Photo By Airman 1st Class Patrick ONeill | Team McConnell members assigned to the 22nd Medical Group use a decontamination shower...... read more read more
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MCCONNELL AIR FROCE BASE, Kan. - Approximately 17 Team McConnell Airmen completed the 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training at McConnell Air Force Base from March 24-28, 2025.
HAZWOPER training provides Airmen with the skills required to safely handle hazardous substances to meet with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
"Normally, we send Airmen TDY (temporary duty) for this training because we didn't have relationships with the colleges that offer it," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mc Kee, 22nd Air Refueling Wing occupational safety technician. "We'd send Airmen up to Barton Community College a couple hours from here."
This year, the 22nd ARW safety team coordinated with connections at Barton to bring the training to McConnell. Securing this plan saved approximately $42,000 in TDY expenses.
The week long course consisted of four classroom days, covering material such as personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency response procedures and hazard identification. On the last day, Airmen ended the course with a hands-on simulated hazardous material spill, requiring Airmen to access and apply decontamination procedures to the affected vehicles, buildings and animals.
"It's a one-time certification that helps in and out of the Air Force," Mc Kee said.
Having the HAZWOPER certification helps keep McConnell Airmen prepared to handle potential hazardous situations while being in compliance with EPA and OSHA.
The HAZWOPER course is available every year for McConnell Airmen in fields dealing with hazardous waste and emergency response, including bioenvironmental engineering, public health, emergency management and safety.
For additional information, contact McConnell's safety office at 316-759-3075.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 12:18 |
| Story ID: | 494739 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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