In these situations, the individual in charge of the ICS will 

want to delegate different tasks to subordinates in order to maintain a span of control 

that will keep the number of subordinates, 

that are reporting, to a manageable level. 

Delegation of task at large incidents may 

be by location, where the incident scene is 

divided into sectors, and subordinate officers 

coordinate activities within the sector that 

they have been assigned. 

Delegation of tasks can also be by function. Some of the functions that the individual in charge of the ICS may want to delegate at a large incident are: medical services; evacuation; water supply; resources 

(equipment, apparatus); media relations; 

safety; and, site control (integrate activities 

with police for crowd and traffic control). 

Also for a large incident, the individual in 

charge of the ICS will designate several employees as back-up personnel; and a number 

of safety officers to monitor conditions and 

recommend safety precautions. 

Therefore, no matter what size or complexity an incident may be, by implementing 

an ICS there will be one individual in charge 

who makes the decisions and gives directions; and, all actions, and communications 

are coordinated through one central point of 

command. Such a system should reduce confusion, improve safety, organize and coordinate actions, and should facilitate effective 

management of the incident. 

7. Site Safety and Control Plans. The safety 

and security of response personnel and others in the area of an emergeny response incident site should be of primary concern to the 

incident commander. The use of a site safety 

and control plan could greatly assist those in 

charge of assuring the safety and health of 

employees on the site. 

A comprehensive site safety and control 

plan should include the following: summary 

analysis of hazards on the site and a risk 

analysis of those hazards; site map or 

sketch; site work zones (clean zone, transition or decontamination zone, work or hot 

zone); use of the buddy system; site communications; command post or command center; standard operating procedures and safe 

work practices; medical assistance and 

triage area; hazard monitoring plan (air contaminate monitoring, etc.); decontamination 

procedures and area; and other relevant 

areas. This plan should be a part of the employer’s emergency response plan or an extension of it to the specific site. 

8. Medical surveillance programs. Workers 

handling hazardous substances may be exposed to toxic chemicals, safety hazards, biologic hazards, and radiation. Therefore, a 

medical surveillance program is essential to 

assess and monitor workers’ health and fitness for employment in hazardous waste operations and during the course of work; to 

provide emergency and other treatment as 

needed; and to keep accurate records for future reference. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities developed by the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 

the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Coast Guard 

(USCG), and the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA); October 1985 provides an excellent example of the types of medical testing that should be done as part of a medical 

surveillance program. 

9. New Technology and Spill Containment 

Programs. Where hazardous substances may 

be released by spilling from a container that 

will expose employees to the hazards of the 

materials, the employer will need to implement a program to contain and control the 

spilled material. Diking and ditching, as well 

as use of absorbents like diatomaceous 

earth, are traditional techniques which have 

proven to be effective over the years. However, in recent years new products have come 

into the marketplace, the use of which complement and increase the effectiveness of 

these traditional methods. These new products also provide emergency responders and 

others with additional tools or agents to use 

to reduce the hazards of spilled materials. 

These agents can be rapidly applied over a 

large area and can be uniformly applied or 

otherwise can be used to build a small dam, 

thus improving the workers’ ability to control spilled material. These application techniques enhance the intimate contact between the agent and the spilled material allowing for the quickest effect by the agent or 

quickest control of the spilled material. 

Agents are available to solidify liquid spilled 

materials, to suppress vapor generation from 

spilled materials, and to do both. Some special agents, which when applied as recommended by the manufacturer, will react 

in a controlled manner with the spilled material to neutralize acids or caustics, or 

greatly reduce the level of hazard of the 

spilled material. 

There are several modern methods and devices for use by emergency response personnel or others involved with spill control 

efforts to safely apply spill control agents to 


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control spilled material hazards. These include portable pressurized applicators similar to hand-held portable fire extinguishing 

devices, and nozzle and hose systems similar 

to portable fire fighting foam systems which 

allow the operator to apply the agent without having to come into contact with the 

spilled material. The operator is able to 

apply the agent to the spilled material from 

a remote position. 

The solidification of liquids provides for 

rapid containment and isolation of hazardous substance spills. By directing the 

agent at run-off points or at the edges of the 

spill, the reactant solid will automatically 

create a barrier to slow or stop the spread of 

the material. Clean-up of hazardous substances is greatly improved when solidifying 

agents, acid or caustic neutralizers, or activated carbon adsorbents are used. Properly 

applied, these agents can totally solidify liquid hazardous substances or neutralize or absorb them, which results in materials which 

are less hazardous and easier to handle, 

transport, and dispose of. The concept of 

spill treatment, to create less hazardous substances, will improve the safety and level of 

protection of employees working at spill 

clean-up operations or emergency response 

operations to spills of hazardous substances. 

The use of vapor suppression agents for 

volatile hazardous substances, such as flammable liquids and those substances which 

present an inhalation hazard, is important 

for protecting workers. The rapid and uniform distribution of the agent over the surface of the spilled material can provide quick 

vapor knockdown. There are temporary and 

long-term foam-type agents which are effective on vapors and dusts, and activated carbon adsorption agents which are effective for 

vapor control and soaking-up of the liquid. 

