May 17-19, 2022
Virtual Workshop
Worker Training Program Sping awardee meeting and workshop preparing workers for the impacts of cliamte change through training, May 17-19, 2022, virtual

Purpose of the Awardee Meeting

The semi-annual WTP Awardee Meeting brought awardees together to provide program updates, exchange information regarding training, and discover new areas of interest to awardees.

Justice40/Environmental Justice Stakeholder Engagement Meeting 

At the conclusion of the WTP Awardee Meeting on Tuesday, May 17, a public Justice40/Environmental Justice Stakeholder Engagement Meeting was held. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold:

  1. To share information about the Justice40 Initiative and also one of the pilot programs covered under the initiative – the NIEHS Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP).
  2. To solicit your feedback and suggestions on how to enhance the program's effectiveness.


Purpose and Scope of the Workshop

The purpose of the NIEHS Spring 2022 Worker Training Program workshop was to share strategies regarding mitigating occupational hazards related to climate change; share case studies and approaches grantees have used; and provide an overview on how to conduct occupational climate vulnerability assessments. Attendees left the workshop with an increased familiarity of the many ways climate change impacts workers and an understanding of the content and approaches to best train workers, employers, and communities to prepare for and mitigate the hazards associated with climate change.

 

Agendas

Workshop Report

Presentations

WTP Awardee Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Time Topic
1:00 - 1:50 p.m. Welcome (2MB) (Recorded Webinar)
  • Sharon Beard, Demia Wright, Kathy Ahlmark, Jim Remington, Talin Barnes, NIEHS WTP
1:50 - 2:30 p.m.   Grants Management Branch (GMB) Update (457KB)  (Recorded Webinar)
  • James Williams and Jenny Greer, NIEHS GMB
2:30 - 2:40 p.m. Break
2:40 – 3:50 p.m. Current Practices in Curricula Development (651KB)  (Recorded Webinar)
SESSION MODERATOR: Demia Wright, NIEHS WTP 
  • Laura Silver (879KB), International Association of Fire Fighters 
  • Lisa Orloff, Atlantic Center for Occupational Health and Safety/World Cares Center
  • Tim Hilbert (477KB), Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training/University of Cincinnati
  • Diane Stein (135KB), The Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization
3:50 – 4:00 p.m. Break
Concurrent Meetings 
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Hazardous Waste Worker Training/Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training/Department of Energy Updates (Recorded Webinar)
  • Jim Remington and Demia Wright, NIEHS WTP 
4:00 – 5:00 p.m Climate Change and Environmental Justice Stakeholder Engagement Event (Recorded Webinar)
  • Sharon Beard (3MB), NIEHS WTP 
  • Sharunda Buchanan (306KB), HHS Environmental Justice Team 
  • Tim Fields and Joy Lee (1009KB), NIEHS WTP Clearinghouse/MDB Inc. 
  • Yodit Semu (900KB), Western Region Universities Consortium (WRUC)/UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program 
  • Beverly Wright (1MB), Ph.d., Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Consortium/Deep south Center for Environmental Justice
  • David Casavant (1MB), Sustainable Workplace Alliance 
5:00 p.m. Adjourn

Workshop: Preparing Workers for the Impacts of Climate Change through Training 

Workshop Day 1: Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Time Topic
1:00 – 1:15 p.m. Welcome (960KB)  (Recorded Webinar)
  • Sharon Beard, NIEHS WTP Director
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. Icebreaker 
  • Kenda Freeman, National Clearinghouse 
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Challenges of Climate Change for Workers and Communities (Recorded Webinar)
SESSION MODERATOR: Jim Remington, NIEHS WTP
2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Protecting the Health of All Americans in the Face of Climate Change: The New OCCHE (6MB)  (Recorded Webinar)
  • John Balbus, M.D., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OOCHE)
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Q&A Session 
3:15 – 4:00 p.m. Sharing Approaches to Address Climate Change Impacts on Workers and Communities (Recorded Webinar)
SESSION MODERATOR: Demia Wright, NIEHS WTP
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Climate Impacts on Worker Health (Mini training sessions) 
Participants attended a session for 25 mins and then switched to a second session.
  • Gavin West, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training 
    TOPIC: Heat (4MB) 
  • Kevin Riley, Ph.D., Western Region Universities Consortium
    TOPIC: Wildfires (3MB) 
  • Scott Patlovich, Dr.P.H., Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Consortium/The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston 
    TOPIC: Industrial Hygiene Training Needs Due to Climate Change (1MB)   
  • Kim Dunn and Bruce McClue, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Consortium
    TOPIC: Flooding/Hurricanes (499KB) 
  • Patricia Strizak, The New England Consortium-Civil Service Employees Association
    TOPIC: Mental Health (1MB)
5:00 – 5:15 p.m. Instructions for Day Two (Recorded Webinar)
  • Joy Lee, National Clearinghouse and Amber Mitchell, Dr.P.H., National Clearinghouse
5:15 p.m. Adjourn 

Workshop Day 2: Thursday, May 19, 2022

Time Topic
1:00 – 1:15 p.m.   Welcome Back (520KB)  (Recorded Webinar)
  • Sharon Beard, NIEHS WTP 
1:15 – 1:45 p.m. Climate Change: Unrecognized Exposures in the Post-Wildfire Environment (Recorded Webinar)
  • Dawn Bolstad-Johnson, Kaizen Safety Solutions, LLC and author of EXPOSED: Carcinogenic Exposures on the Fireground
1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Q&A Session
2:00 – 2:15 p.m. Break
2:15 – 2:45 p.m. A Tour of Flood Mitigation in Chicago: Addressing Infrastructure Needs for Worker Safety and Community Resilience (Recorded Webinar)
  • Justin Brown, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 
2:45 – 4:15 p.m. Building Plans to Address Climate Change in the Workplace (Recorded Webinar)
Joy Lee, National Clearinghouse and Amber Mitchell, Dr.P.H., National Clearinghouse
Breakouts 
Breakout sessions focused on a single scenario that unfolded over time and allowed participants to use the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Report and Climate Change Risk Assessment Checklist. 

Report Back
4:15 – 4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks (Recorded Webinar)
  • Janelle Rios, Ph.D., Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Consortium