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Construction & Extraction · Updated Aug 2026

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
52/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
42/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.High
70
Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.High
70
Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.High
69
Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.High
70
Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse.High
70
Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts.High
70
Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills.Medium
68
Upload baskets of irradiated elements onto machines that insert fuel elements into canisters and secure lids.Medium
68
Process e-waste, such as computer components containing lead or mercury.Medium
68
Mix or pour concrete into forms to encase waste material for disposal.Medium
70
Apply bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances.Medium
70
Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations.High
38
Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.Medium
37
Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.High
23
Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.High
23
Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.Medium
21
Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.Medium
18
Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.Medium
17
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.70
  2. Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.70
  3. Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.70
  4. Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse.70
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.01
  2. Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.02
  3. Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.03
  4. Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.04
  5. Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency70
Physical dependency64
Adoption pressure42
Labour-market resilience65
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →