National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Training Program MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING CRITERIA Guidance for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) and HAZWOPER-Supporting Training Based on the NIEHS/WTP Fall 2017 National Technical Workshop, Ensuring Up-to-Date Guidance: Revising the NIEHS Minimum Health and Safety Training Criteria JUNE 2018 FOREWORD The development of this document was based on a series of national technical workshops sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program (WTP), formerly known as the Worker Education and Training Program. The first workshop was conducted in 1990 and produced the initial “Minimum Criteria for Worker Health and Safety Training for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response,” better known as the “Minimum Criteria.” This was followed by a second workshop in 1994 to develop interpretive guidance to the Minimum Criteria. The initial Minimum Criteria served as the basis for the nonmandatory Appendix E to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard at 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.120. A third workshop was held in 2005 to update the 1994 Minimum Criteria guidance. At that point, the document was updated to address advances in the development and application of “advanced training technologies,” and attention to all-hazards preparedness training for the emergency response community following 9/11 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Twelve years later, on Oct. 17 – 18, 2017, the WTP held a fourth workshop on the Minimum Criteria that focused on the following issues: e-learning, collateral duty, proficiency assessment, instructor development, evaluation, disaster training, infectious disease training, and evergreening of curricula. The workshop was attended by more than 110 participants, which included WTP staff and awardees. The workshop format included an opening speaker; breakout sessions on the above eight topic areas, some existing in the Minimum Criteria document and some new; report-backs from the breakout sessions; small group activities; and a closing plenary on compliance challenges and best practices in compliance with the document. A draft updated Minimum Criteria document was prepared following the workshop (Photo courtesyasdlfkjsladkfj of Western Region Universities Consortium [WRUC]) and sent to all participants for review and comment. This final guidance document was prepared and issued based on the comments received. This guidance document is intended to serve as the quality control basis for the training grants awarded by the WTP. While it can be used now, WTP awardees will be required to follow this version of the Minimum Criteria (Cover photos [from left to right] courtesy of OAI; WRUC; and document as of August 2020. CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 2 1 ACRONYMS 6 2 DEFINITIONS 7 3 BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION 10 4 PURPOSE 13 5 SCOPE 14 6 APPLICATION 15 7 ORGANIZATION 16 WORKER TRAINING PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF EXCELLENCE 17 8 8.1 Characteristics of Excellence .............................................................................................17 8.1.1 Accuracy ...................................................................................................................17 8.1.2 Credibility .................................................................................................................17 8.1.3 Comprehensive .........................................................................................................18 8.1.4 Clarity .......................................................................................................................18 8.1.5 Practicality ................................................................................................................18 8.2 Principles of Adult Education Applicable to HAZWOPER .....................................................19 3 MINIMUM TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGN CRITERIA 21 9 9.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................21 9.2 Assumptions......................................................................................................................21 9.3 Core Criteria ......................................................................................................................23 9.3.1 Training Director .......................................................................................................23 9.3.2 Training Facility .........................................................................................................23 9.3.3 Instructional Staff .....................................................................................................23 9.3.4 Training Course Materials and Content ......................................................................25 9.3.5 Trainees ....................................................................................................................26 9.3.6 Instructor-Trainee Ratios ...........................................................................................27 9.3.7 Proficiency Assessment ............................................................................................27 9.3.7.1 Initial Training ..................................................................................................27 9.3.7.2 Refresher Training ...........................................................................................28 9.3.7.3 Representative Good Practice for Proficiency Assessment ................................29 9.3.8 Course Certificate .....................................................................................................30 9.3.9 Recordkeeping ..........................................................................................................30 9.3.10 Program Quality Control ..........................................................................................31 TRAINING PROGRAM QUALITY CONTROL CRITERIA 32 10 10.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................32 10.2 Training Plan ...................................................................................................................32 10.3 Training Program Management ........................................................................................33 10.4 Training Facilities and Resources .....................................................................................33 10.5 Instructional Technologies ...............................................................................................34 10.5.1 Technology Literacy and User-Friendliness ..............................................................34 10.6 Quality Control Program Assessment ...............................................................................35 10.7 Annual Update .................................................................................................................35 10.8 Trainees ..........................................................................................................................36 10.8.1 Trainees Engaged in Technology-Enhanced Learning .............................................36 10.9 Instructional Environment and Administrative Support .....................................................36 10.10 Program Evaluation .......................................................................................................36 10.10.1 Process Evaluation ................................................................................................37 10.10.2 Outcome Evaluations ............................................................................................38 10.10.3 Impact Evaluation .................................................................................................38 10.10.4 Evaluation Model: Kirkpatrick Model ....................................................................39 4 GENERIC MINIMUM TRAINING CURRICULUM GUIDELINES 40 11 11.1 Hazardous Waste Operations [1910.120(b)-(o)] ................................................................40 11.1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................40 11.1.2 Initial Training .........................................................................................................40 11.1.2.1 General Site Workers .....................................................................................41 11.1.2.2 Occasional Site Workers ................................................................................41 11.1.3 Annual Refresher ....................................................................................................42 11.1.4 On-Site Considerations ...........................................................................................43 11.2 RCRA/TSD [1910.120(p)] ................................................................................................43 11.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................43 11.2.2 Initial Training .........................................................................................................44 11.2.2.1 Initial Off-Site Training