The proper use of hose lines or hand-held 

portable pressurized applicators provides 

good mobility and permits the worker to deliver the agent from a safe distance without 

having to step into the untreated spilled material. Some of these systems can be recharged in the field to provide coverage of 

larger spill areas than the design limits of a 

single charged applicator unit. Some of the 

more effective agents can solidify the liquid 

flammable hazardous substances and at the 

same time elevate the flashpoint above 140 

°F so the resulting substance may be handled 

as a nonhazardous waste material if it meets 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 

40 CFR part 261 requirements (See particularly §261.21). 

All workers performing hazardous substance spill control work are expected to 

wear the proper protective clothing and 

equipment for the materials present and to 

follow the employer’s established standard 

operating procedures for spill control. All involved workers need to be trained in the established operating procedures; in the use 

and care of spill control equipment; and in 

the associated hazards and control of such 

hazards of spill containment work. 

These new tools and agents are the things 

that employers will want to evaluate as part 

of their new technology program. The treatment of spills of hazardous substances or 

wastes at an emergency incident as part of 

the immediate spill containment and control 

efforts is sometimes acceptable to EPA and a 

permit exception is described in 40 CFR 

264.1(g)(8) and 265.1(c)(11). 

APPENDIX D TO §1910.120—REFERENCES

The following references may be consulted 

for further information on the subject of this 

standard: 

1. OSHA Instruction DFO CPL 2.70—January 29, 1986, Special Emphasis Program: Hazardous Waste Sites. 

2. OSHA Instruction DFO CPL 2–2.37A— 

January 29, 1986, Technical Assistance and 

Guidelines for Superfund and Other Hazardous 

Waste Site Activities. 

3. OSHA Instruction DTS CPL 2.74—January 29, 1986, Hazardous Waste Activity Form, 

OSHA 175. 

4. Hazardous Waste Inspections Reference 

Manual, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 

1986. 

5. Memorandum of Understanding Among 

the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration, the United States 

Coast Guard, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Guidance for 

Worker Protection During Hazardous Waste Site 

Investigations and Clean-up and Hazardous 

Substance Emergencies. December 18, 1980. 

6. National Priorities List, 1st Edition, October 1984; U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Revised periodically. 

7. The Decontamination of Response Personnel, Field Standard Operating Procedures 

(F.S.O.P.) 7; U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Office of Emergency and Remedial 

Response, Hazardous Response Support Division, December 1984. 

8. Preparation of a Site Safety Plan, Field 

Standard Operating Procedures (F.S.O.P.) 9; 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, 

Hazardous Response Support Division, April 

1985. 

9. Standard Operating Safety Guidelines; U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 

Emergency and Remedial Response, Hazardous Response Support Division, Environmental Response Team; November 1984. 

10. Occupational Safety and Health Guidance 

Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities, 

National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH), Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. 

Coast Guard (USCG), and Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA); October 1985. 


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11. Protecting Health and Safety at Hazardous Waste Sites: An Overview, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/625/9–85/ 

006; September 1985. 

12. Hazardous Waste Sites and Hazardous 

Substance Emergencies, NIOSH Worker Bulletin, U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Public Health Service, Centers for 

Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; December 1982. 

13. Personal Protective Equipment for Hazardous Materials Incidents: A Selection Guide; 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; October 1984. 

14. Fire Service Emergency Management 

Handbook, International Association of Fire 

Chiefs Foundation, 101 East Holly Avenue, 

Unit 10B, Sterling, VA 22170, January 1985. 

15. Emergency Response Guidebook, U.S Department of Transportation, Washington, 

DC, 1987. 

16. Report to the Congress on Hazardous Materials Training, Planning and Preparedness, 

Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

Washington, DC, July 1986. 

17. Workbook for Fire Command, Alan V. 

Brunacini and J. David Beageron, National 

Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch 

Park, Quincy, MA 02269, 1985. 

18. Fire Command, Alan V. Brunacini, National Fire Protection Association, 

Batterymarch Park,, Quincy, MA 02269, 1985. 

19. Incident Command System, Fire Protection Publications, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, 1983. 

20. Site Emergency Response Planning, Chemical Manufacturers Association, Washington, 

DC 20037, 1986. 

21. Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning 

Guide, NRT–1, Environmental Protection 

Agency, Washington, DC, March 1987. 

22. Community Teamwork: Working Together 

to Promote Hazardous Materials Transportation 

Safety. U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Washington, DC, May 1983. 

23. Disaster Planning Guide for Business and 

Industry, Federal Emergency Management 

Agency, Publication No. FEMA 141, August 

1987. 

(The Office of Management and Budget has 

approved the information collection requirements in this section under control number 

1218–0139) 

APPENDIX E TO §1910.120—TRAINING

CURRICULUM GUIDELINES

The following non-mandatory general criteria may be used for assistance in developing site-specific training curriculum used 

to meet the training requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.120(e); 29 CFR 1910.120(p)(7), (p)(8)(iii); 

and 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6), (q)(7), and (q)(8). 

These are generic guidelines and they are 

not presented as a complete training curriculum for any specific employer. Site-specific training programs must be developed on 

the basis of a needs assessment of the hazardous waste site, RCRA/TSDF, or emergency response operation in accordance with 

29 CFR 1910.120. 

It is noted that the legal requirements are 

set forth in the regulatory text of §1910.120. 

The guidance set forth here presents a highly 

effective program that in the areas covered 

would meet or exceed the regulatory requirements. In addition, other approaches could 

meet the regulatory requirements. 

Suggested General Criteria 

Definitions: 

‘‘Competent’’ means possessing the skills, 

knowledge, experience, and judgment to perform assigned tasks or activities satisfactorily as determined by the employer. 

‘‘Demonstration’’ means the showing by 

actual use of equipment or procedures. 

‘‘Hands-on training’’ means training in a 

simulated work environment that permits 

each student to have experience performing 

tasks, making decisions, or using equipment 

appropriate to the job assignment for which 

the training is being conducted. 

‘‘Initial training’’ means training required 

prior to beginning work. 

