Weatherization Training for Montana WAP Administrators

This course is MANDATORY for all Montana Weatherization Assistance Program Administrators, especially Managers, Directors, and direct supervisors. Other WAP-related administrative personnel are encouraged to attend.

It is essential for weatherization managers to have a basic understanding of building performance and the technical guidelines to follow when approving fieldwork and the intended roles of field workers. This course will review the forces of building science that inform weatherization work and some of the diagnostic tools used to quantify these forces in the field. We will review the job tasks associated with Weatherization, as set by the DOE, and what types of training the Montana Weatherization Training Center provides for these various jobs. We will discuss and show where to find resources like Weatherization Program Notices (WPNs), The Montana Weatherization State Manual, and the Standard Work Specification (SWS). Furthermore, client safety and a healthy workforce is essential to running a construction-based program in occupied homes, so we will discuss safety laws from OSHA, the EPA, and the DOE. Finally, navigating the BPI certification process can be tricky so the class will go over the steps to becoming a certified Energy Auditor and a Quality Control Inspector and what role the training center plays in this process.

This course is a lecture-lab course. Most topics are covered first in the classroom with two lab sessions using a blower door and Infrared camera.

Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon Course Completion, the attendee will learn about:

• DOE Weatherization job structure and review the JTAs.
• Montana Weatherization Training Center (MWTC) Courses and recommended course schedule for new and existing employees
• MWTC services and resources: respirator fit testing, live and recorded webinars, CEUs and the MWTC as a technical resource.
• Building Science basics that inform weatherization work.
• Introduction to IR imaging and blower door testing
• The Building Performance Institute (BPI) certifications and the steps necessary to achieve these certifications.
• OSHA policies for agencies and supervisors
• EPA Residential Repair and Painting rule (RRP) and DOE LSW in field work
• DOE Weatherization Program notices (WPNs)
• Standard Work Specifications (SWS)
• Montana Weatherization State Manual