HAZMAT Training at DOE Nuclear Weapons Complexes

International Chemical Workers Union, Akron OH

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The ICWUC Center for Worker Health and Safety Education (Center) seeks to continue the DOE site-specific training to empower workers and communities to protect themselves during chemical release and increase involvement in working cooperatively with leadership, contractors, and coworkers in improving personal, community, and workplace emergency response. This training raises the DOE site sufficiency and their surrounding communities by offering training from DOE worker trainers at four sites, delivering 175 classes to 3,023 trainees during Year One. Each site is fully operational and relies on local experienced worker trainers (Hanford, Oak Ridge, and Kansas City). At the same time, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) utilizes a blend of Center staff and Kansas City trainers. IAMAW is a significant partner in these efforts, representing members at two sites. The Center uses adult education principles and techniques that rely on the knowledge and experiences of the participants to teach key principles in a nonthreatening and engaging way that motivates trainees to improve their sites cooperatively with leadership and their employing contractors to ensure each site’s safety and security. Classes to be presented include a range of HAZWOPER-related classes, including a Superfund Site Worker (12 classes; 248 trainees), 16-Hour Bridge classes for workers transferring into regulated areas, and RCRA classes (11 classes, 180 trainees) with all covered workers taking refresher classes annually (55 classes, 1,186 trainees). Fall protection and confined space programs will be delivered to LANL and Hanford workers (87 classes; 1,911 trainees). DOE worker-trainers from each site will deliver most training, a cost-effective resource to the contractor and local union, and there will be 14 trainer development classes for 1,758 trainers (many trainers advancing through mentorship and development programs.) This includes a DOE trainers exchange, and we will continue our collaborative work with other Grantees. We will continue our community outreach efforts, which have significantly expanded and should continue to grow. We will continue to assess the workplace changes the program has produced through the long- term evaluation of participants and trainers. As our past publication showed, these trainers are invaluable resources for co-workers and managers who frequently answer requests for their opinions on the appropriate practices, procedures, and equipment about health and safety concerns (at least monthly). The trainers have also facilitated various workplace changes through the joint efforts of trainers, participants, contractors, and site leadership.