‘‘Lecture’’ means an interactive discourse 

with a class lead by an instructor. 

‘‘Proficient’’ means meeting a stated level 

of achievement. 

‘‘Site-specific’’ means individual training 

directed to the operations of a specific job 

site. 

‘‘Training hours’’ means the number of 

hours devoted to lecture, learning activities, 

small group work sessions, demonstration, 

evaluations, or hands-on experience. 

Suggested core criteria: 

1. Training facility. The training facility 

should have available sufficient resources, 

equipment, and site locations to perform didactic and hands-on training when appropriate. Training facilities should have sufficient organization, support staff, and services to conduct training in each of the 

courses offered. 

2. Training Director. Each training program 

should be under the direction of a training 

director who is responsible for the program. 

The Training Director should have a minimum of two years of employee education experience. 

3. Instructors. Instructors should be deem 

competent on the basis of previous documented experience in their area of instruction, successful completion of a ‘‘train-thetrainer’’ program specific to the topics they 

will teach, and an evaluation of instructional competence by the Training Director. 

Instructors should be required to maintain 

professional competency by participating in 


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continuing education or professional development programs or by completing successfully an annual refresher course and having 

an annual review by the Training Director. 

The annual review by the Training Director should include observation of an instructor’s delivery, a review of those observations 

with the trainer, and an analysis of any instructor or class evaluations completed by 

the students during the previous year. 

4. Course materials. The Training Director 

should approve all course materials to be 

used by the training provider. Course materials should be reviewed and updated at least 

annually. Materials and equipment should be 

in good working order and maintained properly. 

All written and audio-visual materials in 

training curricula should be peer reviewed by 

technically competent outside reviewers or 

by a standing advisory committee. 

Reviews should possess expertise in the following disciplines were applicable: occupational health, industrial hygiene and safety, 

chemical/environmental engineering, employee education, or emergency response. 

One or more of the peer reviewers should be 

an employee experienced in the work activities to which the training is directed. 

5. Students. The program for accepting students should include: 

a. Assurance that the student is or will be 

involved in work where chemical exposures 

are likely and that the student possesses the 

skills necessary to perform the work. 

b. A policy on the necessary medical clearance. 

6. Ratios. Student-instructor ratios should 

not exceed 30 students per instructor. Handson activity requiring the use of personal protective equipment should have the following 

student-instructor ratios. For Level C or 

Level D personal protective equipment the 

ratio should be 10 students per instructor. 

For Level A or Level B personal protective 

equipment the ratio should be 5 students per 

instructor. 

7. Proficiency assessment. Proficiency should 

be evaluated and documented by the use of a 

written assessment and a skill demonstration selected and developed by the Training 

Director and training staff. The assessment 

and demonstration should evaluate the 

knowledge and individual skills developed in 

the course of training. The level of minimum 

achievement necessary for proficiency shall 

be specified in writing by the Training Director. 

If a written test is used, there should be a 

minimum of 50 questions. If a written test is 

used in combination with a skills demonstration, a minimum of 25 questions should be 

used. If a skills demonstration is used, the 

tasks chosen and the means to rate successful completion should be fully documented 

by the Training Director. 

The content of the written test or of the 

skill demonstration shall be relevant to the 

objectives of the course. The written test 

and skill demonstration should be updated as 

necessary to reflect changes in the curriculum and any update should be approved 

by the Training Director. 

The proficiency assessment methods, regardless of the approach or combination of 

approaches used, should be justified, documented and approved by the Training Director. 

The proficiency of those taking the additional courses for supervisors should be evaluated and documented by using proficiency 

assessment methods acceptable to the Training Director. These proficiency assessment 

methods must reflect the additional responsibilities borne by supervisory personnel in 

hazardous waste operations or emergency response. 

8. Course certificate. Written documentation 

should be provided to each student who satisfactorily completes the training course. 

The documentation should include: 

a. Student’s name. 

b. Course title. 

c. Course date. 

d. Statement that the student has successfully completed the course. 

e. Name and address of the training provider. 

f. An individual identification number for 

the certificate. 

g. List of the levels of personal protective 

equipment used by the student to complete 

the course. 

This documentation may include a certificate and an appropriate wallet-sized laminated card with a photograph of the student 

and the above information. When such 

course certificate cards are used, the individual identification number for the training 

certificate should be shown on the card. 

9. Recordkeeping. Training providers should 

maintain records listing the dates courses 

were presented, the names of the individual 

course attenders, the names of those students successfully completing each course, 

and the number of training certificates 

issued to each successful student. These 

records should be maintained for a minimum 

of five years after the date an individual participated in a training program offered by 

the training provider. These records should 

be available and provided upon the student’s 

request or as mandated by law. 

10. Program quality control. The Training 

Director should conduct or direct an annual 

written audit of the training program. Program modifications to address deficiencies, if 

any, should be documented, approved, and 

implemented by the training provider. The 

audit and the program modification documents should be maintained at the training 

facility. 


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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.120 

Suggested Program Quality Control Criteria 

Factors listed here are suggested criteria 

for determining the quality and appropriateness of employee health and safety training 

for hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 

A. Training Plan. 

Adequacy and appropriateness of the training program’s curriculum development, instructor training, distribution of course materials, and direct student training should be 

considered, including 

1. The duration of training, course content, 

and course schedules/agendas; 

2. The different training requirements of 

the various target populations, as specified 

in the appropriate generic training curriculum; 

3. The process for the development of curriculum, which includes appropriate technical input, outside review, evaluation, program pretesting. 

