Will AI replace Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 21 official task statements scored for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (United States, SOC 47-4041), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 4 out of 100 (range 2–9, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed” (33/100, low); “Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills” (33/100, low); “Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods” (8/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” stay human?

About 100% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage” (0/100, minimal); “Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work” (0/100, minimal); “Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 100% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 21 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

US dataswitch to UK

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

building containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work, operating cranes to move or load baskets and driving trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: preparing hazardous material for removal or storage is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 0%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 100%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 4 out of 100 (2–9 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 21 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for hazardous materials removal workers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

What shifts is the routine end of the work: the paper around the work, not the work.

Your week, as this page understands it

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. The job title says “hazardous materials removal workers”. The real job is the part underneath: preparing hazardous material for removal or storage. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But hazardous materials removal workers is not one task. It is 21 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is preparing hazardous material for removal or storage, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 0%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 100%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

0 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Changing shape

0 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Staying human

21 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Complying with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods
This work happens in the physical world: prescribed safety procedures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: The rules are written down and easy to look up, but following them happens through what workers physically do on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Preparing hazardous material for removal or storage
This work happens in the physical world: hazardous material, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Getting hazardous material packed and ready to move is entirely a matter of handling it in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Building containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work
This work happens in the physical world: containment areas prior, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Building the sealed enclosure is physical construction work on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Loading or unloading materials into containers or onto trucks
This work happens in the physical world: materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Loading drums onto trucks with a hoist or forklift is physical work in a specific place.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Removing asbestos or leading from surfaces
This work happens in the physical world: asbestos, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Stripping asbestos or lead off surfaces is hands-on work with tools inside a contaminated space.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning contaminated equipment or areas
This work happens in the physical world: contaminated equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Scrubbing contaminated gear and spaces with pressure washers and solvents is done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Identifying asbestos, lead or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices
This work happens in the physical world: asbestos, lead or other hazardous materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Someone has to be on site holding the monitoring device against surfaces, though reading the results is easier to automate.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials
This work happens in the physical world: mold-contaminated sites, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Ripping out moldy drywall and scrubbing surfaces is physical work inside the building itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Operating machines or equipment
This work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running the machinery that moves and packs waste requires an operator physically at the controls.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Removing or limiting contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances
This work happens in the physical world: contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Cleaning up after a chemical spill means being at the scene doing the work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 11 tasks

Recording numbers of containers stored at disposal sites
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: numbers of containers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Counting containers means walking the disposal site, though writing up the log itself is routine record-keeping.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Organizing or tracking the locations of hazardous items in landfills
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: the locations of hazardous items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Tracking where hazardous items sit is database work, but organizing them on the ground still needs people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Identifying or separating waste products or materials for recycling or reuse
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: waste products, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (0–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Telling materials apart could be assisted, but pulling them into separate piles still takes hands.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Driving trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: trucks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Driving a loaded waste truck to a disposal site is physical work behind the wheel.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Uploading baskets of irradiated elements onto machines that insert fuel elements into canisters and secure lids
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: baskets of irradiated elements, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Upload baskets of irradiated elements onto machines that insert fuel elements into canisters and secure lids.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Lifting baskets of irradiated fuel onto machinery is heavy physical handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Packaging, storing
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: irradiated fuel elements, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Package, store, or move irradiated fuel elements in the underwater storage basins of nuclear reactor plants, using machines or equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Handling irradiated fuel in underwater storage pools requires an operator working the equipment there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Operating cranes to move or load baskets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: cranes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Operate cranes to move or load baskets, casks, or canisters.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Operating a crane to lift casks needs a person in the cab watching the load.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Mixing or pouring concrete into forms to encase waste material for disposal
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: concrete, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Mix or pour concrete into forms to encase waste material for disposal.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mixing and pouring concrete around waste is heavy manual work at the encapsulation point.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Applying bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: bioremediation techniques, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Apply bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spreading bacteria and nutrients across contaminated ground is done physically at the site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Processing e-waste, such as computer components containing lead or mercury
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: e-waste, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Process e-waste, such as computer components containing lead or mercury.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Breaking down old computers to separate the toxic parts is manual work at a bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Sorting specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: specialized hazardous waste, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Sorting hazardous waste at a landfill is done by hand, item by item.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $49,450a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 51,710in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Almost none of this job is reading one thing and writing another (the shape today's tools are built for), because the work turns on hazardous material, which happens with people and things rather than on a screen. The rows above are the evidence rather than the reassurance: complying with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods and preparing hazardous material for removal or storage. The parts that are changing are the paperwork and the tools around the job, not the middle of it, which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: preparing hazardous material for removal or storage is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 0% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 0% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 100% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 21 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. The routine end of the work is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to the routine work, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether hazardous material is in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near complying with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to hazardous materials removal workers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was packers and packagers, hand: only about 3% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 26.6% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 4/100 here, with only 0% of the task list in the top band, and “comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Packers and Packagers, Hand
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste…, and their equivalent is to load materials and products into package processing equipment. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $36,280 against your $49,450, 26.6% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts, and their equivalent is to move levers or controls that operate lifting devices. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts, and their equivalent is to unload mixtures into containers or onto conveyors for further processing. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 0% of its task weight, across 21 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like preparing hazardous material for removal or storage arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Construction operatives n.e.c. is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Construction operatives n.e.c., Energy plant operatives, Construction and building trades n.e.c. and Scaffolders, stagers and riggers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

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The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

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Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for hazardous materials removal workers launches. Nothing else.

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No Space for hazardous materials removal workers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for hazardous materials removal workers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

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No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 21 official task statements scored for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (United States, SOC 47-4041), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 4 out of 100 (range 2–9, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed” (33/100, low); “Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills” (33/100, low); “Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods” (8/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” stay human?: About 100% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage” (0/100, minimal); “Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work” (0/100, minimal); “Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Hazardous Materials Removal Workers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 100% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 21 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.