Training to keep workers safe from hazardous waste
Official title: Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program
Funded at Center for Construction Res and Training · NIH-11132501 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program trains construction and cleanup workers to avoid and respond safely to hazardous materials and waste.
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) | $2,133,891 |
| NIH project number | 2U45ES006185-35 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132501 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are construction trades and hazardous-waste cleanup workers, union members, and others who work at remediation, decontamination, or chemical emergency sites.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not work with hazardous materials or who are not involved in cleanup or emergency response are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this training.
What this research studies
This national program creates model courses and curriculum to teach construction and remediation workers how to work safely around hazardous waste, asbestos, and chemical releases. CPWR partners with a consortium of building trades unions to deliver hands-on training at remediation sites, union training centers, and community locations. The training covers containment, personal protective equipment, confined-space safety, transportation and emergency response practices. Courses are tailored to job tasks and include follow-up and curriculum updates to help protect workers and nearby communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower worker exposures and injuries and reduce community contamination from hazardous waste incidents.
How similar studies have gone: Previous occupational safety and hazardous-materials training programs have reduced exposures and work-related injuries, and this effort builds on those established practices.
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.
-
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.