Gulf Spill Update: OSHA Complains About Cleanup Training; De Facto Drilling Ban Remains

Brandon Stewart / July 09, 2010

As newly-hired workers race to clean up the Gulf, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has raised concerns that workers hired by BP are not receiving the exact amount of hours of training OSHA recommends. There are a number of training courses, including the “hazardous waste operation and emergency response standard” or HAZWOPER, which OSHA has said is only required for supervisors. But according to The Press-Register, contractors have been giving all who sign up the 40-hour HAZWOPER course. Despite the fact that OSHA’s own guidelines state that workers on boats require eight hours of cleanup and those performing beach cleanup require just four hours, OSHA has complained that some workers might not be getting the full hours and that some classes may have more than the recommended 30 students per class.

These complaints come as Thad Allen, National Incident Commander, revealed yesterday that cleanup efforts were delayed by more than a month so that decisions could be made on how to use all the boats which had enlisted in the cleanup effort. (more…)