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Worker Training Program

Worker in HAZMAT suit receiving training
(Photo courtesy of Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center)

The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management , funds nonprofit organizations to develop and administer model health and safety training programs for hazardous materials or waste workers within the nuclear weapons complex.

Working Together to Deliver Quality Health and Safety Training

The NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program provides site-specific training through a partnership involving government, contractors, and labor organizations. A cornerstone of the program is the use of "worker-trainers" – employees versed in performing a given task in a hazardous environment who are trained to instruct other workers. Benefits of the partnership include:

  • Empowering stakeholders to address site-specific safety and health needs.
  • Fostering cooperation between management and workers.
  • Improving the efficiency and quality of training.
  • Improving the ability to address worker concerns.

Addressing Site-Specific Hazards

Program award recipients provide high-quality hazardous materials cleanup and emergency response training to ensure that:

  • DOE site workers are aware of the hazards that exist at DOE sites.
  • Workers are prepared to work safely in such hazardous environments to prevent accidents from occurring.
  • Workers have sufficient knowledge of their work environment and hazardous conditions to identify hazardous situations and to take appropriate actions to protect themselves, fellow workers, and the environment.

Read more about the accomplishments of the NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program in the program's 2022 - 2023 fact sheet (357KB). Additionally, a partnership fact sheet (429KB) provides information on working with award recipients for training at DOE sites.

NIEHS/DOE Program Award Recipients

The following organizations are funded through July 2025.