Model Education Curricula and Toolkit for the Transportation of Hazardous Materials (2013)

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CHAPTER 4 GAPS AND CONSTRAINTS IN CURRENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESEARCH PROCESS This activity involved the identification of gaps in current practices of education and training for the transportation of hazardous materials as well as potential constraints (e.g., aging workforce, reduced labor pool, availability of qualified instructors, and lack of an industry-recognized credential). The task had two interrelated objectives. The first was to identify and prioritize the gaps between current practices and resources, and what would be needed as subject matter in the model curricula to address the respective gap. The second objective was to identify the existing and potential constraints that should be addressed in formulating a plan for implementing the curricula, once complete. The gap analysis was accomplished through an iterative process which involved members of the project team and project panel members. An important activity was mapping of available curricula and materials to the curricula topic areas identified in chapter three, plus three others that were of interest as potential additional modules or subtopics–transportation infrastructure, emerging trends, and special topics. In comparing the existing education programs with the desired elements of the model curricula, it was important to identify both current best practices as well as gaps. The research team identified best practice syllabi and materials to be incorporated in the recommended model curricula. The principal output of this analysis was the team’s evaluation of the extent to which the existing education and training is covering all of the desired content. Identification and evaluation of “constraints” was carried out in a parallel process. Whereas the content is the foundation of the recommended model curricula, effective delivery is essential to ensure that learning objectives are accomplished, and successful deployment enables programs to become available to those in need. Possible constraints related to content, delivery and deployment were identified and evaluated. GAP ANALYSIS The team analyzed the database of the current courses and materials evaluated in the literature review to produce distributions of audiences served, core topics and transportation modes covered, and learning outcomes. Figures 1 to 4 show the results of this analysis. It should be noted, that for many of these topics, multiple responses were allowed to be marked for one unit of curricula material under consideration and that the percentages are only representative of the materials evaluated and listed in Appendix B. 38

When considering the previously defined focus topics that were of interest, it became apparent that several areas were lacking in curriculum materials, including logistics, economics, and emerging trends. There appeared to be good coverage for regulations, mode-specific safety, and to the greatest degree, incident management (Figure 1). Regardless of the development of curricula by the project team, emerging trends may always fall low on a chart such as this because the topic is a “moving target” as new technology is developed, presenting difficulties in keeping educational materials current. Some areas with strong potential for improved representation in hazardous materials curriculum coverage include logistics and transportation infrastructure. In developing the model curricula, it was determined that these two areas would require significant effort to develop new curricula due to the present shortage of relevant materials. Figure 2 represents the distribution of coverage of transportation modes. Much of the curricula evaluated covered many, if not all, modes. Routinely, hazardous materials education and training lessons were focused on all modes, excluding pipelines. This trend continues when considering mode-specific education and training, with minimal information available for the pipeline industry. Of the various modes, availability of educational materials was found to be greatest for highways, followed closely by rail. From Figure 2, there appeared to be a need for development of curricula related to hazardous material transport by pipeline and air, at least at the introductory level. Another consideration was the current and intended recipients of hazardous materials education. Figures 3a and 3b indicate that hazmat transportation education and training is covering both the public and private sectors well, but with an apparent lack of focus on non-profit organizations. However, non-profit organizations may participate in courses offered to the public sector through universities or professional development programs. Private sector audiences were considered to be non-governmental and non-public colleges or universities. For the most part, hazardous materials education and training is offered to both public and private groups. More specifically, the audiences being served are largely those of operations and emergency response, as shown in Figure 3b (over half of the material evaluated). To a lesser extent, it appears that approximately one-third of all material evaluated is serving both the management and regulatory communities. Those audiences with a significant need for exposure to hazardous materials transportation education included university students, planners, and equipment developers. Although no hard evidence exists, the last group likely shows up because the hazmat equipment industry does not appear to offer its own training, nor are they often listed as a target audience by other training providers. It is not surprising that university students are not being exposed to hazardous materials education considering that fulfilling this need was the main focus of this research project. 39

