by Christina Mendoza

Created on: July 25, 2010   Last Updated: July 30, 2010

Due to the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, millions of gallons of oil have leaked out to pollute the waters and shores.  Although approximately 40,000 workers have already found work performing various clean-up and remediation tasks, plenty of employment and volunteer opportunities remain open to job seekers in areas affected by the oil spill.  If you’re looking for work and you’re willing to relocate to one of the thriving metropolitan areas along the Gulf Coast, this article will give you the tools and information you need to explore your options.

The most obvious category of work available is that related to the ongoing efforts to clean the spilled oil from the Gulf waters and beaches.  The need for workers is anticipated to stretch out for some time, since the oil still keeps coming ashore as fast as they can clean it.  There are also pockets of oil that have been buried, but will need to be found and dealt with, to prevent hazards to wildlife and beachgoers in the future.  Employment options directly related to the oil spill include: removal of oil from the beaches; operating heavy equipment like bulldozers and dump trucks to remove tainted sand; monitoring for the presence of oil on foot, or by boat or plane; performing administrative or clerical work; monitoring, rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife; doing supervisory or managerial work; plus working as scientists, engineers, specialized tradespeople and the like.

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around regarding the necessity of having “HAZWOPER” or Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training before you can participate in oil clean-up activities.  Among the false claims out there are: that all oil-spill clean-up workers must have 40 hours of “HAZWOPER” training; that you can get your training from any “legitimate” Haz-Mat company anywhere; that you need to pay several hundred dollars for training; and that you should be fully trained before applying for work.  None of these are true.

OSHA released a statement on July 21, 2010 correcting a lot of the misconceptions about oil clean-up work, and clarifying the official Haz-Mat training requirements.  The good news for potential employees is that only some types of clean-up tasks require workers to have the full 40-hour “Hazwoper” training. According to OSHA, many other positions

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