OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER 29 CFR 1910.120, 1926.65, EPA 40 CFR 311), aims at preventing or minimizing worker exposure to hazards during operations and emergency response to unplanned events such as releases or spills. It mandates training for various categories of workers including the First Responder. First Responder is a person who is among the first ones to appear at the scene of a release event. The First Responder could be ANY worker at the facility, including operations, maintenance, contractors, and office workers including, for example, IT, HR and accounting group. The central reasoning behind requiring training for the First Responder is that with appropriate training he/she (First Responder) can QUICKLY relay crucial information about the release event to the HAZOWOPER team. With that information, the team can swiftly deploy appropriate equipment and respond to the event. The thrust of the response is to take SAFE AND QUICK action so that the release event can be prevented from turning into a major consequence. HAZWOPER requires the regulated entities to have systems and trained people in place so that any release event can be contained safety and quickly.
Beyond regulatory compliance with HAZWOPER, there are practical considerations as well: Events if not arrested quickly lead to major consequence in terms of loss of life, environmental degradation, tarnished image of your company, and potential litigation. Almost after each major incident companies have faced litigations which put heavy stress on company resources. Still, ALL companies have the central goal to protect workers and environment.