NIEHS Hazardous Waste Worker Health and Safety Training

The Worker Training Program, congressionally mandated under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) provides cooperative agreements and project grant support for the development, delivery, and administration of model worker health and safety training programs that include classroom-based, online, and hands-on instruction. These programs are intended for workers and supervisors engaged in activities involving hazardous materials and hazardous waste generation, treatment, storage, disposal, removal, containment, transportation, environmental restoration, facility decommissioning and decontamination, and disaster/emergency response.

A public or private nonprofit entity, Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education), including tribal governments, that provide worker health and safety education and training, may submit an application and receive a cooperative agreement or project grant for support of waste worker education and training by a named principal investigator. Recipients/grantees may use services, as appropriate, of other public or private organizations necessary to develop, administer, or evaluate proposed worker training programs, as long as the requirement for awards to nonprofit organizations is not violated. Nonprofit organizations which are incorporated under 501(c)(4) are prohibited from receiving grants.

The following factors considered for applications for full program cooperative agreements include: (1) Methods and techniques to be used for identifying, describing, and accessing target worker populations and anticipated impact of the proposed program; (2) evidence of the organization's performance and effectiveness in planning, implementing and operating appropriate worker health and safety training and education programs; (3) adequacy of the detailed program plan for curricula development, training of instructors, distribution of course materials, and direct student training; (4) technical and professional expertise of the proposed program director, present or proposed staff, and consultants; (5) methods proposed for evaluating appropriateness, quality, and effectiveness of training; (6) availability of appropriate facilities and equipment to support the described educational and training activities including hands-on instruction and demonstration; (7) evidence of the organization's past performance and effectiveness in planning, implementing, and operating training and education programs for workers; (8) the likelihood that the program will continue beyond the grant period; (9) reasonableness of the proposed program activities; and (10) multi-region impact.