8F    During the disaster, the role of safety and health training for responders (Intermediate)
Joseph “Chip” Hughes – NIEHS

The role of disaster response workers have increased, broad-ening into an ‘all-hazards’ approach, involving an active role in both man-made and natural disasters. This increased role brings challenges that the worker health community must address through increased education and training, as well as improved communica-tion and collaboration with and among local, regional, and state organizations, local hospitals, and the community. The Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH/DHHS) has developed numerous models for curricula development, training delivery, and program evaluation to support worker health preparedness efforts at the local level. Key to the success of these efforts is the devel-opment of local training partnerships between hazmat emergency responders, environmental cleanup workers, and safety and health professionals. The goal of the this panel will be to provide guidance in developing local training partnerships for developing health and safety training programs for all-hazards disaster preparedness.