New Health and Safety Training Center at University of Texas at Austin Offers Safety Training for Wide Variety of Texas Workers

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Development Center (UT PDC) at The University of Texas at Austin is proud to introduce the new Health and Safety Training Center (HSTC) for professionals in Texas and beyond. Previously operating as the Texas Mine Safety and Health Program, the new HSTC continues to offer Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) compliance training in addition to compliance training for the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States Department of Labor. OSHA courses are required for professionals in a variety of industries.

Over the past 25 years, UT PDC has administered the Texas Mine Safety and Health Program, a provider of training services designed to improve the conditions of mine safety and health within Texas. However, grant funding for this program has recently been reduced, necessitating UT PDC to re-imagine this program so that it continues to provide MSHA training as well as offer additional course offerings to expand its reach and market viability.

UT PDC is cost recovery and operates much like a small business within the university. UT PDC is applying its long history as an entrepreneurial enterprise to turn this formerly grant-funded program into a self-recovery service department for constituencies in Texas and beyond. In addition to MSHA training, the newly expanded Health and Safety Training Center now includes courses in electrical safety, safety certification exam prep, advanced first aid/CPR and OSHA compliance. Development of course offerings and subject matter topics will be continuous to adapt to the changing market needs of all industries and safety professionals.

"Ultimately, by losing some of its grant funding, we at UT PDC can take the Texas Mine Safety and Health Program and turn it into something even more robust to accommodate a wider swath of constituents in Texas and across the United States," said Liliya Spinazzola, director of UT-PDC. "By expanding our offerings from mine safety to include a wider spectrum of safety and health courses, the Health and Safety Training Center becomes a direct reflection of the economic and workforce growth in Austin and throughout Texas. I'm very proud that UT PDC's new Health and Safety Training Center has the courses, instructors and history to be the premier resource of its kind in Texas."

"I truly feel that the Health and Safety Training Center is a 'one stop shop' for organizations and individuals seeking compliance and safety training," said Amanda Sanchez, coordinator of the program. "We look forward to continuing our deep commitments and relationships with the Texas mine industry while looking to forge new partnerships with diverse and expanding industries. We are committed to preventing on-the-job injuries, accidents and fatalities in Texas, the United States and internationally."

For more information or to register, please contact Amanda Sanchez at 512-232-1952 or [email protected]. More information is also found online at www.utexashealthsafety.org.  

The Professional Development Center is a department of the Division of Continuing and Innovative Education at The University of Texas at Austin. www.utexas.edu/ce/pdc

Contact: Wayne Wenske, Continuing and Innovative Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-232-7392, Email

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SOURCE The Professional Development Center, The University of Texas at Austin