The objective of this cooperative effort between the George Meany Center for Labor Studies, seven rail unions, the AFL-CIO Department of Occupational Safety and Health, the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, and the Railway Labor Executives' Association is to develop and sustain a training program for rail workers involved in the transportation of hazardous materials and-hazardous waste. This program is intended to provide a model for hazardous materials training for rail workers, since training equivalent to that described in the NIEHS Minimum Criteria for Worker Health and Safety Training for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response is not available from other sources. The target populations are 164,000 members of seven rail unions representing conductors, engineers, brakemen, switchmen, yardmasters, maintenance of way workers, signalmen, carmen, firemen and oilers. Eight to 16 hours of awareness level training will be offered to 3,660 workers from these crafts who are responsible for recognizing a hazardous materials release, initiating an emergency process, and informing first responders. In particular, operating crew members may not be required to take further action, but correct initial actions i can prevent a small scale incident from changing into a larger and more serious event for workers, the community and the environment. Special sessions will be scheduled for limited English speaking and Native American workers. This training also will assist in building a broad base of rail worker support for improved protection from exposures to hazardous materials and hazardous wastes. Through an agreement with the International Chemical Workers' Union Center for Worker Health and Safety Education, 32-hours of hazardous waste/chemical emergency response training will be provided for 288 maintenance of way workers, signalmen, carmen and oilers, who are involved on wreck crews and post emergency response. The ICWU also will assist with 40-hour general hazardous waste operations training for 48 maintenance of way workers during the third year.
| Orr, M F; Kaye, W E; Zeitz, P et al. (2001) Public health risks of railroad hazardous substance emergency events. J Occup Environ Med 43:94-100 |
