by L.B. Woodgate

Created on: July 27, 2010   Last Updated: July 28, 2010

One man’s misfortune can be another’s opportunity.  Though such is the case with the BP oil spill, these grim circumstances are hardly the joyous occasion one expects a “silver lining” to appear.  Be that as it may, the nation’s worst environmental disaster has created jobs during these economic hard times where none existed before.

In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, millions upon millions of gallons of crude have emptied into the Gulf coast and have set their sights on the coastal shores of the Southern Gulf States.  BP, who is responsible for all damages that result from this environmental nightmare has hired upwards of 30,000 people, most of them local residents, to help contain and clean up this oil, on land and on sea, for as long as it takes to “make things right”.

A majority of those hired by BP will be for cleaning the beaches where oil has already made its way while others who own boats, normally being gainfully employed this time of year hauling in shrimp, oysters and other Gulf seafood, will be paid for their services on the waters, trying to stay in front of the oil before it makes its way to shore.  The majority of these jobs are being coordinated through the “Vessels of Opportunity” program where currently some 1200 boats and their crews are being used to set booms and capture sea and bird wildlife that have been coated with oil.

Most clean-up crews who come in direct contact with the oil are required to be Hazardous Material (Haz-Mat) certified and are given the position name of “Hazwoper”.  People applying for these jobs are expected to pay for this certification on their own which can run around $300-$400 for a 40-hour training course.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), informs people that they should “be wary of relying solely on generic "packaged" training programs in meeting their training requirements since training required under HAZWOPER includes site-specific elements which need to be tailored to the individual worker's assigned duties.”    

According to the Florida State College Haz-Mat certification training, “The 40-hour HAZWOPER certification is mandatory to work at the oil spill”.  But some employment agencies are asking for lesser trained Hazwopers who have a 24 hour training certification so be cautious.  Compliance Solutions, a company who has

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