Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program Collaborative

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HWWTP - PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT: Chicago-based OAI targets three underrepresented worker populations: 1. Emergency First Responders & Law Enforcement personnel whose departments lack resources and equipment for adequate training 2. Transitional and Temporary Workers, many of whom are high-school dropouts or re-entering the workforce following incarceration 3. Non Union & Underrepresented Workers, including Latinx environmental cleanup, construction and female Vietnamese nail salon workers. The OAI HWWTP Collaborative, led by Principal Investigator Salvatore Cali since 2016, comprises 13 key partners representing target populations in 19 states. During the next 5-year grant period, the Collaborative plans to train 20,405 students generating 223,000 contact hours. Significance: The proposed training includes two new areas of focus- Infectious Disease Response and Ammonia Safety Awareness. Training is intended to protect the health and safety of targeted worker populations that are disproportionately affected by exposures to occupational hazards. Approach: A key successful training strategy refined over the past 24 years includes deployment of the Train- the-Trainer model that provides multiple benefits of extending training reach through the multiplier effect, building local training capacity and enhancing training program sustainability. As demonstrated through successful partnerships with YouthBuild USA, the state of KY and the CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, development of local training capacity generates cohorts of peer trainers who are culturally competent, familiar with resources in their areas and are most capable of customizing training and conveying critical health and safety information to their audience. Innovation: OAI will continue to utilize awareness of the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and introduce NIOSH Total Worker Health (TWH) models that consider holistic training impacts. Strategies will include evaluations of courses, curricula, and instructors as well as focus group interviews that will assess program quality and opportunities for improvement. OAI will innovatively adapt its Learning Management System for Vietnamese nail salon workers to access safety awareness training modules. This will cost effectively increase training access and enable workers to quickly reference critical workplace safety practices in their native language. Environment: OAI HWWT training underscores the importance of not only protecting worker health from hazard exposures but also protecting the environment through effective response to, and mitigation of, environmentally harmful contaminants.