4. The adequate and appropriate inclusion 

of hands-on, demonstration, and instruction 

methods; 

5. Adequate monitoring of student safety, 

progress, and performance during the training. 

B. Program management, Training Director, 

staff, and consultants. 

Adequacy and appropriateness of staff performance and delivering an effective training 

program should be considered, including 

1. Demonstration of the training director’s 

leadership in assuring quality of health and 

safety training. 

2. Demonstration of the competency of the 

staff to meet the demands of delivering high 

quality hazardous waste employee health 

and safety training. 

3. Organization charts establishing clear 

lines of authority. 

4. Clearly defined staff duties including the 

relationship of the training staff to the overall program. 

5. Evidence that the training organizational structure suits the needs of the training program. 

6. Appropriateness and adequacy of the 

training methods used by the instructors. 

7. Sufficiency of the time committed by 

the training director and staff to the training program. 

8. Adequacy of the ratio of training staff to 

students. 

9. Availability and commitment of the 

training program of adequate human and 

equipment resources in the areas of 

a. Health effects, 

b. Safety, 

c. Personal protective equipment (PPE), 

d. Operational procedures, 

e. Employee protection practices/procedures. 

10. Appropriateness of management controls. 

11. Adequacy of the organization and appropriate resources assigned to assure appropriate training. 

12. In the case of multiple-site training 

programs, adequacy of satellite centers management. 

C. Training facilities and resources. 

Adequacy and appropriateness of the facilities and resources for supporting the training program should be considered, including, 

1. Space and equipment to conduct the 

training. 

2. Facilities for representative hands-on 

training. 

3. In the case of multiple-site programs, 

equipment and facilities at the satellite centers. 

4. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

quality control and evaluations program to 

account for instructor performance. 

5. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

quality control and evaluation program to 

ensure appropriate course evaluation, feedback, updating, and corrective action. 

6. Adequacy and appropriateness of disciplines and expertise being used within the 

quality control and evaluation program. 

7. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

role of student evaluations to provide feedback for training program improvement. 

D. Quality control and evaluation. 

Adequacy and appropriateness of quality 

control and evaluation plans for training 

programs should be considered, including: 

1. A balanced advisory committee and/or 

competent outside reviewers to give overall 

policy guidance; 

2. Clear and adequate definition of the 

composition and active programmatic role of 

the advisory committee or outside reviewers. 

3. Adequacy of the minutes or reports of 

the advisory committee or outside reviewers’ 

meetings or written communication. 

4. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

quality control and evaluations program to 

account for instructor performance. 

5. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

quality control and evaluation program to 

ensure appropriate course evaluation, feedback, updating, and corrective action. 

6. Adequacy and appropriateness of disciplines and expertise being used within the 

quality control and evaluation program. 

7. Adequacy and appropriateness of the 

role of student evaluations to provide feedback for training program improvement. 

E. Students 

Adequacy and appropriateness of the program for accepting students should be considered, including 

1. Assurance that the student already possess the necessary skills for their job, including necessary documentation. 

2. Appropriateness of methods the program 

uses to ensure that recruits are capable of 

satisfactorily completing training. 


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3. Review and compliance with any medical 

clearance policy. 

F. Institutional Environment and Administrative Support 

The adequacy and appropriateness of the 

institutional environment and administrative support system for the training program 

should be considered, including 

1. Adequacy of the institutional commitment to the employee training program. 

2. Adequacy and appropriateness of the administrative structure and administrative 

support. 

G. Summary of Evaluation Questions 

Key questions for evaluating the quality 

and appropriateness of an overall training 

program should include the following: 

1. Are the program objectives clearly stated? 

2. Is the program accomplishing its objectives? 

3. Are appropriate facilities and staff available? 

4. Is there an appropriate mix of classroom, 

demonstration, and hands-on training? 

5. Is the program providing quality employee health and safety training that fully 

meets the intent of regulatory requirements? 

6. What are the program’s main strengths? 

7. What are the program’s main weaknesses? 

8. What is recommended to improve the 

program? 

9. Are instructors instructing according to 

their training outlines? 

10. Is the evaluation tool current and appropriate for the program content? 

11. Is the course material current and relevant to the target group? 

Suggested Training Curriculum Guidelines 

The following training curriculum guidelines are for those operations specifically 

identified in 29 CFR 1910.120 as requiring 

training. Issues such as qualifications of instructors, training certification, and similar 

criteria appropriate to all categories of operations addressed in 1910.120 have been covered in the preceding section and are not readdressed in each of the generic guidelines. 

Basic core requirements for training programs that are addressed include 

1. General Hazardous Waste Operations 

2. RCRA operations—Treatment, storage, 

and disposal facilities. 

3. Emergency Response. 

A. General Hazardous Waste Operations and 

Site-specific Training 

1. Off-site training.Training course content 

for hazardous waste operations, required by 

29 CFR 1910.120(e), should include the following topics or procedures: 

a. Regulatory knowledge. 

(1) An review of 29 CFR 1910.120 and the 

core elements of an occupational safety and 

health program. 

(2) The content of a medical surveillance 

program as outlined in 29 CFR 1910.120(f). 

(3) The content of an effective site safety 

and health plan consistent with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120(b)(4)(ii). 

(4) Emergency response plan and procedures as outlined in 29 CFR 1910.38 and 29 

CFR 1910.120(l). 

(5) Adequate illumination. 

(6) Sanitation recommendation and equipment. 

(7) Review and explanation of OSHA’s hazard-communication standard (29 CFR 

1910.1200) and lock-out-tag-out standard (29 

CFR 1910.147). 

