NIEHS Worker Training Program Making an Impact in Alaska

The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) is a significant and integral national training element of the NIEHS “Hazardous Substance Basic Research and Training Program” authorized by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (42 USC 9660).

These Hazardous Waste program awardees provide health and safety training for workers who are, or can be, exposed to hazardous materials and waste as part of their jobs or during emergency response.

In budget year 2015-2016, NIEHS WTP awardees provided 63courses to over 1,000 workers under the Hazardous Waste and Hazmat Disaster Worker Training Programs in Alaska. 

The NIEHS WTP was able to make a difference in the life of Candice Saunders, an unemployed, single mother from Allakaket, Alaska, population 107. Candice completed the RACEJT Program which gave her skills in solid waste management, job training, and MS Word and Excel skills. When the community's Indian General Assistance (IGAP) Coordinator left their position, Candice had the skills to step up and save her small community. Read more about the NIEHS WTP program's impact in Alaska here!

The University of Washington is proud to be part of the Western Region Universities Consortium (WRUC), which consists of four university-based programs located in the Western United States offering NIEHS WTP training. Read more about the UW NIEHS Worker Training Program here.

NW Resource - TSWAN

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, NWCOHS wanted to showcase some of the exceptional resources available to the Native American community regarding occupational health and safety issues.

In 1997, several Pacific Northwest Tribes banded together to begin addressing solid waste and environmental issues in northwest Indian Country. Today, Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network (TSWAN) is a nonprofit organization of 32 federally recognized Tribes throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, working to make effective and environmentally responsible solid waste management a priority on our reservations and in our communities. One of TSWAN's primary goals is to work towards sharing technical expertise, information, and opportunities with one another. To date, TSWAN is the only united Indian consortium on solid waste policy and other environment-related matters.

NWCOHS works directly with TSWAN on health and safety issues around hazardous waste and also assists TSWAN with Annual Hazardous Waste Refresher and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training.