Free Online Course

Wastewater Safety Fundamentals

Learn to recognize what can hurt you before work starts, and the controls, equipment and habits that keep wastewater crews safe.

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Time
About 70 minutes
Certificate
1.0 hour of completion
Credit
Not yet approved for continuing education credit
Price
Free
Format
72 narrated pages, checks and a final
Built by
A working wastewater operator (Washington Group III)

Who It's For

Wastewater operators at any level and people studying to become operators. No experience needed.

What You'll Learn

  • Check hazards and controls before a job starts, and stop to reassess when conditions change.
  • Choose PPE for the task and protect yourself from germs, sharps and exposures.
  • Read labels and safety data sheets, and store, deliver and clean up chemicals safely.
  • Explain air hazards such as hydrogen sulfide, low oxygen and flammable atmospheres, and how gas monitors and ventilation help.
  • Describe confined-space permits, isolation, the entrant and attendant, retrieval and rescue planning.
  • Describe lockout/tagout, stored energy, machine guards, electrical boundaries and hot work.
  • Recognize fall, ladder, lifting, suspended-load, traffic and weather hazards.
  • Prepare for fires, medical emergencies and lone work, and report incidents and near misses.

The course does not replace your employer’s safety program.

What's Inside

  1. Safe Work Starts Before the Task 9 pages
    • Welcome
    • Hazard and Risk
    • Stop and Look
    • Hierarchy of Controls
    • Job Hazard Review
    • Roles and Authority
    • Changes Matter
    • Near Misses
    • Checkpoint
  2. PPE, Hygiene, and Biological Hazards 9 pages
    • PPE Selection
    • Eye and Face
    • Gloves
    • Protective Clothing
    • Hygiene
    • Sharps
    • Exposure Response
    • Vaccination and Health
    • Checkpoint
  3. Chemical Safety 9 pages
    • Know the Chemical
    • Labels and SDS
    • Incompatible Chemicals
    • Chemical Delivery
    • Secondary Containment
    • Eyewash and Shower
    • Small Spill
    • Gas Release
    • Checkpoint
  4. Air Hazards and Gas Monitoring 9 pages
    • Air Can Change
    • Hydrogen Sulfide
    • Oxygen
    • Flammable Atmosphere
    • Gas Monitors
    • Test the Space
    • Ventilation
    • Respirators
    • Checkpoint
  5. Confined Spaces 9 pages
    • Confined Space
    • Permit Space
    • Isolate the Space
    • Entrant
    • Attendant
    • Retrieval System
    • Rescue Plan
    • End the Entry
    • Checkpoint
  6. Hazardous Energy and Electrical Safety 9 pages
    • Energy Sources
    • LOTO Steps
    • Stored Energy
    • Group Lockout
    • Machine Guards
    • Electrical Boundaries
    • Extension Cords
    • Hot Work
    • Checkpoint
  7. Falls, Lifting, Traffic, and Physical Hazards 9 pages
    • Walking Surfaces
    • Open Water
    • Ladders
    • Fall Protection
    • Safe Lifting
    • Suspended Loads
    • Vehicles and Traffic
    • Heat, Cold, and Weather
    • Checkpoint
  8. Emergency Readiness and Safety Culture 9 pages
    • Emergency Action Plan
    • Fire Response
    • Medical Emergency
    • Lone Work
    • Security
    • Incident Reports
    • Drills and Training
    • Safety Culture
    • Final Checkpoint

Sample Page

Hazard and Risk

A rotating shaft is a hazard. Its risk rises when the guard is missing and a worker reaches nearby. Chlorine is a hazard. Its risk changes with the amount, container, ventilation, work method, and chance of exposure.

Operators control risk by changing the condition before beginning. Stop equipment, install a guard, isolate pressure, improve ventilation, block traffic, or use a safer tool. Personal protective equipment is important, but it is not the only control.

Ask two simple questions: What can go wrong, and what will prevent it? Include changes that could happen during the job. Rain, a pump start, a delivery truck, or another worker opening a valve can change the risk.

Think about who could be harmed. The worker doing the task is not the only person at risk. A chemical splash, dropped object, moving vehicle, or unexpected discharge can reach another operator, contractor, visitor, or member of the public. Controls must protect everyone in the area.

What to remember: A hazard can cause harm; risk describes how likely and severe that harm may be.

Questions

Does This Course Count Toward My Renewal?

Not yet. A course counts toward your continuing education credit only after your state approves it, and this one is not approved yet. This page will say which states approve it once they do.

Do I Need an Account?

Yes, to take the course. Signing in lets us record your time and issue your certificate. This page, the topic pages and the practice questions need no account.

Can I Skip Ahead?

No. Each page has a minimum time before the next one opens, and your time is recorded.

What Do I Get When I Finish?

A certificate of completion from Operator Master for 1.0 hour, once you pass the final with 80% or better. Your operator certificate or license always comes from your state, not from Operator Master.

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