(8) Review of other applicable standards including but not limited to those in the construction standards (29 CFR part 1926). 

(9) Rights and responsibilities of employers 

and employees under applicable OSHA and 

EPA laws. 

b. Technical knowledge. 

(1) Type of potential exposures to chemical, biological, and radiological hazards; 

types of human responses to these hazards 

and recognition of those responses; principles of toxicology and information about 

acute and chronic hazards; health and safety 

considerations of new technology. 

(2) Fundamentals of chemical hazards including but not limited to vapor pressure, 

boiling points, flash points, ph, other physical and chemical properties. 

(3) Fire and explosion hazards of chemicals. 

(4) General safety hazards such as but not 

limited to electrical hazards, powered equipment hazards, motor vehicle hazards, walking-working surface hazards, excavation hazards, and hazards associated with working in 

hot and cold temperature extremes. 

(5) Review and knowledge of confined space 

entry procedures in 29 CFR 1910.146. 

(6) Work practices to minimize employee 

risk from site hazards. 

(7) Safe use of engineering controls, equipment, and any new relevant safety technology or safety procedures. 

(8) Review and demonstration of competency with air sampling and monitoring 

equipment that may be used in a site monitoring program. 

(9) Container sampling procedures and 

safeguarding; general drum and container 

handling procedures including special requirement for laboratory waste packs, 

shock-sensitive wastes, and radioactive 

wastes. 

(10) The elements of a spill control program. 

(11) Proper use and limitations of material 

handling equipment. 

(12) Procedures for safe and healthful preparation of containers for shipping and transport. 


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(13) Methods of communication including 

those used while wearing respiratory protection. 

c. Technical skills. 

(1) Selection, use maintenance, and limitations of personal protective equipment including the components and procedures for 

carrying out a respirator program to comply 

with 29 CFR 1910.134. 

(2) Instruction in decontamination programs including personnel, equipment, and 

hardware; hands-on training including level 

A, B, and C ensembles and appropriate decontamination lines; field activities including the donning and doffing of protective 

equipment to a level commensurate with the 

employee’s anticipated job function and responsibility and to the degree required by 

potential hazards. 

(3) Sources for additional hazard information; exercises using relevant manuals and 

hazard coding systems. 

d. Additional suggested items. 

(1) A laminated, dated card or certificate 

with photo, denoting limitations and level of 

protection for which the employee is trained 

should be issued to those students successfully completing a course. 

(2) Attendance should be required at all 

training modules, with successful completion of exercises and a final written or oral 

examination with at least 50 questions. 

(3) A minimum of one-third of the program 

should be devoted to hands-on exercises. 

(4) A curriculum should be established for 

the 8-hour refresher training required by 29 

CFR 1910.120(e)(8), with delivery of such 

courses directed toward those areas of previous training that need improvement or reemphasis. 

(5) A curriculum should be established for 

the required 8-hour training for supervisors. 

Demonstrated competency in the skills and 

knowledge provided in a 40-hour course 

should be a prerequisite for supervisor training. 

2. Refresher training. 

The 8-hour annual refresher training required in 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(8) should be conducted by qualified training providers. Refresher training should include at a minimum the following topics and procedures: 

(a) Review of and retraining on relevant 

topics covered in the 40-hour program, as appropriate, using reports by the students on 

their work experiences. 

(b) Update on developments with respect to 

material covered in the 40-hour course. 

(c) Review of changes to pertinent provisions of EPA or OSHA standards or laws. 

(d) Introduction of additional subject areas 

as appropriate. 

(e) Hands-on review of new or altered PPE 

or decontamination equipment or procedures. Review of new developments in personal protective equipment. 

(f) Review of newly developed air and contaminant monitoring equipment. 

3. On-site training. 

a. The employer should provide employees 

engaged in hazardous waste site activities 

with information and training prior to initial assignment into their work area, as follows: 

(1) The requirements of the hazard communication program including the location and 

availability of the written program, required 

lists of hazardous chemicals, and safety data 

sheets. 

(2) Activities and locations in their work 

area where hazardous substance may be 

present. 

(3) Methods and observations that may be 

used to detect the present or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area (such as 

monitoring conducted by the employer, continuous monitoring devices, visual appearances, or other evidence (sight, sound or 

smell) of hazardous chemicals being released, 

and applicable alarms from monitoring devices that record chemical releases. 

(4) The physical and health hazards of substances known or potentially present in the 

work area. 

(5) The measures employees can take to 

help protect themselves from work-site hazards, including specific procedures the employer has implemented. 

(6) An explanation of the labeling system 

and safety data sheets and how employees 

can obtain and use appropriate hazard information. 

(7) The elements of the confined space program including special PPE, permits, monitoring requirements, communication procedures, emergency response, and applicable 

lock-out procedures. 

b. The employer should provide hazardous 

waste employees information and training 

and should provide a review and access to 

the site safety and plan as follows: 

(1) Names of personnel and alternate responsible for site safety and health. 

(2) Safety and health hazards present on 

the site. 

(3) Selection, use, maintenance, and limitations of personal protective equipment 

specific to the site. 

(4) Work practices by which the employee 

can minimize risks from hazards. 

(5) Safe use of engineering controls and 

equipment available on site. 

(6) Safe decontamination procedures established to minimize employee contact with 

hazardous substances, including: 

(A) Employee decontamination, 

(B) Clothing decontamination, and 

(C) Equipment decontamination. 

(7) Elements of the site emergency response plan, including: 

(A) Pre-emergency planning. 

(B) Personnel roles and lines of authority 

and communication. 


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(C) Emergency recognition and prevention. 

