Individual changes.  Some of the most important results of training are in the small personal changes that we often overlook.  Our respondents made a number of such changes, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1:  Behavioral Changes

Changes in workplaces and communities.  Trainees carried their knowledge back to workplaces and communities to help implement changes that would have far-reaching implications.  Table 2 lists some of those changes.

Table 2:  Workplace and Community Changes

            Respondents played a large part in bringing about the changes listed above.  Among the actions firefighters reported taking:

·        Wrote a comprehensive confined space rescue plan.

·        Incorporated information into hospital emergency response plans.

·        Sat down with members of department and made changes to standard operating procedures.

·        Participated in a “care drill” with multiple organizations.  Assisted in drill critique of communications and operations.

·        Bought new equipment and discussed what to do with it in case employees were exposed to a hazardous chemical.

·        Employees were more aware of potential hazards and moved more slowly and carefully when responding to an incident.

·        More aware of confined space limitations.

·        Used the materials in planning department’s response to terrorism.

·        More aware of placards on vehicles carrying chemicals and how to react.

CWA members, meanwhile, reported helping to make these changes in their workplaces:

·        Recognized harmful chemicals and had them removed from work sites.

·        Worked on joint committee to revise formaldehyde policy.

·        Placed more qualified stewards on safety committee and educated them.

·        Scheduled monthly labor-management meetings to address safety issues.

·        Evaluated machines.  Wrote standard operating procedures.

·        Employer changed paints and got new ventilation system.

·        Trainee became the “go-to” person on technical advice for employer and members.

·        Increased recognition of potential hazards among those working in small shops.

Native American trainees affected the practices on their reservations:

·        Helped designate disposal areas for household chemicals.

·        Established separate storage areas for chemicals.

·        Acquired Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals on the reservation.

·        Trained for, and became part of, community emergency response team (CERT).

·        Used information from training to identify hazards for emergency response plan.

·        Trained department directors in emergency planning.

·        Tribe established staff position of Hazardous Materials Specialist to oversee response to incidents.

·        Tribal first responders approached incidents more cautiously, surveying area more thoroughly and looking for secondary devices.

Barriers to further action.  Finally, we also wanted to know what factors kept trainees from using the information they gained in the training. 

·        Firefighters faced few obstacles because their employers sent them to CLEAR specifically to learn new skills and procedures.  Their business was safety, and the training was directly related to what they did every day on the job.

·        CWA trainees often returned to the job ready to implement changes, but encountered some resistance from employers.  They had fewer opportunities to reach members because many companies were not receptive to the idea of workers training other workers.  Local unions could rarely afford to pay lost time for safety training, and members were less interested in attending safety training on their own time.

·        Native American trainees often worked in more isolated locations, and lacked the time and funds to carry out some of the training or changes they desired.

The three groups of trainees face different hazards on their jobs and in their communities, but the survey affirms that they share one commonality:  CLEAR training is having an immediate and important impact in their lives.  Next year, we hope to follow this study with a more comprehensive survey that tells us how we can help trainees after they leave the classroom.