Center for Public Health Workforce Development
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NEW RESEARCH
Applying lessons learned from the past to national disaster readiness training
When it comes to disaster, emergency and pandemic response and recovery operations, it is crucial that workers are well prepared before there is an emergency. This is one of the key research findings published by Mitchel Rosen, PhD, Director and Megan Rockafellow- Baldoni, PhD, MPH, Administrative Director of Research and Evaluation, and their colleagues in the online June 2023 edition of New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy . Work as a social determinant of worker health In order to help ensure the health and safety of workers and workplaces, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) launched the NIEHS Worker Training Program in 1987. This Program funds a network of organizations and institutions that deliver high-quality, evidence-based safety and health training across the US and surrounding territories. The Center for Public Health Workforce Development has been a part of the Worker Training Program since 1987. Preparing for the worst When disaster strikes in the United States. workers from a variety of occupational sectors answer the call, including environmental clean-up workers, first responders, health care employees, industrial or construction workers, law enforcement officers, and transportation workers. Each emergency or disaster offers unique challenges to worker safety. Whether it is a terrorist attack, chemical spill, infectious disease outbreak, wildfire, or hurricane, there are a variety of hazards that can cause injury or illness. The goal is to ensure the health and safety of disaster responders through preparation for many different scenarios, and to use lessons learned from past events to prepare for the future. For example, the HAZMAT Disaster Preparedness Training Program was established in 2005 after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Having workers already trained for many different scenarios is essential to United States emergency and disaster-response infrastructure. However, acknowledging that it may be impossible to anticipate every scenario means creating a system for providing site-specific “on-the-ground” training to responders. This requires
that each region have its own trained specialists who can respond quickly to emergencies and disasters within their vicinity, not only to aid in the response, but also to ensure other responders do so as safely as possible. The Center for Public Health Workforce Development is proud to have trained thousands of such specialists from across the Tri-state area, who have answered the call after 9/11, numerous hurricanes, infectious diseases, and environmental clean- up operations. “As disasters strike, training should be supplemented with critical site-specific training to properly prepare responders and workers during the disaster as well as provide ongoing core training to prepare for the next disaster,” Rosen explains. Identifying persistent challenges In addition to establishing the importance of a prepared workforce, Rosen and Rockafellow-Baldoni’s research takes a close look at past emergencies and disasters, noting re-occuring and persistent weaknesses in readiness. For example, the adequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) was identified as a continued weakness in disaster and emergency response. This includes not only access to PPE, but also how to use it effectively. The challenge is twofold, as “responders must be prepared with an adequate supply of appropriate and properly fitting personal protective equipment and the training so they have the knowledge and skills on the proper use,” explains Rosen. Federal guidelines are also often inadequate during an emergency, because guidelines lack the legal responsibility of regulations. For example, in March 2020 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued an alert and guidance document on identifying and controlling workplace exposure to COVID-19, that was deemed merely “advisory in nature.” A legally enforceable emergency temporary standard wasn’t issued for another fifteen months, in June 2021. Other lessons learned include ensuring communication systems are in place between offices, agencies and jurisdictions, and that information is available in multiple languages when needed. Proactive partnership building can allow responders to more effectively assist groups who are disproportionately impacted by emergencies and disasters.
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