1. HAZWOPER
Operations Level

2. Responsibilities
First responders at the operations level must be able to respond to releases of hazardous substances 1a

3. Responsibilities
They respond in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release 1b

4. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Performing the applicable skills of 29 CFR (q)
Understanding the information provided in 29 CFR 1c

5. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Hands-on experience with relevant sources of information that addresses hazardous substance releases 1d

6. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Analyzing an incident to determine the presence of hazardous substances 1e

7. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Determining the physical and chemical properties of a substance and its container 1f

8. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Determining the types of hazardous substance transportation containers involved in a release 1g

9. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Implementing continuing response actions consistent with the local emergency response plan 1h

10. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Selecting the proper PPE 1i

11. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
Personnel and equipment decontamination
Understanding the potential hazards of a hazardous release site 1j

12. Responsibilities
First responders must be able to demonstrate a competency in:
The information provided in NFPA’s standard number 472 1k

13. Training
First responders at the operations level must have achieved first responder awareness competency 2a

14. Must have at least 8 hours of training, or:
Knowledge of the basic hazard and risk assessment techniques
Knowledge of selecting PPE
An understanding of basic hazardous materials terms 2b

15. Must have at least 8 hours of training, or:
Ability to perform basic control, containment, and confinement operations
Knowledge of how to implement basic decontamination procedures 2c

16. Must have at least 8 hours of training, or:
An understanding of the relevant standard operating procedures and termination procedures 2d

17. Types of hazards a first responder may encounter
Chemical exposure
Fire and explosion
Oxygen deficiency
Ionizing radiation 3a

18. Types of hazards a first responder may encounter
Biological hazards
Safety hazards
Electrical hazards
Heat stress 3b

19. Types of hazards a first responder may encounter
Cold exposure
Noise
Confined space entry hazards 3c

20. Routes for chemical exposure
The majority of toxic substances enter the body through breathing
Other means include absorption, ingestion, and injection 4a

21. Routes for chemical exposure
Chemical exposures are divided into two groups:
Acute
Chronic 4b

22. Routes for chemical exposure
Symptoms from acute exposures occur during or shortly after exposure to a high concentration
Symptoms from chronic exposures occur over longer periods of time after exposures to low concentrations 4c

23. Personal protective equipment
PPE shields and isolates individuals from chemical, physical, and biological hazards 5a

24. Personal protective equipment
Types of PPE include:
respiratory equipment
protective clothing
boots
gloves 5b

25. Personal protective equipment
No single combination of PPE is capable of protecting against all hazards 5c