Target populations for training programs funded by the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) include those who may face language, cultural, and literacy barriers to employment – including immigrants, minorities, and non-English speaking workers. Many WTP-funded training programs have bilingual instructors, offer English as a Second Language components, and provide training materials in languages other than English in order to meet the needs of non-English speaking trainees. In addition, several WTP disaster response training tools have been translated into multiple languages, helping to ensure that workers receive health and safety information in a language and vocabulary they understand. Links to these foreign language materials are located below, along with additional resources that address safety and health training for non-English speaking workers, and language and literacy issues in underserved worker populations.
Training Resources
WTP Foreign Language Training Materials
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. Several of these training tools and booklets are available in more than one language. The following list indicates the various training tool topics and the languages in which they are available. Please click on the links below to access and download these materials from the relevant disaster response page:
- Earthquake Training Tool – General Earthquake Response: English, Haitian Creole, Spanish (Español)
- Earthquake Training Tool – 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Response: English, Japanese
- Hurricane Training Tool*: English, Spanish (Español), Vietnamese
- Mold Remediation Training Tool*: English, Spanish (Español)
- Oil Spill Cleanup Training Tool: English, Spanish (Español), Vietnamese
- Pathogen Safety Data Training Module: English, Spanish (Español)
*Additional training resources on hurricane/flood cleanup hazards and mold remediation are available in Spanish (Español) and Vietnamese on our Hurricanes & Floods page.
The WTP, with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has also developed three unique sets of awareness-level training materials – one for disaster workers, one for disaster supervisors, and one for disaster care providers – that are designed to educate and empower those impacted by disasters to recognize signs and symptoms of disaster work-related stress, obtain support through an employer/organization or community resources, and build resilience by understanding stress reduction and coping strategies. These materials and related fact sheets are available in both English and Spanish (Español). Please visit our Responder & Community Resilience page to access and download these materials.
WTP Award Recipient Resources
- CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training
- UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program
Other NIEHS Resources
- Environmental Justice and Hazardous Waste Worker Training Programs: 15 Years of Investment in Environmental Justice(1.49MB)
- Minority Worker Training Program: Guidance on How to Achieve Successes and Best Practices(8.04MB)
- The Economic Impact of the Environmental Career Worker Training Program(1.55MB)
WTP Technical Workshops
- Spring 2011 Technical Workshop – Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned: Improving Safety and Health Training for Disaster Cleanup Workers
- 2010 Conference on Environmental Justice, Air Quality, Goods Movement, and Green Jobs: Evolution and Innovation
- Fall 2010 Technical Workshop – Back to the Basics
- Fall 2009 Technical Workshop – Global Safety and Health Issues and Their Impact on Worker Training
- Spring 2006 Technical Workshop – Learning from Disasters: Health and Safety Training in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
- Fall 2003 Technical Workshop – Training from the Inside Out: Assessing and Refining Our Programs
- Spring 2001 NIEHS/OSHA Joint Technical Workshop – Best Practices for Worker Training