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Principal Investigator / Institution

Peter Raynor, Ph.D.

Peter Raynor, Ph.D.

Tel 612-625-7135
[email protected]

 

Program Contact

Jennifer Meyer

Jennifer Meyer

Project Coordinator
[email protected]

 

Program Description

Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training

The Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training (MWC) (MWC) provides model training programs to workers and residents who may be exposed to hazardous substances. This programming is delivered by 13 training centers in 9 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Eight of the centers are equipment-based centers that focus most strongly on HAZWOPER and related training for workers at designated hazardous waste sites; treatment, storage, and disposal facilities; and in a broad range of emergency response roles. The five remaining centers are community-based centers that focus on helping workers and residents to recognize and react to hazardous materials in their communities. 

The long-term goal of the MWC is to improve occupational and environmental health and safety practices throughout the region it serves. In the shorter-term, the MWC's objective is to build capacity for workers to improve health and safety practices at their workplaces and for communities of workers and residents to recognize, prepare for, and recover from environmental exposures.

The experienced, creative, and dedicated trainers at MWC centers have successfully trained hundreds of thousands of workers since 1987, increasing their collective training output over time and demonstrating important impacts.  The centers provide training to workers at industrial sites, government agencies, Tribal nations, healthcare systems, and elsewhere and to residents affiliated with faith-based groups, non-profit and community organizations, and neighborhood associations. Reported impacts of training demonstrate significant benefits to public health, particularly in the prevention and control of hazardous substances. Participants indicate that they learn how to act more safely and return to their workplaces and communities after training with a motivation to implement new procedures so that fundamental change will occur.

Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP)

The 13 training centers that comprise the MWC HWWTP provide model training to workers and residents who may be exposed to hazardous substances. The goal of the MWC HWWTP is to protect and improve the health and safety of workers and communities throughout the region it serves. The objective of the program is to increase the knowledge and skills of the region's workers and residents who may be exposed to known and newly recognized hazardous materials by facilitating interactive, hands-on training. The specific aims for the MWC HWWTP for the next five years are to incorporate innovative training strategies and tactics into programming, develop and implement worker and community member training related to individual resilience, and design and deliver training programs related to workplace and community resilience.

Project Duration

  • August 13, 2025 - May 31, 2030 (HWWTP)

Grant Numbers

  • U45 ES006184 (HWWTP)

Other Participating Organizations