Top Row (l-r)John Wooding, Professor, UML, Paul Morse, TNEC, Craig Slatin, TNEC, Jack Luskin (First TNEC Project Manager) and Brian Mitchell NH COSH Bottom Row: Chip Hughes, NIEHS, Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, MassCOSH, Sharon Beard, NIEHS, Jim McIntyre, EMD Millipore

 
   Faced with the challenge of capturing TNEC's first 25 years of achievements, Executive Committee Co-Chairs, Paul Morse and Brian Mitchell emphasized four program hallmarks: quality, diversity, empowerment and commitment. Mr. Morse, Project Director and Co-PI cited the outstanding efforts by current and former trainers and project personnel from TNEC's many partnering organizations to develop an evergreen training design and curriculum. "We work each year to adapt to changes in work environments by revising and customizing content that meets the needs of a diverse workforce: people embarking on new careers, veteran workers from numerous backgrounds, professions and experience levels, and virtual experts in their respective fields and subject areas. These men and women face typical hazards that have not changed in centuries to new threats emerging from evolving technologies and more complex composition of materials."

   "We are committed to safety and empowering workers on-the-job," added Mr. Mitchell, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NHCOSH) and President of the National COSH Board. "We reinforce this through training and we support it in practice at all levels of our society. The participatory, hands-on, experience-based training design builds upon the knowledge base and skills we bring to work each day and encourages us to think about how we best protect ourselves, one another, and our communities."

   UMass Lowell Executive Vice Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney warmly welcomed everyone to the event held in historic Cumnock Hall. Over 100 celebrants attended, including former trainees, current University students, employees and faculty, and current and former staff and representatives from companies who rely on TNEC's award winning training. They joined advisory board members, health and safety advocates, earlier TNEC leaders and other notable guests as part of a half day celebration that included a keynote address from Dr. Craig Slatin, Professor and Principal Investigator for TNEC.

   At UMass Lowell Dr. Slatin has advanced teaching and research in occupational and environmental public health policy.  His research has addressed health and safety training evaluation, health disparities - particularly within the healthcare workforce, and the political economy of the work environment.  Dr. Slatin spoke about the need for young professionals to participate in the training and advocacy of workers' rights and health and safety on the job.  "Look at the age of most of us in this room...we need to actively engage in efforts to bring young people into the field so that they can become the next generation of leaders advocating for workers' rights to a healthy and safe workplace as well as healthy environments where they and their families live", Slatin commented.

   As a perfect segue, Dr. Slatin made it a point to recognize the participation of a table full of young activists from MassCOSH's Teens Lead @ Work initiative which is helping empower future leaders. TL@W provides an environment where teens develop their organizing skills, reach out to other teen workers, and promote safe, healthy work and strong enforcement of the Child Labor Laws. The program builds bridges among native-born, documented and undocumented teens in the fight for young worker rights.
A panel of speakers followed Dr. Slatin's address, including Sharon Beard, an Industrial Hygienist in the Worker Education and Training Program of the Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT) at NIEHS, Chip Hughes, Director of the federal safety and health training program based at NIEHS, Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, MassCOSH Executive Director and Jim McIntosh, Occupational Health and Safety Technologist at EMD Millipore. The panel addressed important aspects of health and safety as they impact us moving forward into the future.

   The New England Consortium (TNEC), a university-community partnership based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the School of Health and Environment, includes university staff and faculty, five Coalitions for Occupational Safety and Health (ConnectiCOSH, MassCOSH, NHCOSH, RICOSH, and Western MassCOSH), and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) of New York, Local 1000, Inc. of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). TNEC has been working since 1987 to provide top quality, participatory hands-on HAZWOPER training to workers throughout the region. The COSH organizations also provide a diversified set of health and safety training programs for labor union members, community organizations, school employees and other groups and individuals. CSEA represents almost 300,000 workers in state, county and municipal departments.
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     Students participate in a round table discussion at the June, 2013 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Site Personnel Basic Health and Safety Course.  With over 15 students attending trainers lead the students through hands-on , participatory

Students participate in a round table discussion at the June, 2013 40-Hour

health and safety training.  With simulated work tasks and mock incidents, students gained a better understanding of work site hazards and how to properly respond in an emergency situation. 
   One participant commented on their evaluation, "I have never experienced such good and enthusiastic teachers and staff.  That includes my entire time at college.  I didn't expect to have so much fun learning and I am actually sad to see the week end."
     

  One trainee commented, " Mr. Fitts and Mr. Burns are very knowledgeable and get their point across very well."    

 

Mass State Police attend 8-Hour Site Worker Refresher 

 

TNEC Adjunct Trainer Steve Corbett works with Massachusetts State Police Truck Unit.

   Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section "Truck Team" takes the time out of very busy schedules to refresh their skills in an 8-Hour Site Worker Refresher held in June, 2013.  Two troopers work with TNEC Adjunct trainer Steve Corbett on air monitoring.  

(L) Steve Corbett, TNEC Adjunct Trainer and (R) Neal Hawley, Western MassCOSH

   TNEC is pleased to announce the hiring of three exceptional trainers to our TNEC family.

