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September 28, 2012
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999

US Department of Labor's OSHA announces selection of
OSHA Training Institute Education Centers
New centers extend safety and health training opportunities throughout US

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced four new OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers and the renewal of 24 existing OTI Education Centers. Current OTI Education Centers offer training courses on OSHA standards and occupational safety and health issues. The new OTI Education Centers, which are non-profit organizations, will provide additional outlets for safety and health training to workers and employers throughout the country.

"This year, we have seen record numbers of requests for occupational safety and health training from the private sector and federal agency personnel," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "The renewal of OTI's Education Centers and the addition of four new centers will help OSHA to meet this demand and deliver life-saving training to our country's employers and workers."

The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to complement the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, Ill., which provides training and education to OSHA compliance officers. The OTI Education Centers provide training nationwide to private sector and federal personnel from agencies outside OSHA. The OTI Education Centers trained more than 40,000 people during the 2012 fiscal year, representing an all-time record for the program.

The OTI Education Centers also assist the agency in administering the OSHA Outreach Training Program and fulfilling the program's monitoring requirements. OTI Education Centers are the principal distribution channel for Outreach Training Program trainer courses, including prerequisite and update courses. Trainer courses are offered by topic areas including construction, general industry, disaster site and maritime. Through these train-the-trainer programs, qualified individuals who complete a one-week OSHA trainer course are authorized to teach 10-hour or 30-hour courses focusing on safety and health hazards. Through the Outreach Training Program, more than two million people received training from fiscal 2010 through fiscal 2012. This is a voluntary program and does not meet training requirements for any OSHA standards.

The new OTI Education Centers were selected through a national competition announced on April 13, 2012, and published in the Federal register on April 15. Applicant organizations were evaluated based on organizational experience, staff experience, location and training facilities, marketing and recruitment, administrative capabilities, evaluation, and the ability to provide training throughout a given region. OSHA provides no funding to the OTI Education Centers. The OTI Education Centers support their OSHA training through their established tuition and fee structures and provide their own instructors and facilities. For more information on the OTI Education Centers Program, the Outreach Training Program, and the Directorate of Training and Education, please visit www.osha.gov/dte/index.html.

The new and renewed OTI Education Centers are listed below. An asterisk indicates new OTI Education Centers for 2012:

Region I
Keene State College - Keene, NH

Region II
Atlantic OSHA Training Center, a consortium that includes University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Piscataway, NJ (lead organization); Universidad Metropolitana Instituto de Educacion Ambiental - Bayamon, PR; and University of Buffalo - Buffalo, NY

Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester, NY

Region III
Mid-Atlantic OTI Education Center, a consortium that includes Chesapeake Region Safety Council - Baltimore, MD (lead organization); and Mid Atlantic Construction Safety Council - Philadelphia, PA

National Resource Center, a consortium that includes West Virginia University - Morgantown, WV (lead organization); CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training - Silver Spring, MD; and National Labor College - Silver Spring, MD

Region IV
Eastern Kentucky University - Richmond, KY

*Florida State College at Jacksonville - Jacksonville, FL

Georgia Tech Research Institute - Atlanta, GA

Southeastern OTI Education Center, a consortium that includes North Carolina State University - Raleigh, NC (lead organization); and University of Tennessee - Nashville, TN

University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL

University of South Florida - Wesley Chapel, FL

*Volunteer State Community College - Gallatin, TN

Region V
Great Lakes Regional OTI Education Center, a consortium that includes University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH (lead organization); Eastern Michigan University - Ypsilanti, MI; and United Auto Workers Health and Safety Department - Detroit, MI

Mid-America OTI Education Center - Springboro, OH

National Safety Education Center, a consortium that includes Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, IL (lead organization); Construction Safety Council - Hillside, IL; and National Safety Council - Itasca, IL

Region VI
*A consortium that includes Alliance Safety Council - Baton Rouge, LA (lead organization); and Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA

Texas A&M University Engineering Extension (TEEX) - College Station, TX

University of Texas at Arlington - Arlington, TX

Region VII
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City, MO

Midwest OSHA Education Center, a consortium that includes National Safety Council - Omaha, NE (lead organization); Saint Louis University - St. Louis, MO; and Barton Community College - Great Bend, KS

Region VIII
Mountain West OSHA Education Center, a consortium that includes University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT (lead organization); and Uintah Basin Applied Technology College - Vernal, UT

Rocky Mountain Education Center, a consortium that includes Red Rocks Community College - Lakewood, CO (lead organization); and North Dakota Safety Council - Bismarck, ND

Region IX
*Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ

California State University, Dominguez Hills - Carson, CA

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District - Pleasanton, CA

College of Southern Nevada - Las Vegas, NV

University of California, San Diego - La Jolla, CA

Region X
University of Washington - Seattle, UT

For information on the geographic areas served by OSHA's Regional Offices, visit http://www.osha.gov/html/RAmap.html.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this release will be made available in alternative format upon request (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the Central Office for Assistive Services and Technology. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.