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.

Investing in Those Most at Risk - The PACE Program

Not everyone in the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council’s King County Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Education (PACE) program makes it to graduation. It’s a grueling 11-week or 380-hour program for students who are “at risk” in more ways than one. But for those that do, there is a 90-percent placement rate and the opportunity to make $18-20 an hour.

PACE is the first pre-apprenticeship program nationally to be sponsored by a building and construction trades council. The program provides trades-related job skills toward a construction industry apprentice, which is an on-the-job training for novices under an experienced practitioner. Health and safety training are provided by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences' Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety through a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - the NIEHS Worker Training Program.

Job security and a steady paycheck aren’t taken for granted by PACE students. Many are minorities, from low-income groups. Some don’t have a college diploma or a GED, have learning disabilities, or have served time in prison."This program is a means for students to get back on their feet and break the cycle", said Michael Dunn, Manager of the NIEHS Worker Training Program in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, which provides health and safety training in PACE.

The construction industry is rife with hazards and job safety is key, particularly for workers new to the industry.

“PACE gives students a strong foundation in workplace safety and health, setting them up for safer, longer careers in a construction trade,” said Butch de Castro, an adjunct associate professor in DEOHS and director of the NIEHS Worker Training Program. We are committed to reducing work-related injuries among underserved worker populations through education,” he says. 

Instructors provide asbestos, lead, OSHA 10-hour, and 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training. The 10-hour introduces students to hazards on the job and how to stay safe. Electrical, ladders, scaffolds, preventing falls, personal protective equipment, confined spaces, excavation, handling materials. The HAZWOPER teaches students about hazardous chemicals, how to safety handle and dispose of them to protect the safety of workers and the environment, and OSHA regulations. They are also taught life skills, such as managing finances.

To learn more about the PACE program, or to apply, contact Diane Davies at diane@wabuildingtrades.org or 206-947-5362

This post has been adapted from an original story written by Elizabeth Sharpe, for DEOHS Environmental Health News. 
Photos: © Katherine Turner