(D) Safe distances and places of refuge. 

(E) Site security and control. 

(F) Evacuation routes and procedures. 

(G) Decontamination procedures not covered by the site safety and health plan. 

(H) Emergency medical treatment and first 

aid. 

(I) Emergency equipment and procedures 

for handling emergency incidents. 

c. The employer should provide hazardous 

waste employees information and training 

on personal protective equipment used at the 

site, such as the following: 

(1) PPE to be used based upon known or anticipated site hazards. 

(2) PPE limitations of materials and construction; limitations during temperature 

extremes, heat stress, and other appropriate 

medical considerations; use and limitations 

of respirator equipment as well as documentation procedures as outlined in 29 CFR 

1910.134. 

(3) PPE inspection procedures prior to, 

during, and after use. 

(4) PPE donning and doffing procedures. 

(5) PPE decontamination and disposal procedures. 

(6) PPE maintenance and storage. 

(7) Task duration as related to PPE limitations. 

d. The employer should instruct the employee about the site medical surveillance 

program relative to the particular site, including 

(1) Specific medical surveillance programs 

that have been adapted for the site. 

(2) Specific signs and symptoms related to 

exposure to hazardous materials on the site. 

(3) The frequency and extent of periodic 

medical examinations that will be used on 

the site. 

(4) Maintenance and availability of 

records. 

(5) Personnel to be contacted and procedures to be followed when signs and symptoms of exposures are recognized. 

e. The employees will review and discuss 

the site safety plan as part of the training 

program. The location of the site safety plan 

and all written programs should be discussed 

with employees including a discussion of the 

mechanisms for access, review, and references described. 

B. RCRA Operations Training for Treatment, 

Storage and Disposal Facilities. 

1. As a minimum, the training course required in 29 CFR 1910.120 (p) should include 

the following topics: 

(a) Review of the applicable paragraphs of 

29 CFR 1910.120 and the elements of the employer’s occupational safety and health plan. 

(b) Review of relevant hazards such as, but 

not limited to, chemical, biological, and radiological exposures; fire and explosion hazards; thermal extremes; and physical hazards. 

(c) General safety hazards including those 

associated with electrical hazards, powered 

equipment hazards, lock-out-tag-out procedures, motor vehicle hazards and walkingworking surface hazards. 

(d) Confined-space hazards and procedures. 

(e) Work practices to minimize employee 

risk from workplace hazards. 

(f) Emergency response plan and procedures including first aid meeting the requirements of paragraph (p)(8). 

(g) A review of procedures to minimize exposure to hazardous waste and various type 

of waste streams, including the materials 

handling program and spill containment program. 

(h) A review of hazard communication programs meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.1200. 

(i) A review of medical surveillance programs meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.120(p)(3) including the recognition of 

signs and symptoms of overexposure to hazardous substance including known synergistic interactions. 

(j) A review of decontamination programs 

and procedures meeting the requirements of 

29 CFR 1910.120(p)(4). 

(k) A review of an employer’s requirements 

to implement a training program and its elements. 

(l) A review of the criteria and programs 

for proper selection and use of personal protective equipment, including respirators. 

(m) A review of the applicable appendices 

to 29 CFR 1910.120. 

(n) Principles of toxicology and biological 

monitoring as they pertain to occupational 

health. 

(o) Rights and responsibilities of employees and employers under applicable OSHA 

and EPA laws. 

(p) Hands-on exercises and demonstrations 

of competency with equipment to illustrate 

the basic equipment principles that may be 

used during the performance of work duties, 

including the donning and doffing of PPE. 

(q) Sources of reference, efficient use of 

relevant manuals, and knowledge of hazard 

coding systems to include information contained in hazardous waste manifests. 

(r) At least 8 hours of hands-on training. 

(s) Training in the job skills required for 

an employee’s job function and responsibility before they are permitted to participate in or supervise field activities. 

2. The individual employer should provide 

hazardous waste employees with information 

and training prior to an employee’s initial 

assignment into a work area. The training 

and information should cover the following 

topics: 

(a) The Emergency response plan and procedures including first aid. 

(b) A review of the employer’s hazardous 

waste handling procedures including the materials handling program and elements of the 


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spill containment program, location of spill 

response kits or equipment, and the names of 

those trained to respond to releases. 

(c) The hazardous communication program 

meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 

1910.1200. 

(d) A review of the employer’s medical surveillance program including the recognition 

of signs and symptoms of exposure to relevant hazardous substance including known 

synergistic interactions. 

(e) A review of the employer’s decontamination program and procedures. 

(f) An review of the employer’s training 

program and the parties responsible for that 

program. 

(g) A review of the employer’s personal 

protective equipment program including the 

proper selection and use of PPE based upon 

specific site hazards. 

(h) All relevant site-specific procedures addressing potential safety and health hazards. 

This may include, as appropriate, biological 

and radiological exposures, fire and explosion hazards, thermal hazards, and physical 

hazards such as electrical hazards, powered 

equipment hazards, lock-out-tag-out hazards, motor vehicle hazards, and walkingworking surface hazards. 

(i) Safe use engineering controls and equipment on site. 

(j) Names of personnel and alternates responsible for safety and health. 

C. Emergency response training. 

Federal OSHA standards in 29 CFR 

1910.120(q) are directed toward private sector 

emergency responders. Therefore, the guidelines provided in this portion of the appendix 

are directed toward that employee population. However, they also impact indirectly 

through State OSHA or USEPA regulations 

some public sector emergency responders. 

Therefore, the guidelines provided in this 

portion of the appendix may be applied to 

both employee populations. 

