The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Program, supports the development and delivery of site-specific, quality training to workers who are involved or may be involved in hazardous substance response or emergency response at DOE nuclear weapons facilities. These training programs provide workers with the skills required to recognize and respond to the risks inherent in working at nuclear facilities and with radioactive waste and materials.

This page provides safety and health resources for workers who may be involved in the handling, disposal, and transportation of radioactive waste. Please visit our DOE Site Cleanup page for additional resources related to hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, transportation, and emergency response within the DOE nuclear weapons complex, or our Radiological Dispersion Devices (RDDs) page for additional resources related to radiological emergency response.

Training Resources

The National Clearinghouse creates training tools to aid in the development of awareness-level courses or other awareness-level materials. These tools provide health and safety guidance to those involved in disaster response and cleanup activities. Companion booklets are pocket guides that can be distributed with the training and used as a resource when workers are on a disaster site. To order hard copies of these booklets, please complete the Booklet Order Form.

Earthquake Training Tool – 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Response

This training tool addresses hazards specific to the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami response, including radiological hazards created by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

In English:

• Controlling Hazards During the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami Response(141.3MB)
• Controlling Hazards During the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami Response(5MB)

In Japanese:

• Controlling Hazards During the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami Response(47.8MB)
• Controlling Hazards During the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami Response(6MB)

RDD/Dirty Bomb Training Tool

• Protecting Yourself During a Dirty Bomb Response(5.3MB)
• Protecting Yourself During a Dirty Bomb Response(2.3MB)

WTP Awardee Resources

• International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
  • 24-Hour Radiological Control Worker II
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
  • 8-Hour Radiation Worker
  • 16-Hour Radiation Worker II
  • 24-Hour Radiation Worker II
• Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)
  • DOE Radiation Worker II

Federal Links and Documents

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Radiation Emergency Training, Education, and Tools

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

• Nuclear Waste – Absence of Key Management Reforms on Hanford’s Cleanup Project Adds to Challenges of Achieving Cost and Schedule Goals
• Radioactive Waste – DOE Has Acted to Address Delay in New Facility at Livermore Laboratory, but Challenges Remain

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• Epidemiologic Evaluation of Cancer and Occupational Exposures at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site(30KB)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• Hazardous Waste Page
• Radiation Page
• The Application of HAZWOPER to Worksite Response and Cleanup Activities

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

• 2005 Hazardous Materials Response Special Teams Capabilities and Contact Handbook(3.07MB)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

• Code of Federal Regulations Occupational Radiation Protection; Final Rule
• Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security
• Office of Environmental Management
• The Glenn T. Seaborg Institute (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
• Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Major Radiological or Nuclear Incidents: Potential Health and Medical Implications
• Radiation Emergency Medical Management Website

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

• Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex to the Response and Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plans

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Home Page

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Decontamination, Cleanup, and Associated Issues for Sites Contaminated with Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Materials(9.3MB)
• Radiation Protection Page

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Drug Information Related to Radiation Emergencies

Other

• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Radioactive Waste Page

Other Links and Documents

Radiation and Radioactive Waste – General Information

• Institute for Energy and Environmental Research: Radioactive Waste Classifications
• Nuclear Information and Resource Service:and
• WasteLink: A Guide to Radioactive Waste Resources on the Internet

Research Articles and Reports – Safety Risks and Health Effects

• Executive Summary: Reducing the Risks of High-Level Radioactive Wastes at Hanford(32KB)
• Risk of Cancer After Low Doses of Ionising Radiation: Retrospective Cohort Study in 15 Countries(116KB)
• The National Academies Press: Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation