The ATEI Consortium will train public employees nationwide in safe response to hazardous materials emergencies. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees represents over 1.3 million members. Over the past five years, AFSCME has trained over 6,000 members in response to hazardous materials emergencies. This consortium is ready to immediately implement, upon award, the project proposed in this application. The main target populations include over 200,000 members who work in public works, highways, wastewater treatment, law enforcement, fire departments, sanitation and other jobs with emergency response responsibilities. We will target underserved populations, including minorities and low literacy workers. Most AFSCME members work in the Northeast and Midwest, although significant numbers also work in the West and South. The program will have a nationwide focus. ATEI's approach is based upon adult learning techniques, emphasizing participatory worker education theory and extensive hands-on activities. Members of the Consortium include the New England Consortium, the California-Arizona Consortium, the University of Maryland at Baltimore, the Greater Cincinnati Occupational Health Center and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU). The University of Alabama at Birmingham/CLEAR will act as a consultant to assist us in the South, and we will contract with the Midwest Consortium along with the University of Kentucky to conduct evaluations. We will work closely with CBTU to reach out to minority workers. ATEI's staff, resources and access to AFSCME members and their employers will be supplemented by our consortium partners, all of whom run successful training programs. We will train at least 3,500 workers in the first year at the First-on-the Scene, Operations, and Technician levels, as well in confined spaces entry. A major focus will be on conducting Train the Trainer courses. In the first year, worker-trainers will learn to conduct 8-hour First-on-the Scene courses. In later years, worker- trainers will be equipped to conduct more advanced training. Public employees in the targeted jobs are frequently involved in the response to unplanned releases of hazardous materials. They face real and potential exposure to hazardous materials while responding to these emergencies. Their current level of training is very low because many are not covered by OSHA, because their employers often have tight budgets, and because these work classifications are mistakenly not thought to be covered by the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard.
| Flum, Marian R; Siqueira, Carlos Eduardo; DeCaro, Anthony et al. (2010) Photovoice in the workplace: A participatory method to give voice to workers to identify health and safety hazards and promote workplace change-a study of university custodians. Am J Ind Med 53:1150-8 |