States with OSHA state plans must cover 

their employees with regulations at least as 

effective as the Federal OSHA standards. 

Public employees in states without approved 

state OSHA programs covering hazardous 

waste operations and emergency response 

are covered by the U.S. EPA under 40 CFR 

311, a regulation virtually identical to 

§1910.120. 

Since this is a non-mandatory appendix 

and therefore not an enforceable standard, 

OSHA recommends that those employers, 

employees or volunteers in public sector 

emergency response organizations outside 

Federal OSHA jurisdiction consider the following criteria in developing their own 

training programs. A unified approach to 

training at the community level between 

emergency response organizations covered 

by Federal OSHA and those not covered directly by Federal OSHA can help ensure an 

effective community response to the release 

or potential release of hazardous substances 

in the community. 

a. General considerations. 

Emergency response organizations are required to consider the topics listed in 

§1910.120(q)(6). Emergency response organizations may use some or all of the following 

topics to supplement those mandatory topics 

when developing their response training programs. Many of the topics would require an 

interaction between the response provider 

and the individuals responsible for the site 

where the response would be expected. 

(1) Hazard recognition, including: 

(A) Nature of hazardous substances 

present, 

(B) Practical applications of hazard recognition, including presentations on biology, 

chemistry, and physics. 

(2) Principles of toxicology, biological 

monitoring, and risk assessment. 

(3) Safe work practices and general site 

safety. 

(4) Engineering controls and hazardous 

waste operations. 

(5) Site safety plans and standard operating procedures. 

(6) Decontamination procedures and practices. 

(7) Emergency procedures, first aid, and 

self-rescue. 

(8) Safe use of field equipment. 

(9) Storage, handling, use and transportation of hazardous substances. 

(10) Use, care, and limitations of personal 

protective equipment. 

(11) Safe sampling techniques. 

(12) Rights and responsibilities of employees under OSHA and other related laws concerning right-to-know, safety and health, 

compensations and liability. 

(13) Medical monitoring requirements. 

(14) Community relations. 

b. Suggested criteria for specific courses. 

(1) First responder awareness level. 

(A) Review of and demonstration of competency in performing the applicable skills 

of 29 CFR 1910.120(q). 

(B) Hands-on experience with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) and familiarization 

with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1201. 

(C) Review of the principles and practices 

for analyzing an incident to determine both 

the hazardous substances present and the 

basic hazard and response information for 

each hazardous substance present. 

(D) Review of procedures for implementing 

actions consistent with the local emergency 

response plan, the organization’s standard 

operating procedures, and the current edition of DOT’s ERG including emergency notification procedures and follow-up communications. 

(E) Review of the expected hazards including fire and explosions hazards, confined 

space hazards, electrical hazards, powered 


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equipment hazards, motor vehicle hazards, 

and walking-working surface hazards. 

(F) Awareness and knowledge of the competencies for the First Responder at the 

Awareness Level covered in the National 

Fire Protection Association’s Standard No. 

472, Professional Competence of Responders to 

Hazardous Materials Incidents. 

(2) First responder operations level. 

(A) Review of and demonstration of competency in performing the applicable skills 

of 29 CFR 1910.120(q). 

(B) Hands-on experience with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), manufacturer safety data sheets, CHEMTREC/CANUTEC, shipper or manufacturer contacts, and other relevant sources of information addressing hazardous substance releases. Familiarization 

with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1201. 

(C) Review of the principles and practices 

for analyzing an incident to determine the 

hazardous substances present, the likely behavior of the hazardous substance and its 

container, the types of hazardous substance 

transportation containers and vehicles, the 

types and selection of the appropriate defensive strategy for containing the release. 

(D) Review of procedures for implementing 

continuing response actions consistent with 

the local emergency response plan, the organization’s standard operating procedures, 

and the current edition of DOT’s ERG including extended emergency notification 

procedures and follow-up communications. 

(E) Review of the principles and practice 

for proper selection and use of personal protective equipment. 

(F) Review of the principles and practice of 

personnel and equipment decontamination. 

(G) Review of the expected hazards including fire and explosions hazards, confined 

space hazards, electrical hazards, powered 

equipment hazards, motor vehicle hazards, 

and walking-working surface hazards. 

(H) Awareness and knowledge of the competencies for the First Responder at the Operations Level covered in the National Fire 

Protection Association’s Standard No. 472, 

Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents. 

(3) Hazardous materials technician. 

(A) Review of and demonstration of competency in performing the applicable skills 

of 29 CFR 1910.120(q). 

(B) Hands-on experience with written and 

electronic information relative to response 

decision making including but not limited to 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), manufacturer safety data sheets, CHEMTREC/ 

CANUTEC, shipper or manufacturer contacts, computer data bases and response 

models, and other relevant sources of information addressing hazardous substance releases. Familiarization with OSHA standard 

29 CFR 1910.1201. 

(C) Review of the principles and practices 

for analyzing an incident to determine the 

hazardous substances present, their physical 

and chemical properties, the likely behavior 

of the hazardous substance and its container, 

the types of hazardous substance transportation containers and vehicles involved in 

the release, the appropriate strategy for approaching release sites and containing the 

release. 

(D) Review of procedures for implementing 

continuing response actions consistent with 

the local emergency response plan, the organization’s standard operating procedures, 

and the current edition of DOT’s ERG including extended emergency notification 

procedures and follow-up communications. 

(E) Review of the principles and practice 

for proper selection and use of personal protective equipment. 

(F) Review of the principles and practices 

of establishing exposure zones, proper decontamination and medical surveillance stations and procedures. 

