Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
In short: today's best AI models could do about 2% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about 3% by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 97% of the time, stays with people.
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.
51,710 people do this job in the US. $49,450 a year.
Reviewed on October 19, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on0 h
- A person checks AI's work1 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people39 h
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 1 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 39 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Record containers stored (under an hour, a person checks); Track hazardous items in landfills (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 0%
- 2%
- 0%
- 0%
- 97%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 2% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 2%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, no reportable share went to this job's tasks in May 2026; 0 of its 19 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.0046% to 0.0037% (released February and March 2025); 0.0041% to 0.0045% (August 2025 to February 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.0046% | 619 of 708 | 1 of 19 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.0037% | 613 of 703 | 1 of 19 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.0041% | 555 of 655 | 1 of 19 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.0043% | 589 of 672 | 1 of 19 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.0045% | 582 of 677 | 1 of 19 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 19 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 19 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 98% of this job's working time as physical work. For 66% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 60% in a purpose-built cell, 6% in a structured facility. 0.72 of 3, the 252nd highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 2%
- No robot shown 32%
- In a purpose-built cell 60%
- In a structured facility 6%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
97% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Remove asbestos or lead, the hands-on work, 18%
- Contain spills after emergencies, the hands-on work, 13%
- Decontaminate equipment and areas, the hands-on work, 11%
- Build containment areas, the hands-on work, 11%
- Prepare hazardous material for removal, the hands-on work, 9%
- Clean mold-contaminated sites, the hands-on work, 8%
What becomes checking the machine
2% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it.
- Record containers stored, costly if wrong, 1%
- Track hazardous items in landfills, costly if wrong, 1%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 97% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Signing off under your license. Some tasks need a licensed, certified or sworn person to do or sign them. The license, and the judgment it stands for, stays with the person.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 19 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.Scraping, vacuuming and spraying the surfaces, in protective gear.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, BOA (Big-On-Asbestos) robotic pipe-insulation removal system (Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute / US Department of Energy) (demonstrated). Anthropic's rating. | 18% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.Containing and cleaning up the substance at the scene.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 13% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 1.7 work days | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.Cleaning with solvents, blasters and steam cleaners.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Rotajet Automatic Drum Washers / continuous IBC wash lines (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 3.3 h50 min to 5.8 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.Sheeting and sealing the work area by hand.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.Packing and sealing the material by hand.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, CMT fully automatic bulk bag (FIBC)/drum filling systems (Carolina Material Technologies) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 9% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.Tearing out damaged material and cleaning the rest.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 8% | 5 h1.7 h to 1 work day | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations.Driving the truck with the waste to the disposal site.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: in a structured facility, Cat MineStar Command for hauling (Caterpillar) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.Working to the safety procedures and disposal laws on the job.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 50 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.Running the machines that remove, pack and move the waste.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Skip sorting and laser cutting cell (FANUC ARC Mate 120iC and M-900iB/360) (Cyan Tec / FANUC for Sellafield Ltd) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.Testing surfaces and air with monitoring devices on site.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Boston Dynamics Spot with Teledyne FLIR MUVE C360 gas detector (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.Sorting the waste by hand to the disposal procedures.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 1.7 h38 min to 5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills.Keeping the location records and checking the cells on the ground.Done more than monthly by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Automated stacking cranes (ASC) and AGVs in automated container yards (ECT Delta terminal) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 2% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Systems 60%, hands-on 40% | 60%Desk part half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers1% now, 1% by 2028
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators33% now, 33% by 2028
- Highway Maintenance Workers0% now, 0% by 2028
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners6% now, 6% by 2028
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors5% now, 5% by 2028
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall2% now, 2% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 2% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 3% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Record containers stored (100% of the task's time now); and Track hazardous items in landfills (60% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Remove asbestos or lead; Contain spills after emergencies; and Decontaminate equipment and areas. Together such tasks are about 96% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Hazardous Materials Removal Workers learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; judgment where errors are severe; and signing off under your license. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 97% of the working time stays with people, 2% becomes checking a model's work and 0% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026, no reportable share went to this job's tasks. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 0%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 98% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 66% of the working time, 6% in a structured facility. Its index is 0.72 of 3. One example: Cat MineStar Command for hauling for "drive waste to disposal sites". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 19 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on October 19, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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