A Cross-Sectional Survey of Workers and Their Training Needs at 29 Hazardous Waste Sites

Abstract

To better understand hazardous waste remediation workers and their training needs, 115 workers from 29 sites in Southern California were interviewed. Using a snowball sampling procedure, respondents from the following categories were sought at each site: project managers, prime contractors, subcontractors, safety officers, and on-line workers. The sample as a whole was predominantly young and well educated, 84 percent were male, and over 80 percent were nonunion. Forty-four percent of on-line workers were at a hazardous waste site for the first time. Actual cleanup activity was limited at the sites sampled; only 7 sites had more than 10 workers on site full-time. A variety of chemicals were reported on these sites, including chlorinated hydrocarbons, petroleum products, heavy metals, and asbestos. Air purifying respirators and dust masks were the most commonly reported types of respiratory protection. All of the prime contractors reported having an emergency response plan, 96 percent reported having a medical surveillance program, and 89 percent reported having a site-specific health and safety plan. Among respondents from the same sites there was considerable disagreement about whether there was a site-specific health and safety plan, about what chemicals were present on each site, and whether there were workers on site in need of Spanish-language training. These inconsistencies may indicate gaps in training and communication. Almost all respondents had received the required 40 hours of off-site training, but 20 percent reported that hands-on field exercises were not included. Participation in the required 3 days of on-site training was reported by 66 percent. The authors conclude that lack of experience, the sporadic nature of hazardous waste site cleanup work, and high turnover present special challenges to the implementation of an effective health and safety training program. Further investigation is needed to develop assessment tools that can be used by trainers to characterize worksite conditions and training needs.