Principal Investigator / Institution
Shari L. Glines-Allen
Program Description
Since 1987, the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) Center for Worker Health and Safety Education along with its eleven-member, union-based Consortium has developed a nationally recognized hazardous materials training program. The Consortium represents a broad cross-section of workers across the United States, spanning industries where hazardous substance releases may occur, from ammonia releases in meatpacking facilities to school or hospital lab spills. ICWUC’s training efforts focus on chemical emergency responders and personnel at hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, equipping them with the skills needed to contain and clean up dangerous releases in their workplaces.
A robust and experienced train-the-trainer component is a cornerstone of the ICWUC Consortium, with nearly all educational staff having served as worker trainers themselves. This foundation ensures that training is both practical and deeply informed by real-world experience. The Consortium has a proud history of collaboration, partnering with a wide range of organizations and award recipients across its projects, and actively welcomes opportunities to engage with non-traditional partners. Importantly, the success of these efforts is made possible through the vital support provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), whose continued investment has empowered the Consortium to expand its reach and impact nationwide.
NIEHS/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Worker Training Program
The ICWUC Consortium is committed to protecting thousands of DOE workers who face daily exposure to a wide range of hazardous substances. Central to this mission is the development of a skilled cadre of worker trainers who bring firsthand experience and credibility to the training process. The Consortium provides specialized training for workers currently engaged in—or with the potential to be assigned to—demolition, decommissioning, and decontamination projects at DOE nuclear weapons facilities. This work is strengthened by long-standing relationships with site leadership and contractors who share the Consortium’s commitment to advancing worker health and safety through high-quality training initiatives.
The Consortium delivers DOE site-specific training to help workers and communities protect themselves during a chemical release. This training raises the DOE site sufficiency and their surrounding communities by offering training from DOE worker trainers. The ICWUC Consortium uses adult education techniques that rely on the knowledge of trainees to teach key health and safety principles in a non-threatening and engaging way. These techniques are also helpful in motivating trainees to improve their worksites cooperatively with leadership and employing contractors to ensure each DOE site’s safety and security.
The ICWUC Consortium currently delivers training at four DOE facilities: Hanford, Washington; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Workers at these sites are exposed to a variety of hazards – including radiation, heavy metals, solvents, and acid gases – through their normal work, as well as due to significant hazardous wastes on-site, accidental releases, and other incidents in these aging plants. These sites are fully operational and rely on on-site, experienced DOE worker trainers (Hanford, Oak Ridge, and Kansas City), while Los Alamos National Laboratory uses experienced staff and trainers that have successfully completed their onsite instructor apprenticeship protocols.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is a significant partner in these efforts, representing members at two of the sites. Classes include a range of Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)-related classes, including a Superfund Site Worker course; 16-hour bridge classes for workers transferring into regulated areas; and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) classes, with all covered workers taking an eight-hour refresher class annually.
DOE worker trainers are a cost-effective resource to the contractor and local union. DOE worker trainers are an invaluable resource for colleagues and managers and frequently answer requests for their opinions on the appropriate practices, procedures, and equipment about health and safety concerns. Worker trainers also facilitate various workplace changes through the joint efforts of trainers, participants, contractors, and site leadership. The ICWUC Consortium will encourage continual learning, mentorship, and development for trainers by hosting trainer development classes and a DOE trainers exchange.
Project Duration
- September 1, 2025 - July 31, 2030 (DOE)
Grant Numbers
- UH4 ES009758 (DOE)
Other Participating Organizations (https://cbtu.nationbuilder.com/)
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (https://www.goiam.org/)
- International Chemical Workers Union
- (http://www.ufcw.oUniversity of Cincinnati (https://www.uc.edu/)