Oil Spill Response Using in Situ Burning: E-learning for Responder Safety and Effectiveness

NIEHS Grant: R43ES028147

James O’Brien, Ph.D.

Oil spill response is a relatively infrequent activity that is fraught with hazards. This project will develop an e-learning platform to educate workers about skills related to oil spill response during in situ burning events. This educational tool uses a variety of approaches to maximize effectiveness including written materials, videos, audio, virtual hands-on scenarios, and interactive forums. Researchers are exploring and evaluating the effectiveness of various combinations of visual, auditory, virtual, interactive, and other educational approaches. This tool will provide a new approach to meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training for in situ burning so that workers can be trained quickly during an emergency response.