Hazardous Materials Worker Health and Safety Training

The NJ/NY Hazardous Materials Worker Training Center has a long history of effective training, providing over 3.8 million contact hours of hazardous materials knowledge and skills, reaching over 450,000 workers since 1987. Our Center will train workers about safety issues during hazardous waste site clean-up, issues related to generation, treatment and storage of hazardous materials, emergency response, and disaster preparedness and response. Our Center will also provide career development training to unemployed and underemployed individuals, creating sustainable careers in environmental health and safety. The courses develop competency in workers to critically analyze dangerous situations, enable them to identify safe work practices, and make workplaces safer. Key principals of adult education are incorporated into our training. Courses are developed to include peer-learning, hands-on activities, and development critical thinking skills. The Center has a robust evaluation plan, and will continue to expand the types of data collected on the impact of training on workplace practice, as well as how training can more effectively influence workplace safety culture. The Center adheres to the principles identified in the NIEHS Minimum Criteria Document. Training provided by the Center is aligned with several sections of the NIEHS Strategic Plan. The Center proposes to continue training through the HWWTP, HDPTP, and ECWTP programs. The HWWTP provides core hazardous waste and emergency response training. The training provides critical knowledge and skills for those requiring training under 29CFR1910.120 and other occupational safety and health standards. Over the next five years, the Center proposes to train 35,150 workers in 1,960 courses in the HWWTP. The HDPTP enhances the safety and health of current hazardous materials workers and chemical responders by delivering training to workers and volunteers responding to disasters. The courses focus on prevention and preparedness so that disaster response personnel are aware of safety and health hazards and mitigation techniques before they initiate a disaster response. The Center proposes to add the Migrant Clinicians Network to the HDPTP to extend our reach in Puerto Rico. Additionally, a new focus on developing trainers who live in the US Virgin Islands will be initiated. Over the next five years, the Center proposes to train 9,060 workers in 1,120 courses in the HDPTP. The ECWTP provides training to unemployed and underemployed individuals. The program creates career paths in environmental health, allowing trainees to achieve sustainable employment. The program targets minority communities with high unemployment and high poverty rates in low-income areas in New York City and New Jersey. The Center proposes to add Make the Road New York to the ECWTP to increase the employment opportunities for disadvantaged immigrants. Over the next five years, the Center proposes to train 475 workers in 290 courses in the ECWTP.