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Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

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.

How does this connect to your interests? →

A look at the work

  • 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.
  • Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.
  • Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.
  • Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.
  • Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.
  • Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

7.0 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.6 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.5 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.2 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

4.4 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

2026-08

3.5 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2026-08

3.3 / 5

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2026-08

3.1 / 5

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2026-08

3.0 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 2 of 5 · 2026-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 47-4041.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.