Figure 1. Focus Topic Summary 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Pe rc en ta ge Focus Topics Covered by E&T Materials Evaluated General information Logistics Regulations Mode-specific Safety Risk Management Incident Management Shipment Security Packaging and Handling Transportation Infrastructure Economics Emerging Trends Special Topics Other 40

Figure 2. Transportation Mode Coverage 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Pe rc en ta ge Transportation Modes Covered by E&T Materials Evaluated Air Rail Highway Marine Pipeline Inter- or Multi- modal Storage/Transfer 41

Figure 3a. Audiences Served (Type) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Pe rc en ta ge Audiences Types and/or Sectors Receiving Hazmat Education and Training Private Public Mixed Non-profit 42

Figure 3b. Audiences Served (Function) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Pe rc en ta ge Audience Functions Receiving Hazmat Education and Training Management Operations Regulation Emergency Response University Students Planning Equipment Design Other 43

The extent to which the existing materials addressed the learning outcomes that were previously identified as having importance for hazardous materials education were also evaluated as part of the gap analysis (Figure 4). Among these, the most significant gap appeared to be for compliance and regulatory training, with safety and security and emergency response only represented in slightly higher percentages. Of the learning resources evaluated, there appears to be strong focus on material properties and hazards, accident/incident history, and the freight transportation system in general. If the topics from Figure 1 are compared with the learning outcomes in Figure 4, one can surmise that much of the focus is on response to incidents and the properties of the hazardous materials being packaged and shipped. What appears to be lacking is general understanding of the safety and security of transport, including the logistics involved in mode and route selection and the general regulations surrounding hazardous materials transport. Even less understanding exists for the role of hazardous materials transport in society, the associated risks, and need for planning and transportation infrastructure considerations in moving these products throughout the U.S. Table 8 provides a summary of the level of coverage of each primary topic area planned for inclusion in the model curricula. The column entries indicate the team’s assessment of the degree to which the materials reviewed are “curriculum-ready.” As noted above, the principal gap found was a lack of organized curricula materials for topics other than regulatory compliance and hazmat incident management. CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES Making the curricula available will not necessarily result in their widespread use or success. This section discussed constraints and challenges considered to be the most significant obstacles for the curricula to reach intended audiences, accomplish learning objectives, and remain viable over time. Some of the identified constraints and challenges are interrelated, but each is considered significant enough to warrant separate treatment. As much as possible, the discussion focuses on positive steps that can overcome the constraints and challenges. Adapting to Audiences The potential audiences for the hazmat transportation curricula vary in size and comprise diverse groups with different specialties. Perhaps the largest group of stakeholders comprises those who work for, or are studying to work for, trucking companies that move hazardous materials, with many thousands of companies carrying hazardous materials on an occasional basis or in small quantities. A much smaller number of companies specialize in hazmat transportation. The National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC), for instance, is an organization of approximately 200 trucking companies—representing over 80% of bulk volume hauled in North America—and about 300 associated members. 44

Figure 4. Coverage of Learning Outcomes 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Pe rc en ta ge Learning Outcomes of Hazmat Transportation Education and Training Role in Society Freight Transportation System HAZMAT Classification Quantity Stored, Produced, Shipped Material Properties and Hazards Accident/Incident History Emergency Response/Management Safety/Security Compliance/Regulatory Training 45

Table 8. Curricula Content Gap Assessment Summary Note: In chapter three topics 2 and 3 are combined, but during this part of the research they were being treated as separate topics. Curriculum Topic Considerable information is available and is well organized for development of curricula topic Considerable information is available and is NOT well organ- ized for devel- opment of curricula topic Some information is available for develop- ment of curricula topic, but is l imited No information is available for develop- ment of curricula topic 1 Introduction to hazmat transportation X 2 Freight transportation systems X 3 Hazmat transportation logistics X 4 Hazmat legal/regulatory X 5 Hazmat mode and route selection X 6 Hazmat risk management X 7 Hazmat emergency management and response X 8 Security of hazmat transportation shipments X 9 Emerging trends in hazmat X 46

The Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals has over 4,000 members in all fields of environmental, health, safety and security management. At another level, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have a total of about 500 and 1,100 employees, respectively. At the smallest scale, the Dangerous Goods Trainers Association (DGTA), a relatively new organization, has fewer than 60 members. There are many groups of current practitioners who are specialists or already well-trained in a specific aspect or mode of hazardous materials transportation, but who could benefit from a more complete, broader level of professional development. The challenge is to provide fundamental knowledge and skills that are useful for every audience, while recognizing that students will still have to rely on other resources to develop and maintain certain aspects of their respective expertise. Further, the curricula should lead to more holistic decision making and more effective interaction among the disciplines to help avoid inconsistency and redundancy. Ideally, the curricula should be adaptable for all of the following circumstances: • Entire curricula used for an undergraduate- or graduate-level course in an academic program for engineering, business, public policy, emergency management, or related field • Modules used as part of a broader academic course in transportation, business, public policy, emergency management, fire and emergency services, law, environmental sciences, or related field • Entire curricula condensed for use as an executive development course, with changes in emphasis depending on the focus of the audience (e.g., shippers, carriers, regulators, infrastructure providers, emergency managers, and emergency responders) • Modules adapted for use in executive development courses (e.g., using discipline-specific material in leadership development courses for managers in the hazmat transportation industry) • Modules adapted for use in training courses (e.g., to provide greater context and more information about emerging trends as part of compliance-based training) The curricula will also need to be adaptable to both classroom situations and for distance-based learning. Once the basic course materials are adequately refined and validated, they will need to be supplemented and enhanced by audiovisuals, interactive tools, and other information technology applications. Curricula Owner and Champions The curricula content developed as part of this project will gradually become outdated and stale absent an entity to serve as the “owner” of the curricula. This organization would coordinate curricula updates to keep pace with changing regulations, technology, market forces, and other factors. The owner would also provide leadership and technical support to facilitate course offerings, attract students, provide ongoing user support, and promote the success of the products. 47

Efforts to deploy the curricula will also require additional stakeholders to serve as advocates or champions. In some cases, these stakeholders can themselves serve as course sponsors or organizers. They can also promote the importance of mastering the curricula in their hiring and promotion practices. Existing organizations that represent key hazmat transportation stakeholder groups are candidates to serve as champions. Integration of Education and Professional Development The curricula would be more likely to succeed if incorporated into an integrated system of education and professional development. Table 9 highlights the components of such systems for three selected professions—transportation engineers, logisticians, and emergency managers— and shows in comparison what is currently available to the hazmat transportation professional. In general it was found that hazmat transportation professionals as a group lack most of the attributes observed for the other groups. For each of the three selected professions, accredited academic programs are available at numerous colleges and universities, with core and optional courses, proven textbooks, and networks linking students with potential employers. Professional journals describe the state of the practice and explore new concepts for both students and practitioners. Professional organizations facilitate exchange of information and continuing education through meetings, seminars, and conferences. Professional certifications set standards for experience and competency and require continuing education. Other incentives create both the demand for education and the resources to provide such education. Knowledge gained in the classroom is reinforced, expanded, and updated throughout the professional’s career, and the classroom courses are updated to meet professional needs. Although few components of such a system are in place for hazardous materials transportation professionals, the curricula developed in this project could be an important addition. Further, there may be opportunities to insert this product within the systems for these other, related professions. Curricula modules could become part of the courses taught to students in engineering, business, and emergency management. Other mechanisms include encouraging textbook authors to devote more attention to hazmat transportation, expanding the coverage of hazmat transportation subjects in technical journals, presenting the developed material to local chapters and at technical meetings, and advocating for hazmat transportation questions in exams for professional certification. Field Testing and Refinement The project scope of work provided for only two limited presentations of the curricula to help identify and correct any weaknesses. A more complete, systematic round of presentations would undoubtedly reveal additional opportunities for improvement, and increase the credibility and marketability of the curricula. 48

