Building Capacity for Ebola and Infectious Disease Training in the US: The NIEHS WTP Ebola Biosafety Worker Training Program

In response to the demand for Ebola and PPE training, and building on more than 20 years of experience in hazardous materials training, including infectious disease education, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program (WTP) began the NIEHS Ebola Bio-Safety Worker Training Program in the fall of 2014.

As part of this new program, NIEHS will complete a biohazard training needs assessment, coordinate communications and training materials and build expertise for training and communication of infectious disease threats inside and outside of healthcare facilities.  This unique program, which includes a collaborative interagency review process, aims to build national capacity for pandemic preparedness and response for a broad spectrum of potential infectious disease conditions while emphasizing worker health and safety.

To address the increased demand for PPE and Ebola related training, NIEHS has developed an awareness level training to provide information on recognizing hazards associated with potential Ebola exposure.  For workers potentially exposed to infected body fluids, NIEHS developed an operations level course, which provides information on recognizing and mitigating hazards associated with high risk activities.  All training materials emphasize the importance of donning and doffing PPE and incorporate best practices for multiple infectious disease threats.

Discussion will include an overview of the new WTP Ebola Bio-safety awareness program, challenges in developing biosafety training for multiple infectious disease threats, and mechanisms to increase coordination and collaboration in health and safety training delivery.  Additional discussion will describe results of an assessment of biosafety training needs across the US.