High School

While still in high school, aspiring hazardous waste management technicians should take math and science, including biology, earth sciences, physics, and chemistry. To hone your communication skills, you also should take English, speech, and writing.

Postsecondary Training

In the past, hazardous waste management technicians could find plenty of work with only a high school diploma. Hazardous waste management is becoming an increasingly sophisticated field, however, because of tighter regulations and advances in cleanup technology. More and more, a two-year diploma or degree in hazardous waste management is becoming important for many positions.

There are hundreds of choices for those interested in pursuing postsecondary training in hazardous waste management. Options include community colleges, technical colleges, vocational institutes, and college outreach programs. Students should make sure the school is accredited and talk to the people in the career services office to find out where graduates have gone on to work.

Whether or not a degree is required depends on the task, the company, and the nature of the problem. For some field or monitoring work, two-year degrees may be needed. Some of these jobs involve sophisticated work like chemical analyses or working under protocols.

On the other hand, other technicians are essentially moving waste, like forklift drivers, warehouse workers, or drivers. They will get some particular training or instruction from the company, but generally don't need a degree.

Experts see a trend toward higher educational requirements for environmental technicians. This is especially true in hazardous waste management. In this area, technical degrees, even graduate degrees, tend to be valued more than in some other areas, such as solid waste handling.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education is provided by employers and through state and local waste management associations. Some employers pay for workshops run in-house by the National Environmental Health Association and government agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These workshops educate employees about such topics as emergency response, Superfund regulations, and emerging technologies.

Certification or Licensing

Hazardous waste management technicians can earn the registered environmental health specialist/registered sanitarian certification from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management offers the certified hazardous materials practitioner, certified hazardous materials manager, certified dangerous goods professional, and the student certified hazardous materials manager credentials. The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists offers several certification credentials that focus on the measurement and mitigation of radon. Contact these organizations for more information.

some employers pay for workshops that are run in-house by the NEHA, other associations, or government agencies (such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA), to update their employees on such topics as emergency response, Superfund regulations, and emerging technologies.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that emergency and disaster response hazardous waste management workers and treatment, storage, and disposal workers must be licensed by OSHA.

 

 

Participating in an internship during college will be provide useful experience. To work at some nuclear facilities, hazardous waste management technicians need at least two years of related work experience.

Hazardous waste management technicians work with toxic and volatile materials. To ensure their own safety, and that of others, they must be extremely alert and accurate. They also must be able to follow orders. Some, but not all, positions require technical and scientific aptitude. Hazardous waste management technicians usually work in teams, so they must be able to cooperate and communicate well with others. Good reasoning skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to respond to unexpected conditions are also important.

Technicians must be rule followers, and they must be careful listeners. Regulations drive this industry; there are standards and guidelines that must be followed for every part of the hazardous waste management technician's job. If a standard requires the hazardous waste management technician to collect a half-liter sample, he or she must get exactly that. When hazardous waste management technicians do not follow regulations, the price can be high. They can cost their employers or clients a great deal of money in fines, or, worse, they can endanger their lives and the lives of others. Good technicians also must be flexible, able to spot problems, and able to think quickly on their feet.