   Steve Corbett is a retired Captain with the Northampton Massachusetts Fire Department in a career that spanned 34 years.  Steve is a founding member of the MA state run HAZMAT Response System for over 16 years and attended numerous Centers for Domestic Preparedness (NCDP) first responder courses.  Mr. Corbett was an instructor for the Massachusetts Fire Academy for close to 26 years. Steve will be an adjunct trainer for TNEC

   Neil Hawley will work with WesternMassCOSH and TNEC.  Mr. Hawley has over thirty years experience as a firefighter and trainer and worked for the Springfield, Mass. Fire Department from 1979-2008 as a Firefighter, EMT, arson investigator, Hazardous-Materials team instructor and public educator.  Mr. Hawley is Certified by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and Certified by the National Firefighting Academy as a Fire Service Instructor, a Public Fire and Life Safety Educator and an instructor for all levels of First Aid, CPR and AED by the American Red Cross and an instructor for all levels of CPR/AED by the American Heart Association.  
   Mr. Hawley has a wide range of experience and taught first responders and emergency medical Technicians since 1977 at Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College and the Springfield Fire Department.

   Mr. Hawley has been awarded Firefighter of the Year by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Fire and Life Safety Instructor of the Year by Mass Department of Fire Services. Neil will also train and work with our consortium partner Western MassCOSH, Springfield, Mass.

   With their outstanding skills all three are a wonderful addition to TNEC and our current group of trainers continuing to provide quality training with the program are, Mike Fitts (ConnectiCOSH), Jimmy Smith (NH COSH), Bob Burns (MassCOSH), Paddy Dennehy (RI COSH), and Bridget McGuiness and Tom Estabrook (UMass Lowell).

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    Each year on Workers' Memorial Day, workers and unions around the world pause to remember those who have been killed, injured or made ill by unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions and rededicate ourselves to the fight for safe jobs.
   In New Hampshire the NH COSH took time to, Remember those who lost their lives while on the job.  Held at their offices in Hooksett, NH many state elected officials attended the event.  Speakers included; Rose Ohar, Director Concord OSHA office, Martin Jenkins, NH Department of Labor, Governor Maggie Hassan, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter and Representative Ann McLane Kuster.
   MassCOSH held a memorial commemoration 'Honoring fallen workers, Fighthing for the living' a Moment of Silence was held for those whose lives where lost in 2012-13.  The welcome address was Rich Rogers, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Greater Boston Labor Council.  Along with Western MassCOSH and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO 'Dying for Work in Massachusetts'  a report compiled to highlight the fact that work continues to kill and maim workers in epidemic and alarming numbers.  The saddest aspect to this loss in lives and limbs is that work-related injuries and illnesses are preventable.
   ConnectiCOSH and RI COSH participated in statewide events in commemoration of Workers Memorial Day.

   TNEC has provided excellent training to federal and state agencies, small businesses and large multi-national corporations for over 18 years.  Many companies and agencies over the years have sent multiple employees to our 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Site Health and Safety courses and the 8-Hour refresher.  To thank our loyal customers and for those who are choosing us for the first time and who send more than three employees to our trainings over a one year period, we will begin to offer up to a 15% discount on the price of the course.  To find out if you are eligible for the discount pricing contact David Coffey, Training Manager at 978.934.3296 or David_Coffey@uml.edu or Therese O'Donnell 978.934.3329 or Therese_Odonnell@uml.edu.
NOTE: TNEC changes its Refresher curriculum each year, beginning in September, so that students returning to TNEC year after year for their Refresher training are presented with new materials each time.
   From September 1, 2012, through August 31, 2013, the curriculum for the Site Worker Refresher includes Reviews of: Student Work History for the Past Year, the HAZWOPER Standard, use of the NIOSH Pocket Guide & MSDS's, Air Monitoring, Respiratory Protection & PPE, Decon and Spill Control. Also included is a HAZWOPER Review Game and the consideration by students of actions they might take to improve safety when they return to work. The Refresher concludes with a final Table-Top Activity relating to the evaluation of a storage facility where several units, for which rents are in arrears and the contents of which are to be auctioned, are suspected to contain hazardous materials/wastes and how removal of same should proceed.

   

MassCOSH

  Standing Together for Safe and Healthy Work

 

  
Contact:   Diane Malachowski, Manager Region 1 OTIEC, oshaed@keene.edu                         175 Ammon Drive, Manchester, NH 03103-3308  

   The New England Consortium (TNEC) is the region's model Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Worker Health and Safety training organization.  Since 1987, TNEC has provided dynamic hands-on, participatory health and safety training to over 24,000 workers.

   TNEC is one of 20 programs administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Education Training Program.

   TNEC is a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the Coalitions/Committees for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and the Civil Service Employees Association of New York (CSEA Occupational Safety and Health), Local 1000, AFSCME

   In addition to providing HAZWOPER training, COSH groups work on a variety of worker health and safety training and other issues.

To learn more, call your local COSH group:

   Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read our newsletter.  We hope to keep you safe and healthy with information that will protect you on the job.

This work is partially supported under NIEHS grant number:

2 U45 ESOO6172-19