HAZWOPER Training

(HAZardous Waste OPerations and Emergency Response)

 

people in a lab

Students participating in the January 2022 HAZWOPER certification course

The 2025 course will be held January 13 – 17. See below for application instructions.

HAZWOPER certification is required for many types of geoscience jobs.  Most geoscientists never have to use their HAZWOPER training, but to work on many geoscience job sites you need to know what to do in case there is an emergency.  The training is designed for workers who are involved in clean-up operations, emergency response operations, and the storage, disposal, or treatment of hazardous substances or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Although most geoscience jobs do not include these tasks as a regular part of the job, it is good to be prepared for emergencies.

Having your HAZWOPER certification can give you a big leg up in the job search for either internships or permanent employment.  Employers appreciate that they do not have to provide this training for you, and you are “job-ready” on Day 1.

The LET’S GEO program is providing the 40-hour HAZWOPER training to UWM Geosciences students during one week over winter break (January). The training is free to you, and has a value of about $500. This cost is covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Eligibility

Until Nov. 1, priority admission will be given to Geosciences undergraduate majors and graduate students.  After that, spots may be made available to other UWM students.

How to Apply

The course will be held from January 13-17 2025, Monday – Friday, 8 hours per day. 

To apply, send an e-mail to paradisc@uwm.edu with the subject line: “HAZWOPER APP: Your Last Name, Your First Name Initial” with answers to the following questions in the body of the e-mail

  1. Are you currently employed in work that may require HAZWOPER?
  2. Are you planning to be employed in work that may require HAZWOPER?
  3. What semester and year do you plan to graduate?
  4. Can you fully commit to attending this 5-day, 8 hour per day course?
  5. Do you already have 40-hr training and need only 8-hr refresher?

If you are unsure whether this course is right for you, please contact your advisor or any member of the LET’S GEO team (Drs. Czeck, Bowles, McHenry, McCoy, Paradis, and Rob Graziano)