The West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension is bringing oil and natural gas safety training into West Virginia high school classrooms to create a future workforce that is as well versed in occupational safety as they are in other subjects.

The training is taking place thanks to a $20,000 grant awarded to the WVU Foundation from Dominion Transmission through the Dominion Foundation and given as part of the company’s Higher Educational Partnership Grant program.

The program will offer SafeLandUSA training to 500 West Virginia teens who are interested in pursuing a career in the oil and natural gas industry at high schools across the state.

SafeLandUSA training was developed by a collaboration of industry specialists and educates new and potential workers about the hazards within the oil and natural gas industry. Once students pass a test, they’ll receive a certification card that is necessary to work at most oil and natural gas extraction sites in West Virginia and surrounding regions. The card is sought after by many potential employers.

However, according to Tiffany Rice, WVU Safety and Health Extension specialist, the benefits far surpass a certification.

“Most high school graduates entering college or going directly to the workforce have little, if any knowledge about their rights as workers,” she said. “The oil and natural gas industry continues to provide job opportunities for young workers, and we want to make sure that they are aware of, and able to safely handle, serious hazards that can accompany those jobs.”

She noted that West Virginia has had 22 fatalities related to work in the oil and natural gas industry since 2005, with the most recent being a worker who was only 20-years-old.

“We’re trying to explore the question of ‘what type of safety training do young workers receive before starting their jobs?’ and we want to solidify the answer,” Rice said. “We’re finding most newly hired employees are first introduced to workplace safety through on-the-job training, and this project provides a unique intervention strategy that gives safety training to young workers before they start their first employment.”

She added that by providing students with safety awareness and a required certification, it not only gives them a leg up on a career, but the goal is to also reduce injuries and fatalities in the industry as a whole, increase local economic growth due to increased employment opportunities and cultivate relationships between communities and oil and gas companies.

The WVU Extension Service provides educational opportunities to local communities through offices in all 55 West Virginia counties. WVU Extension Service’s programs are accomplished in partnership with individuals, families, businesses, civic groups and governmental organizations statewide and throughout the nation.

The WVU Foundation is a private non-profit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU. The Foundation is currently conducting “A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia University” – a $1 billion private fundraising effort on behalf of WVU. For more on the campaign, visit: www.astateofminds.com.

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy. The Dominion Foundation is dedicated to improving the physical, social and economic well-being of the communities served by Dominion companies. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, support education and promote community vitality. For more information about Dominion, visit www.dom.com.

-WVU-

zl/09/21/16

CONTACT: Zane Lacko, WVU Extension Service
304.293.8986; zlacko@mail.wvu.edu

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