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Adoption by Academic Institutions Academic institutions have formal procedures for adding new programs and courses, or for making changes to existing courses. Many factors are considered, not the least of which are economic—will enough students be attracted to cover the costs, understanding that students may have an option to take another, already approved course to fulfill the same program requirement? Additional constraints can be circumstances where competing ideas for new course content are being proposed simultaneously or there is a lack of faculty teaching resources to support new offerings. Advocates could try to use the curricula toolkit to accomplish one or more of the following within an academic institution: 1. Establish a new hazmat transportation program 2. Establish a new hazmat transportation concentration within an existing program 3. Add one or more hazmat transportation courses within an existing program 4. Add hazmat transportation content to existing courses The most aggressive (#1) would require the approval of administrators, deans, department chairs, and faculty committees, and would require more compelling information than just the model curricula. Even the least aggressive (#4) might require approval from faculty committees, and would obviously require commitment by the faculty member or instructor responsible for the course. At the undergraduate level, adding new courses in engineering can be especially difficult. Serious discussion is underway as to whether four years is enough time for a professional degree. In the meantime, accreditation for a civil engineering program, for example, now requires that students become proficient in mathematics and sciences, apply knowledge in four technical areas of civil engineering, perform experiments and analyze results, participate in a design project, and “explain basic concepts in management, business, public policy, and leadership.” The other engineering disciplines face similar requirements, so adding extra hours to an approved engineering program is not a reasonable option. At the graduate level, universities are increasingly reliant on research funding to pay faculty salaries and provide student financial support. The HMCRP, while a step in the right direction, is the only source of research funds focused exclusively on hazmat transportation ant the recently enacted Federal transportation program reauthorization puts the future of this program in serious jeopardy. Consequently, university administrators may be skeptical that sufficient research funds would be available to offset an investment in a separate program or even a concentration in hazardous materials transportation. Teach-the-Teacher No resources or procedures are in place to provide instructors with background and supporting information, homework assignments, group activities, exam questions, or other materials that would enable them to bring a hazmat transportation course offering to fruition with minimal investment in time and effort. Beyond simply making the curricula materials available, the 51

modules could be used to introduce groups of educators to the subject of hazmat transportation, and train them in the use of the curricula. Interdisciplinary Features Hazmat transportation is an interdisciplinary field. When success stories are told, key ingredients almost always include effective coordination and communication among disciplines. Likewise, failures are typically caused by inadequate coordination and communication. Unfortunately, education and training is almost always delivered within the structure of a single discipline (academic school, company or government agency, professional organization, individuals with certain job/position responsibilities). Thus, it is especially important for the hazmat transportation curricula to address communication, cooperation, and interoperability in the course material, including case studies. Also, instructors should be encouraged to use techniques such as role playing, side-by-side comparisons, and perspective-based homework and research assignments. Regulations The curricula materials address regulatory processes, the basic themes of the various regulations that apply to hazmat transportation, and the relationships among the various regulations. The many details of the applicable regulations are more appropriately assimilated through training and operational experience. However, regulations are central to the transportation of hazardous materials. The curricula will therefore need to be updated frequently to reflect current regulations and those who teach the curricula will need to have knowledge and understanding of the management and operational implications of such regulations. Case Studies Most of the identified case studies focus on major incidents, providing details about the immediate causes and impacts. Less information is provided about the underlying business or operational decisions that contributed to the incident. Likewise, recovery efforts and longer term impacts on the community, shippers, carriers, and other stakeholders are not as well documented. Perhaps more important, case studies are not as readily available for the less dramatic but more frequent incidents that are caused by systemic problems and can have serious cumulative effects on shippers and carriers and other stakeholders. Instructors should be encouraged to assign the development of more insightful case studies as “group projects” that also helps create a repository of such studies for others to use. 52