With a bachelor of science from the University of Buffalo in New York, Keith Walter Pillich studied toxicology and safety management before receiving his industrial hygiene associate degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. Currently working at Vlado Engineering as an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) specialist and manager, Keith W. Pillich is also a licensed HAZWOPER trainer.
The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, also known as HAZWOPER, presents standards that the construction industry can use to appropriately respond to a threat of a hazardous substance release that can pose health and safety risks to workers. Workers in cleanup operations, for instance, are responsible for removing, neutralizing, containing, stabilizing, or handling in any way hazardous substances to make the unstable hazardous waste sites safe for others in that environment. For these workers in cleanup operations, the HAZWOPER standard requires that the employer has a defined safety and health program implemented, where work practices, procedures, and policies help workers who conduct cleanup work or hazardous waste operations.
Also, HAZWOPER requires training for workers, including site managers, supervisors, and other employees, before engaging in hazardous waste operations. Workers who are likely to be overexposed to these substances should have access to health monitoring that detects medical conditions that could harm them. A medical examination is required before the assignment, every 12 months, immediately after reporting symptoms that may indicate overexposure, at the termination of employment, and on other occasions.
