In Richland, Washington, a newly graduated class of hazardous materials workers is ready to enter the workforce. The group of employees is going to work at the Hanford site, and will support deactivation and demolition efforts. The Hanford site is a decommissioned nuclear complex in Washington State. The employees have been training for the past five weeks at a training facility in Richland.

The employees have received extensive safety training. In addition, they have also been trained in proper handling procedures for asbestos, lead, beryllium and radioactive material. All these substances are highly toxic. Asbestos is a known carcinogen linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma, among other crippling medical conditions.

While they are happy to have extensive training, many Hanford employees are eager to get to work at the Hanford site. “[I’m] kind of anxious to get out there and be a part of everything” said Robert Valdez, new employee.

The training program is coordinated by current Hanford workers, who are in charge of training the new hires. Current employees show the rookies how to use equipment, and prepare them for the day to day work at the site. “We’re out there in the field. We’re hands on experience, teaching them the secrets of the trade and everything else so we can pass it on to them so they don’t have to go through the long learning curve as others have” said Paul Phillis, a trainer for the program.

The training program is important, as it has created new job opportunities. About one-third of the new employees were previously unemployed. Other trainees had previous work experience at construction companies, department stores and coffee shops.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.