Hazmat Technician: Biohazard Waste & Incident Response

ASRC Federal; Town of Southold (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

ASRC Federal Field Services, a subsidiary of ASRC Federal Holding Company, seeks a HAZMAT Technician for the Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center in Plum Island, NY. The role supports operations and maintenance, handling hazardous materials and ensuring regulatory compliance in an industrial lab setting.

You will perform inspections, maintain waste areas, assist in material movement, and participate in emergency response activities.

Qualifications

• HS Diploma or GED required.
• Knowledge of environmental compliance and hazardous waste operations.
• Understanding of chemical composition, structure and disposal methods.
• Ability to apply industry knowledge to determine suitable methods for tasks.

Responsibilities

• Support operations and maintenance at the research facility.
• Handle storage, use and movement of hazardous materials as part of a team or independently.
• Ensure regulatory compliance within all tasks.
• Coordinate and assist in movement of hazardous materials and waste.
• Perform laboratory and facility inspections and maintain logs/records.
• Respond to HAZMAT incidents and participate in emergency response activities.

Skills

Hazardous materials handling

Environmental compliance

Chemical knowledge

Industry knowledge application

Education

HS Diploma or GED

Job description

ASRC Federal Field Services, a Subsidiary of ASRC Federal Holding Company, is currently seeking a HAZMAT Technician at the Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center, located on Plum Island, NY. (1.5 nautical miles off North Fork of Long Island & 6 nautical miles off coast of Old Saybrook, CT). Marine transportation furnished by Government provided ferry.

Key Role Responsibilities:

• Provide support to operations and maintenance functions at research facility.
• Work as a team member or independently on a variety of tasks related to the storage, use and movement of hazardous materials.
• Ensure regulatory compliance within these tasks.
• Apply industry-based knowledge in the application of these duties.
• Comply with federal, state and local codes and regulations.
• Work is performed at a facility with multiple utilities and structures in an industrial setting.
• Perform laboratory and facility inspections.
• Maintain satellite accumulation areas and waste marshaling area.
• Maintain regulated medical waste storage area.
• Perform sampling and coordinate diagnostics of hazardous materials.
• Maintain applicable logs, records and manifests as required.
• Coordinate and assist in movement of hazardous materials.
• Survey hazardous materials incidents to identify or classify unknown materials, and to verify the presence and concentrations of hazardous materials with monitoring equipment.
• Collect and interpret hazard and response information from technical resources and monitoring equipment.
• Plan a response within the capabilities of available personnel, personal protective equipment, and control equipment by completing the following tasks:
• Identify the response objectives for hazardous materials incidents.
• Identify the potential action options available by response objective.
• Work independently or as part of a team to operate and maintain PIADC autoclaves for waste decontamination in accordance with applicable permits and regulations.
• Properly identify and segregate waste both inside and outside of bio-containment.
• Work on multiple shifts to facilitate waste throughput.
• Respond to HAZMAT incidents and participate in emergency response activities associated with PIADC operations.

Basic Qualifications:

• HS Diploma or GED.
• Knowledge of environmental compliance and hazardous waste/ material operations.
• Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Ability to apply industry related knowledge to determine suitable methods and approach to specific tasks and projects.

Additional Requirements:

• RCRA Hazardous Waste Certification or ability to obtain.
• RCRA DOT Shipping Certification or ability to obtain.
• OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER or equivalent HAZMAT Certification.
• NYS Asbestos Handler License or ability to obtain.
• Ability to become an active member of the PIADC Fire Brigade. Fire rescue experience a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Perform physical activities that require considerable use of your whole body.
• Utilization of appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) such as safety shoes, hard hats, hearing, and eye protection is required. Ability to climb ladders, reach overhead and lift to 50lbs. Industrial work environment that may include loud noise, heat stress, work indoors and outdoors.
• Ability to carry out housekeeping duties with minimal direction, following prescribed methods & directives.
• Assignments may require entry into biocontainment facilities, utility plants, a variety of storage buildings and constructions sites. Work within the containment laboratory requires decontamination showers.
• You must be physically able to move freely in environments that are restricted in space, unsteady or otherwise not easily accessible. Ability to climb ladders, and lift to 50 lbs.
• As a condition for employment, all personnel entering the BSL-3 biocontainment facilities at Plum Island shall not be in contact with specific susceptible animals and their premises off Plum Island for a period of five (5) days after leaving biocontainment. Currently, restricted species are cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine. Contact with horses, birds (agricultural and pet birds) and rabbits are normally permitted, but restrictions may be placed on staff working with or near-contagious agents affecting these species. Restricted livestock or other restricted animals may not be housed on the premises where the employee lives and where the quarantine cannot be enforced.