June 1, 2005—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced at the recent National Response Plan Roll-Out Conference in Chicago a new training program designed to train skilled workers during emergency response and recovery operations.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office for Domestic Preparedness, the OSHA Disaster Site Worker Outreach Training Program was developed as a result of lessons learned following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Skilled Trades Summit in Seattle.
The program includes a 16-hour Disaster Site Worker Course, a 10-hour Construction Outreach Training Course, and a 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) course that provides the minimum level of training for workers engaged in hazardous substance removal.
