The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires anyone with a 24- or 40-hour HAZWOPER—or hazardous waste operations and emergency response—card to complete eight hours of refresher training every year. Miss that window and you invite site shutdowns, fines, and avoidable injuries, so choosing the right program means protection.
In contrast to longer 24- and 40-hour courses, eight-hour refreshers are the only OSHA-recognized annual recertification. Discover the best HAZWOPER refresher courses and get answers to common questions.
What Is a HAZWOPER Refresher and Who Is It for?
The eight-hour refresher is an annual review of 29 CFR 1910.120 or 1926.65 topics—personal protective equipment (PPE), decontamination, site control, emergency response and any new hazards you faced in the last 12 months. OSHA auditors look for those training records the moment a spill, injury, or near-miss hits the log. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 2.6 million workplace injury and illness cases in 2023 alone—an 8.4 percent dip from 2022 but still far too high. Regular, high-quality safety training is a proven way to keep that number falling.
Who Takes HAZWOPER Refreshers?
- Waste-site laborers, equipment operators, and supervisors
- Emergency responders and spill-team members
- Truck drivers hauling hazardous loads
- HR, training and safety managers responsible for compliance
Expect eight contact hours—often self-paced online—plus any site-specific drills your employer adds. When you pass the quizzes, you will print or receive a new wallet card good for another year.
7 Top-Rated HAZWOPER Refresher Courses
Every provider below satisfies OSHA’s refresher requirement. The best choice depends on delivery style, language support, continuing education credits, and how easily a training manager can track dozens—or thousands—of employees.
1. Hazmat School
Hazmat School delivers an eight-hour, browser-based program you can start and stop anytime. Two distinct versions rotate yearly, so returning learners do not have to go through identical slides. A downloadable certificate is available when you pass the final quiz, and government agencies get built-in discounts. The curriculum hits every topic listed in 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(8), making it valid for both general industry and construction workers.
2. ClickSafety
ClickSafety offers the 2024 English and Spanish refresher. New mini-modules cover lithium-battery hazards, drone operations, and carbon monoxide spikes, keeping veterans current without piling on fluff. You earn 0.8 IACET continuing education units (CEUs), and the platform tracks completion for corporate administrators. Everything maps back to OSHA 1910.120 and RCRA TSDF rules, so your paperwork passes any compliance audit.
3. 360training
360training has issued more than a million U.S. Department of Labor cards, and its eight-hour refresher works on phones as easily as laptops. The course reviews PPE, decontamination, and GHS label changes and then provides a printable certificate when you finish. Training managers like the bulk-order calculator and learning management system (LMS) plug-ins that push progress data into HR dashboards. The program meets OSHA refresher training requirements, so you are audit ready.
4. Safety Unlimited, Inc.
Safety Unlimited, Inc. lets you use a Spanish version and earn 0.8 IACET CEUs. Rather than a single exam at the end, short quizzes gate each module—if you pass them, you are done. The site calls out compliance with 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(8) for general industry and 1926.65(e)(8) for construction. A laminated wallet card ships after completion. The no-final-exam option means less test anxiety for seasoned field staff.
5. National Environmental Trainers
National Environmental Trainers stands apart with its OSHA-accepted HAZWOPER Hands-on Simulator that lets you virtually don, doff, and decon PPE. A built-in study timer guarantees that you log the full eight hours. You will get 0.8 BCSP COC points, plus 1.34 ABIH CM points. Digital certificates arrive instantly, while hard-copy wallet cards follow by mail. Mobile access, live instructor support, and an OSHA interpretation letter backing the simulator round out the feature set.
6. Vector Solutions
Vector Solutions weaves its eight-hour refresher into the same LMS many firms already use for incident reporting and safety data sheet management. Managers can auto-assign training, track completions company-wide, and generate OSHA-style reports in seconds. The course series—under the legacy RedVector brand—meets OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 refresher rules and can be bundled with other libraries.
7. J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
- J. Keller & Associates, Inc., breaks its refresher into five online micro-courses covering hazard recognition, air monitoring, and emergency response. The total seat time is 7.5 hours, so OSHA expects managers to add a short, site-specific drill to hit the eight-hour mark. Each module lives inside the Keller Training subscription. Safety officers can keep driver logs, DOT compliance, and HAZWOPER cards under one vendor. Detailed guidance explains how to layer hands-on elements to satisfy 29 CFR 1910.120(e)(8).
FAQs on the Best HAZWOPER Refresher Courses
Can I split the eight hours over multiple days?
Yes, OSHA allows the refresher to be delivered in segments as long as you finish the full eight contact hours within the 12-month cycle and the provider can document the total seat time.
What if I miss the annual deadline?
OSHA says you must make up the training as soon as you can. Meanwhile, employers must evaluate whether there is a need to do additional hands-on work or repeat the 24-/40-hour course to restore competency.
Does online training alone satisfy OSHA?
Online programs meet the classroom portion, but OSHA still expects site-specific, hands-on practice. Many companies add a brief drill or field exercise to close that gap. This is especially important if auditors ask for proof.
Keep Your Team Response Ready
Block out a day on the calendar before your last card expires, pair the online refresher with a live drill, and upload every certificate to a cloud folder auditors can reach in seconds. Training that feels routine today is the reason crews go home safe tomorrow. Choose the course that fits your workflow and lock it in now.
