The Nevada Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) of the State of Nevada's Division of Industrial Relations and the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at UNLV partnered to bring basic worksite safety education to senior undergraduate students during two courses held Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, 2024. Established in 2015, the partnership has provided education on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety basics to about 130 UNLV engineering students pursuing undergraduate degrees. 

According to a recent study from Travelers Insurance, 34% of workplace injuries occur during a worker’s first year on the job. Through this partnership, SCATS safety specialists administer six hours of instruction during the 16-week “Engineering Safety I” course. After completing this course, students earn their 30-hour OSHA authorization, a common job training requirement, ensuring that they are armed with key safety knowledge before entering the workforce.

“Creating a safe worksite is everyone’s responsibility, regardless of their tenure – be it a seasoned site leader or a new employee,” said Bobby Albright, safety specialist and trainer, Nevada SCATS. “Partnering with the UNLV College of Engineering enables SCATS to provide basic safety training for students who will soon enter the workforce in an effort to protect them from injury and incidents, ensuring a smooth start to their careers.”

In addition to providing critical worksite safety training, Nevada SCATS supplies OSHA books and materials at no cost to the students.

“SCATS has provided myself and my students with incredible support,” said Sam Lybarger, UNLV instructor for the Safety Engineering I course. “My students are seniors who are quickly approaching graduation and will be beginning their careers soon – the OSHA safety training offers them a critical advantage when searching for a job in the engineering field.”

“Bobby from SCATS helped walk my class through the OSHA materials and taught us how to look for information and find answers,” said Ashton Pearson, UNLV College of Engineering senior. “I hope to own my own business in the future and this education helped me realize that I’ll need a worksite safety plan before I even hire the first employee.”

Nevada educators and businesses interested in worksite safety training, on-site workplace safety consultation, or recognition initiatives can contact SCATS at 702-486-9140 (Las Vegas) or 775-688-3730 (Reno) or visit 4safenv.state.nv.us.