The West Virginia University Extension Safety and Health Extension has been awarded an Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Susan Harwood Training grant to provide free hazardous energy (lockout tagout) training to oil and gas workers in the Appalachian Basin region. These grants are an effective tool for connecting organizations with training resources and educate hard-to-reach workers in high-hazard industries.
Susan Harwood Training grants provide education and training on workplace safety, health hazards, injury prevention and workers’ rights. These grants aim to educate workers and employees on workplace safety and health.
“Oil and gas workers are at an increased risk of suffering from a lockout tagout accident,” said Amanda Mason, assistant director, NRC-WVU OSHA Training Institute Education Center. “Lockout tagout is a safety procedure that ensures equipment is safely shut off, preventing hazardous energy release and protecting workers. Through this training, we are trying to prevent people from injuries by unexpected release of energy.”
The Control of Hazardous Energy for Oil and Gas Workers class is a free, in-person or virtual, four-hour training focusing on control of hazardous energy within the oil and gas industry. The class will also focus on identifying risks related to hazardous energy, identifying control measures to reduce exposure, identifying types of energy sources and reviewing incidents related to hazardous energy.
“Our goal is to recruit companies to participate in this free training, and we can travel to their facilities to teach the class,” said Tiffany Rice, director, NRC-WVU OSHA Training Institute Education Center. “We believe in training workers on industry best practices and their rights as workers. We are excited to work with companies to further increase their overall safety and health training experiences for workers.”
In addition to the Susan Harwood Training grant curriculum, students will experience a game-based learning module created by Wellsite LMS. The module will incorporate a real-life scenario from an oil and gas industry task to create a learning experience that is relevant to the worker. This approach will increase participation and discussion of trainees by involving critical thinking on hazard recognition and overall awareness.
"Wellsite LMS has an activity we are incorporating where trainees can see a virtual compressor station and click through the process of locking and tagging out multiple hazardous energy sources,” Mason said. “Participants will see an example of something they would see in the industry and go through the lockout tagout procedure. Aside from the real thing, this module is the closest experience they can get.”
To register for the class, contact Tiffany Rice at 304-293-2852 or Tiffany.Rice@mail.wvu.edu. Companies are encouraged to schedule a class for their workers, up to 40 at a time.
The Control of Hazardous Energy for Oil and Gas Workers class is just one of many types of workforce training available. WVU Extension Safety and Health offers trainings and programs to help individuals lead safe, prosperous lives – including more than 40 OSHA courses covering everything from basic workplace safety to specialized safety trainings, as well as health care continuing education opportunities through the Shirley M. Kimble Training Center.
To learn more about WVU Extension Safety and Health, visit https://extension.wvu.edu/community-business-safety/safety-health.
If you want to learn more about WVU Extension, visit extension.wvu.edu or follow @WVUExtension on Facebook, YouTube, X and Instagram.
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sd/04/01/25
CONTACT: Sophia Darmelio
Marketing Strategist
WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement
304-293-9490; sophia.darmelio@mail.wvu.edu