University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 25, March 27



            OSHA course focuses on containment and cleanup
     
     Late on a cold and windy winter evening, a scene
unfolds in the parking lot behind Penny Hall that appears,
on the surface, to have all the potential for a minor
environmental disaster.
     A 55-gallon drum, containing what is thought to be
waste methyl ethyl ketone, has been accidentally knocked
over, and its contents ooze onto the paved surface of the
parking lot, ominously heading in the direction of a nearby
storm drain.
     The area surrounding the spill has been cordoned off
with red caution tape, and a group of individuals, suited in
protective clothing, are working against time to contain the
seepage before it spreads underground.
     Although the individuals working to secure the leaking
drum and contain the spreading substance look and act like
professionals, they are actually students in "OSHA 40 Hour
Training," a new, three-credit course in the Certificate of
Environmental Studies (CES) program, offered jointly by the
Department of Geology and the Division of Continuing
Education.
     Designed and taught by John Wik, chairperson of CES,
the course offers students both in-class instruction and
hands-on experience in the field.
     The OSHA class is one of the core requirements for the
CES certificate program, which grew out of a series of
seminars first offered in 1991 to address the educational
concerns of businesses and regulatory agencies in connection
with environmental issues.
     The success of the seminars, combined with the interest
of professionals from the fields of business, law, medicine
and government regulators led to the formation, in 1993, of
the noncredit certificate program, which has provided more
than 1,000 students with courses and seminars on
environmental issues.
     "The exercise behind Penny Hall teaches students how to
act sensibly in the handling of hazardous materials," Wik
said.
     Although the material in the damaged drum was, in fact,
ordinary tap water, he said, the students taking part in the
drill exercised a level of caution comparable to that of
professionals working in a real-life environmental accident.
     Members of the first group of respondents donned
protective gear, complete with oxygen tanks and respirators,
and entered the "hot" area of the spill scene, to secure the
leaking drum and properly contain the waste material.
     With the source of the leak secured, the students,
working under time constraints imposed by the size of the
spill and the contents of their oxygen tanks, focused on
limiting the area of contamination.
     Sorbent booms, which resemble elongated paper diapers,
were placed around the drain to stop the material from
entering, and the borders of the spill were lined with
sorbent clay (cat litter), to absorb the spilled material
and prevent further spreading.
     Because it is critical that the respondents know what
they are doing and work as a team, Wik explained, the
incident commander, who is in charge of the group, must make
sure that team members understand their individual and
collective assignments and responsibilities.
     Maxwell-Martin, an assistant to the corporate director
for environmental health and safety at General Instruments
in Hatboro, Pa., said she was glad her team was the first to
participate in the evening's cleanup exercises.
     "I think we did all right," she said. "We contained the
spill on time, although it took a little while longer than I
thought it would."
     When the three teams had finished, and all the
equipment had been properly cleaned and stored, the class
retreated to a nearby lab in Penny Hall where Wik offered a
critique of their performances.
     The instructor was emphatic about the importance of
organization and the need for good communication between
team leaders and group members, and between individual
responders.
     "Organization allows the team to function more smoothly
as a unit," Wik said. "It is also critically important in
guaranteeing safety for the team members and the general
public."
     Members of the class come from such diverse majors as
arts and science, engineering and geology, as well as from
business and industry.
     Wik, a certified environmental professional and
president of Wik Associates, an environmental consulting
firm located in New Castle, brings more than 25 years of
experience in the environmental field to his teaching
duties.
     According to Wik, the federal government requires that
anyone working on a hazardous waste site have OSHA 40-hour
training. Employers must schedule and provide this training
to their workforce. Through the University program, students
are trained before entering the job market, providing a
significant benefit to potential employers.
     After graduating from West Virginia University in 1971
with a degree in biology, Wik earned a master's degree from
UD's College of Marine Studies in 1976.
     He formed Wik Associates in 1984 to assist industry in
complying with federal and state regulations.
                                               -Jerry Rhodes