Hazmat clean-up should be performed by qualified contractors

about the contractor and his experience and training.

On some occasions, after listening to the contractor’s claims, my department has sought a second opinion on the cleanup plan by conferring with someone we trust, such as a local chemist or a representative from the state environmental regulatory agency. Remember that if anything goes bad during the cleanup, first responders are the ones who will have to deal with the aftermath, and your community will pay the ultimate price for a cleanup catastrophe that lasts long after the contractor is gone.

Contractor employee training

First responders should know that all contractor personnel working at the site have sufficient training that allows them to legally work in a hazardous environment. Most often this requires training that meets the requirements of OSHA standard 1910.120 (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response). It is also important to determine whether contractor employees have received the required annual refresher training. Workers employed by a cleanup contractor could be working at the scene along with first responders, so you want to make sure everyone knows what they are doing.

De Lisi writes that during some incidents, his team has requested that the cleanup contractor provide the team with copies of training certificates for every one of its employees on site. Because these documents are usually stored in an office, someone there would likely need to fax the copies to the scene. If a mobile fax machine is not available, however, you will need to provide the contractor with a fax number at a remote site (such as a firehouse or police station) and then have some means to bring these copies to you. Remember that if you are not sure what minimum training is required for contractor employees, do not hesitate to contact your state occupational safety office for advice. Representatives from this office may even decide to visit the site to ensure that all cleanup operations are conducted in accordance with applicable regulations.

Get to know contractors in your area.

One way to avoid problems associated with “negligent hiring” of a contractor is to get to know the contractors who work in your area. Besides learning about the companies’ experience in dealing with various types of cleanup, you can determine the type of equipment they have available. Rather than just have a contractor representative stop by the fire station to deliver a glossy company brochure, consider a joint training session. Just like first responders, contractor employees require initial field training and annual refresher training to meet OSHA certification requirements. Bringing equipment and personnel together from the contractor and the hazardous materials team for a mock cleanup drill allows you to develop working relationships with field supervisors and their personnel and to see their equipment in action.