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Hazardous Materials Removal Worker

Skilled Trades

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.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Public Safety & DefenceScience

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
  2. 2Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
  3. 3Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.
  4. 4Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.
  5. 5Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.
  6. 6Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.
  7. 7Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.
  8. 8Operate cranes to move or load baskets, casks, or canisters.
  9. 9Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations.
  10. 10Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts.
  11. 11Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse.
  12. 12Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.
  13. 13Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.
  14. 14Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.
  15. 15Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.
  16. 16Upload baskets of irradiated elements onto machines that insert fuel elements into canisters and secure lids.
  17. 17Process e-waste, such as computer components containing lead or mercury.
  18. 18Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills.
  19. 19Mix or pour concrete into forms to encase waste material for disposal.
  20. 20Apply bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances.
  21. 21Package, store, or move irradiated fuel elements in the underwater storage basins of nuclear reactor plants, using machines or equipment.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Removal Tech
  • Hazmat Driver
  • Asbestos Worker
  • Mitigation Tech
  • Abatement Worker
  • Asbestos Coverer
  • Asbestos Handler
  • Asbestos Remover
  • D and D Operator
  • Hazmat Technician

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Public Safety and Security72%
  • Administration and Management69%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Transportation68%
  • Customer and Personal Service68%
  • Building and Construction65%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mechanical62%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedOften
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsAlmost all the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Electrician (Chargeman)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org