TRAINING PLAN: Ports Worker Training Initiative The California-Arizona Consortium (CAC)1, recently expanded to include the University of Washington, will partner with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to implement a new West Coast Ports Worker Training Initiative. The initiative will expand the scope and target population of the CAC by adapting existing NIEHS curricula to address hazmat and security concerns facing frontline workers at ports that rank among the largest in the world. This initiative will augment prevention and preparedness efforts at the ports, a high risk setting for attacks and for hazmat emergencies given the large flow of global cargo and the small number (4-6%) of containers that are inspected.2 Creation of materials and delivery of training will be closely coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security and with related local, state and federal agencies through the Area Maritime Security Committees. The program will facilitate deterrence of disasters by educating workers to identify risks, enhance appropriate response in the event of a disaster, and enable workers to interface appropriately with the emergency response system. The CAC will develop and implement a model program on the West Coast that can then be implemented at ports nationwide. The program will utilize a worker train the trainer approach to enhance sustainability after the grant ends and will coordinate where possible with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters/National Labor College (IBT/NLC) consortium to include truck drivers and rail workers3 in regional efforts to improve hazmat and security plans for all intermodal transport workers at the ports.