(G) Review of the expected hazards including fire and explosions hazards, confined 

space hazards, electrical hazards, powered 

equipment hazards, motor vehicle hazards, 

and walking-working surface hazards. 

(H) Awareness and knowledge of the competencies for the Hazardous Materials Technician covered in the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard No. 472, Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous 

Materials Incidents. 

(4) Hazardous materials specialist. 

(A) Review of and demonstration of competency in performing the applicable skills 

of 29 CFR 1910.120(q). 

(B) Hands-on experience with retrieval and 

use of written and electronic information 

relative to response decision making including but not limited to the U.S. Department 

of Transportation’s Emergency Response 

Guidebook (ERG), manufacturer safety data 

sheets, CHEMTREC/CANUTEC, shipper or 

manufacturer contacts, computer data bases 

and response models, and other relevant 

sources of information addressing hazardous 

substance releases. Familiarization with 

OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1201. 

(C) Review of the principles and practices 

for analyzing an incident to determine the 

hazardous substances present, their physical 

and chemical properties, and the likely behavior of the hazardous substance and its 

container, vessel, or vehicle. 

(D) Review of the principles and practices 

for identification of the types of hazardous 

substance transportation containers, vessels 

and vehicles involved in the release; selecting and using the various types of equipment 

available for plugging or patching transportation containers, vessels or vehicles; organizing and directing the use of multiple 

teams of hazardous material technicians and 


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selecting the appropriate strategy for approaching release sites and containing or 

stopping the release. 

(E) Review of procedures for implementing 

continuing response actions consistent with 

the local emergency response plan, the organization’s standard operating procedures, including knowledge of the available public 

and private response resources, establishment of an incident command post, direction 

of hazardous material technician teams, and 

extended emergency notification procedures 

and follow-up communications. 

(F) Review of the principles and practice 

for proper selection and use of personal protective equipment. 

(G) Review of the principles and practices 

of establishing exposure zones and proper decontamination, monitoring and medical surveillance stations and procedures. 

(H) Review of the expected hazards including fire and explosions hazards, confined 

space hazards, electrical hazards, powered 

equipment hazards, motor vehicle hazards, 

and walking-working surface hazards. 

(I) Awareness and knowledge of the competencies for the Off-site Specialist Employee covered in the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard No. 472, Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous 

Materials Incidents. 

(5) Incident commander. 

The incident commander is the individual 

who, at any one time, is responsible for and 

in control of the response effort. This individual is the person responsible for the direction and coordination of the response effort. 

An incident commander’s position should be 

occupied by the most senior, appropriately 

trained individual present at the response 

site. Yet, as necessary and appropriate by 

the level of response provided, the position 

may be occupied by many individuals during 

a particular response as the need for greater 

authority, responsibility, or training increases. It is possible for the first responder 

at the awareness level to assume the duties 

of incident commander until a more senior 

and appropriately trained individual arrives 

at the response site. 

Therefore, any emergency responder expected to perform as an incident commander 

should be trained to fulfill the obligations of 

the position at the level of response they will 

be providing including the following: 

(A) Ability to analyze a hazardous substance incident to determine the magnitude 

of the response problem. 

(B) Ability to plan and implement an appropriate response plan within the capabilities of available personnel and equipment. 

(C) Ability to implement a response to favorably change the outcome of the incident 

in a manner consistent with the local emergency response plan and the organization’s 

standard operating procedures. 

(D) Ability to evaluate the progress of the 

emergency response to ensure that the response objectives are being met safely, effectively, and efficiently. 

(E) Ability to adjust the response plan to 

the conditions of the response and to notify 

higher levels of response when required by 

the changes to the response plan. 

[54 FR 9317, Mar. 6, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 

14073, Apr. 13, 1990; 56 FR 15832, Apr. 18, 1991; 

59 FR 43270, Aug. 22, 1994; 61 FR 9238, Mar. 7, 

1996; 67 FR 67964, Nov. 7, 2002; 71 FR 16672, 

Apr. 3, 2006; 76 FR 80738, Dec. 27, 2011; 77 FR 

17776, Mar. 26, 2012; 78 FR 9313, Feb. 8, 2013] 

§ 1910.121 [Reserved] 

DIPPING AND COATING OPERATIONS

SOURCE: 64 FR 13909, Mar. 23, 1999, unless 

otherwise noted. 

§ 1910.122 Table of contents. 

This section lists the paragraph 

headings contained in §§1910.123 

through 1910.126. 

§1910.123 Dipping and coating operations: 

Coverage and definitions. 

(a) Does this rule apply to me? 

(b) What operations are covered? 

(c) What operations are not covered? 

(d) How are terms used in §§1910.123 

through 1910.126 defined? 

§1910.124 General requirements for dipping and 

coating operations. 

(a) What construction requirements apply 

to dip tanks? 

(b) What ventilation requirements apply to 

vapor areas? 

(c) What requirements must I follow to recirculate exhaust air into the workplace? 

(d) What must I do when I use an exhaust 

hood? 

(e) What requirements must I follow when 

an employee enters a dip tank? 

(f) What first-aid procedures must my employees know? 

(g) What hygiene facilities must I provide? 

(h) What treatment and first aid must I 

provide? 

(i) What must I do before an employee 

cleans a dip tank? 

(j) What must I do to inspect and maintain 

my dipping or coating operation? 

§1910.125 Additional requirements for dipping 

and coating operations that use flammable or 

combustible liquids. 

(a) What type of construction material 

must be used in making my dip tank? 

(b) When must I provide overflow piping? 

(c) When must I provide a bottom drain? 


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