Principal Investigator / Institution

Charles Austin
Tel 202-624-6960
Fax 202-642-8125
[email protected]
Safety and Health Department
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

 

Program Contact

Charmaine Woolard
Program Manager
Tel 202-624-6963
Fax 202-624-8125
[email protected]
Safety and Health Department
Worker Training Program
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001

 

Program Description

International Brotherhood of Teamsters logo

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Consortium consists of eleven IBT training centers and the Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program, which is comprised of nine rail unions, and participates in the Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP), the HAZMAT Disaster Prepardness Training Program (HDPTP), and the NIEHS/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Waste Worker Training Program.

The long-term objectives and specific aims of the IBT Consortium are to increase worker, community, and environmental safety by training workers to appropriately respond to accidental releases of hazardous materials; safely work on hazardous waste remediation projects; and protect vital transportation infrastructure relative to the transportation of hazardous waste and hazardous materials via trucks, rail cars, and intermodal shipping containers.

The IBT Consortium's activities regarding the HWWTP and HDPTP includes providing model face-to-face and virtual safety and health training to a nationwide population of workers engaged in activities relatedto hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, transportation, and emergency response. The IBT Consortium accesses the targeted worker population through established partnerships with labor unions, community-based organizations, contractors, and employers. Workers who receive training include, but are not limited to, those employed in hazardous waste remediation, hazardous materials transportation, construction, warehousing, and airline. 

Training conducted in the HWWTP complies with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for hazardous waste site workers and first responders. This training provides workers with the skills and knowledge to identify occupational hazards such as accidental releases of hazardous materials, utilize safe work practices during remediation and response activities, recognize security threats, and properly use personal protective equipment. The Consortium also develops a cadre of experienced worker trainers, including bilingual trainers, to conduct training through unions, contractors, employers, community organizations, tribes, and response agencies. 

Training conducted in the IBT Consortium's HDPTP is designed to provide workers and community members with the necessary skills and knowledge to increase worker and community safety and protect the environment and transportation infrastructure. This training ensures competent support personnel to respond to natural and man-made disasters, including those involving the release of hazardous materials. 

The IBT Consortium also participates in the NIEHS/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Worker Training Program. The IBT Consortium's DOE program provides training to a targeted population of workers within the DOE complex. These workers deliver hazardous materials to facilities, operate forklifts, tractors, trucks, and other heavy equipment on-site; repair on-site roads; haul contaminated soil; and transport radioactive material by road and rail. Seven IBT training centers and the Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program, representing nine rail unions, participate in the IBT Consortium's DOE program.

Under the DOE program, the IBT Consortium provides training that complies with the DOT and OSHA requirements for hazardous waste site workers and first responders. Training is conducted on DOE facilities and at hazardous waste and construction sites, local union halls, employer facilities, and other appropriate venues. 

 

Project Duration

  • August 1, 2020 - May 31, 2025 (HWWTP, HDPTP)
  • September 1, 2020 - July 31, 2025 (DOE)

Grant Numbers

  • U45 ES014084 (HWWTP, HDPTP)
  • UH4 ES014103 (DOE)

Other Participating Organizations