Basic Health and Safety Training  

OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard 29 CFR 1910.120 calls for all personnel involved with an emergency deployment to be trained on certain items pertinent to health and safety. The amount and level of training required is dependent on the tasks the employee will perform and the risks associated with these tasks.

To assure the health and safety of all APHIS team members and to assure compliance with 29 CFR 1910, all APHIS personnel working a deployment (including temporary employees) will receive the following training:

• Hazard Communication
• How to report an injury
• Emergency Communication
• Evacuation Procedure
• Shelter in Place
• The relevant sections of this HASP (ex. Medical Monitoring)

The information in this HASP, the Deployment Work Plan and other sources (ex. MRPBS Emergency Responder Manual) will be used to develop the final curriculum of the training.

Personnel involved in fieldwork may require additional training including:

• Recognition of Permit Required Confined Spaces
• PPE Use (inspection, donning, doffing and disposal)
• Fire Extinguisher use
• Defensive Driving
• Material Handling
• Job task training
• The personnel will also be trained on the JHAs appropriate for their tasks (see section 3) and on specific site procedures.
• In addition to the above, APHIS Field Team members that investigate chemical contamination and who perform field activities associated with hazardous chemicals must have completed the initial 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations training course (as required by OSHA regulations, 29 CFR 1910.120), and an annual 8-hour refresher course within the past 12 months.

APHIS Supervisors and Managers must also be trained on:

• The reporting of employee injuries (for Worker’s Compensation)
• Managers and supervisors directly responsible for hazardous substance emergency activities must complete an 8-hour Supervisor Training course in addition to the 40-hour basic course and 8-hour refresher course.
• Any additional roles called for Supervisors in other sections of this HASP

 
The Incident Safety Officer will decide on the training needed for the various personnel involved with the deployment.

Training certificates for all personnel (including subcontractors), performing activities must be maintained in the project file.

Training need not be repeated if the employee can provide documentation that they have received equivalent training during the past 12 months. Each employee will be given training on site-specific elements prior to beginning work at the site. As part of the site-specific training session, the Safety Officer will conduct a Health and Safety (H&S) briefing covering the major items found in this HASP and the Work plan. All personnel directly working in or supporting site operations must be briefed prior to reporting for work.

The Safety Officer will establish the training delivery and tracking system. Records will be kept of all the training delivered.

Training and briefings will be conducted before job start-up and as needed.

The Safety Officer will initiate training prior to job start-up to ensure that employees have a thorough understanding of the HASP, standard operating procedures, and physical and chemical hazards of the affected area.
This training will be conducted as necessary as new employees are involved with the deployment.