Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
Abatement Worker, Asbestos Abatement Worker, Asbestos Worker, Hazmat Technician (Hazardous Materials Technician)
What they do:
Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.
On the job, you would:
- Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
- Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
- Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.
Knowledge
Safety and Government
- public safety and security
- law and government
Business
- customer service
- management
Education and Training
- teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Skills
Basic Skills
- keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
- thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Abilities
Ideas and Logic
- notice when problems happen
- use rules to solve problems
Verbal
- listen and understand what people say
- communicate by speaking
Hand and Finger Use
- keep your arm or hand steady
- hold or move items with your hands
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Stress Tolerance
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Perseverance
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology
Data base user interface and query software
- Database software
- Xactware Xactimate
Education
Education: (rated 1 of 4)
no high school diploma/GED or
high school diploma/GED
usually needed
high school diploma/GED
usually needed
Job Outlook
Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Explore More
- Highway Maintenance Workers
- Recycling & Reclamation Workers
- Refuse & Recyclable Material Collectors
- Septic Tank Servicers & Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about Hazardous Materials Removal Workers.