Who we are...

The Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training has been funded since 1987 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to develop, present and evaluate model worker training programs to help employers comply with 29 CFR 1910.120.

The Midwest Consortium has established a policy to conform with ANSI/ASSE Z490.1-2001, Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health, and Environmental Training.

Training centers in KY,IL, IN, MI, OH, MN, WI, TN and ND serve the regional needs of employees and employers. Partnerships with community organizations ensure that information is available to residents who live near hazardous materials or transportation routes.

MWC Members Receive NIEHS Recognition


New Tools and Programs
Hurricane Katrina Clean-up
The Midwest Consortium has resources to help train those involved in the Hurricane cleanup. Training centers have offered mobile units, training courses and have sent trainers to the hurricane clean-up areas. Several training centers have trainers who have been deployed to the area to help in the aftermath of the hurricane. One of our training centers has offered to give training at their institution and local businesses have offered food and housing to trainees who come to the institution. For more information on hurricane clean-up please access www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/katrina/.

Safety Awareness for Katrina Responders
UAB has created an online course to provide communication workers with the basics needed to protect themselves as they respond to the request to help the victims of Katrina recover from the effects of the storms destruction. Visit http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=84132 for more information.

16-Hour Disaster/Terrorism Preparedness
This class is for emergency responders who might have to respond to a terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction. The entire session is run as an exercise.

Topics Covered:
 Incident Command System
 Communication
 Zones of the incident
 Chemical, biological, and radiological agents
 PPE
 Monitoring
 Decontamination
Hospital Decontamination
This program is geared towards emergency receivers at hospitals. We discuss their duties and limitations and go over the Incident Command System. You'll learn about levels of Personal Protective Equipment, how to select the right one, and how to put it on and take it off properly. We'll go over different kinds of decontamination shelters and procedures, and finish up with a simulation tying all aspects of the program together.

PPE
This 4-hour program is designed to assure adequate practice with appropriate personal protective equipment that may be used as part of emergency response or remediation of hazardous materials. Examples include SCBA, chemical protective clothing, Level A dressout.


Why we do this...
When Congress reauthorized the Superfund program in 1986 and directed OSHA to develop worker protection regulations for handling hazardous waste, it also authorized a division of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), to fund model worker training programs. Congress intended these programs to lead the way in developing a highly trained workforce capable of safely handling the cleanup of hazardous waste site and other incidents in which hazardous materials are involved.This midwest region represents we serve more than 20% of U.S. workers.

What we do...
Our programs move beyond the pencil and paper classroom approach to actual hands-on field exercises using state-of-the-art equipment. In many programs, students practice and must demonstrate their ability to perform in fully encapsulated personal protective suits or in self-contained breathing apparatus. Others employ appropriate simulations of hazardous materials incidents and demonstrations of chemical reactions students might encounter on the job.

What you get...
All programs include rigorous evaluation to document achievement as well as ongoing monitoring by the NIEHS to maintain top quality training on consistent basis.
Kudos from the latest review by experts for NIEHS:
 an impressive range and diversity of courses
 the training program is rich and varied
 interactive and demonstration labs are a major focus
 interaction and problem solving methods are emphasized over lecture
 strong technical expertise is demonstrated
 rated as outstanding
The intent is to provide the best possible programs fitted to the individual needs of trainees, management and the general public. Reflecting a commitment to providing the best in worker protection, the Midwest Consortium programs often exceed the minimum time and subject matter requirements. Programs can also be tailored to an employer's special training needs.
Copyright, MWC 2007
This page was last updated on Thu Dec 27,2007