OSHA has health and safety standards to protect workers engaged in hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER). EPA has identical standards to cover public sector employees in states without OSHA-approved plans. HAZWOPER covers employees engaged in required hazardous waste cleanups, corrective actions, certain voluntary cleanups, operations involving treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, and emergency response operations for release, or threats of releases, of hazardous substances.