When you
graduate with an NRES degree from Purdue and you enter the working world, there
is a high chance that your job will be working with dangerous chemicals and
their cleanup. To be able to properly and safely handle these chemicals, you
need to be trained and certified in Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) through
OSHA. This is a 40-hour course that your workplace normally pays for and the
training process would take up your entire first week. However, through the
NRES program at Purdue, you can receive this training and certification at no
cost in your last semester. This is very attractive two potential employers
because it saves them money and reduces the amount of training you need as an
employee.
The course that offers this
certification, NRES 280, meets twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes
during the first ten weeks of the semester. However, there are two lab days
where you take what you learn and find out what it’s actually like to be under
certain conditions. Today was our first lab day, where we learned what it’s
like to be in full HAZMAT suits and respirators (breathing devices). While we
didn’t actually deal with any dangerous chemicals, we still learned a lot about
what it’s like to be fully suited up. It’s definitely different! In the suits
and respirators (and heavy boots) we had to do several different tasks while
breathing and maintain composure. These include walking on a treadmill or elliptical
for five minutes, looking up information on hazardous materials in the dark, and
performing pH tests. All of these tasks were done with a normal respirator that
simply filtered the air. However, for our last task we had to wear an oxygen
tank that pumped air into our mouths. This was a lot different! We also had to
wear two layers of gloves that reduced our dexterity to do one final task: put
together a Lego car. When you have a heavy tank on your back and grasping tiny
pieces is challenging, putting together Legos is incredibly difficult. However,
I had a lot of fun doing it.
This course demonstrates on of my
favorite things about the NRES program at Purdue. Not only do you do a lot of
learning inside the classroom, you also get hands on experience doing things
very relevant to your future careers. The skills and information that I have
learned in my years here will definitely continue to be useful in my future
career path.
I have no pictures right now, but if
I get any I will definitely post some!
-
Steve Lira
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