Training to keep construction and environmental cleanup workers safe from hazardous materials
Official title: Hazardous Materials Worker Health and Safety Training
Funded at Center for Construction Res and Training · NIH-11132500 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program teaches construction and cleanup workers how to prevent and respond to hazardous-material exposures so they can work more safely and access job opportunities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Center for Construction Res and Training NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Silver Spring, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 1992 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $4,227,704 |
| NIH project number | 2U45ES006185-35 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132500 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are current or prospective construction and environmental remediation workers, outreach trainers, and underemployed or unemployed people in the targeted cities seeking entry into apprenticeships.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not work in construction or cleanup, cannot attend the offered trainings, or live outside the program's outreach areas are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you work in construction or environmental cleanup, this program offers hands-on safety courses, disaster-response training, and train-the-trainer sessions so more instructors can teach these skills. The plan includes thousands of course seats each year and ongoing instructor development, plus focused workforce training to help underemployed people enter union apprenticeship programs. The program supports a large network of outreach trainers who deliver disaster-related trainings across the country and uses regular evaluation to improve its courses. Placement help and city-specific workforce efforts are slated for New Orleans, Flint, Boston, Oakland, and East Palo Alto.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, workers may have fewer hazardous exposures, better protective practices, and increased access to apprenticeship jobs.
How similar studies have gone: Similar occupational health and train-the-trainer programs have a long track record of reducing workplace hazards and improving job placement, so this builds on established approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
Center for Construction Res and Training
Silver Spring, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cain, Christina Trahan — Center for Construction Res and Training
- Study coordinator: Cain, Christina Trahan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Hazardous materials training for workers at DOE nuclear weapons sites
A nationwide training program to help construction workers learn how to stay safe when handling hazardous waste, decommissioning facilities, transporting materials, and responding to chemical emergencies at DOE nuclear weapons sites.
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HazMat Disaster Response Training for Workers
A grant to develop and deliver training programs that prepare construction workers to respond safely to hazardous materials and disaster situations.
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Environmental Careers Worker Training for Hazardous Materials Workers
A program to train and educate workers who handle hazardous materials and waste, helping them stay safe on the job.
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Hazardous Materials Worker Health and Safety Training Program
A national program to train construction workers and unions on protecting themselves and their communities from hazardous materials exposure during cleanup, waste removal, and emergency response.
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Hazardous Materials Worker Health and Safety Training
A national training program helps construction workers learn safer handling of hazardous materials and improve emergency response skills.
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National Center to Improve Construction Safety and Health
A national center aims to reduce injuries and illnesses and improve well‑being for workers in the U.S. construction industry.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.