Hazardous Materials Technician (Hazardous Materials Tech)
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthDescription
Respond to and mitigate hazardous materials releases by identifying, containing, collecting, packaging, and transporting hazardous substances. Perform field monitoring and sampling, operate decontamination and containment systems, and document compliance under the direction of an incident commander, environmental engineer, or industrial hygienist.
- • Record monitoring data and prepare incident and waste management reports, logs, and charts.
- • Collect samples of hazardous liquids, soils, vapors, and unknown substances for laboratory analysis.
- • Develop or update site safety plans, standard operating procedures, and decontamination protocols.
- • Provide technical assistance to agencies, facility staff, and the public on hazardous materials safety and compliance.
- • Calibrate and function-test gas detectors, PID/FID instruments, pH meters, and radiation meters.
- • Recommend actions to control or eliminate hazardous conditions during spill or release incidents.
- • Inspect hazardous material storage areas, waste accumulation points, and transfer operations for compliance.
- • Prepare samples and complete chain-of-custody documentation for testing and analysis.
- • Calculate quantities of neutralizing agents, absorbents, overpack capacity, or ventilation rates for mitigation.
- • Implement site control zones, isolation distances, and facility shutdowns when hazards are present.
- • Select and apply decontamination solutions and methods for personnel, equipment, and affected areas.
- • Communicate test results and cleanup progress with clients, regulators, and incident command.
- • Maintain hazardous waste inventories, manifests, SDS files, equipment maintenance logs, and site maps.
- • Analyze air monitoring trends to assess exposure, plume behavior, and re-entry criteria.
- • Set up air monitoring stations, containment, diking, booms, and negative-air or scrubber systems to control releases.
- • Prepare waste profiles, shipping papers, labels, and cleanup plans in accordance with EPA and DOT rules.
- • Inspect workplaces for hazardous atmospheres, incompatible chemical storage, and other exposure hazards.
- • Measure VOCs, LEL, oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, pH, and other indicators to determine concentrations and exposure risk.
- • Identify unknowns using field test kits, compatibility testing, and portable instrumentation.
- • Don, inspect, and maintain PPE, including Level A/B ensembles and SCBA.
- • Evaluate environmental and health impacts of spills and recommend mitigation or remediation steps.
- • Develop or support facility hazardous waste and spill prevention programs.
- • Monitor performance of containment, ventilation, filtration, and scrubber systems for regulatory compliance.
- • Respond to and investigate spills, leaks, illicit discharges, or hazardous conditions, collecting samples as needed.
- • Lead or support decontamination line operations and coordinate field team activities.
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
