WASHINGTON, February 4, 2019 – Today, API President and CEO Mike Sommers and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey announced the start of new training courses on pipeline construction safety in West Virginia, Ohio and California as part of a groundbreaking partnership that was launched less than a year ago.

“Safety remains the number one priority for the natural gas and oil industry and we are constantly striving to do more to reach zero incidents – starting with the construction of pipelines and finishing with the delivery of energy to U.S. consumers. The training programs we’re collaborating on are the foundation of our mutual priorities of safety, job growth and economic opportunity for American workers,” said Sommers. “The benefits of America’s energy revolution are built upon the hard work of highly skilled craft tradesmen and women across the nation – and it’s our priority to cultivate a culture of safety for them. Together, we have brought about an American energy revolution that has delivered positive change to America’s workers, consumers and the environment.”

API and NABTU established the Pipeline Construction Safety Training Program last April. The training program combines the best practices of both the natural gas and oil industry and the building trades unions into a foundational safety program relevant to all natural gas and oil infrastructure construction. The program is open to all NABTU members and is comprised of a specific set of OSHA safety courses chosen by Pipeline safety subject matter experts to address specific concerns of the industry including material handling, excavation and fire safety. These courses, when completed along with a two-hour OSHA introduction course will qualify a candidate to receive the OSHA 10 completion card along with the API-U certificate.

“American workers know the importance of new energy infrastructure,” said McGarvey. “Building things is what we do and the partnership between the natural gas and oil industry and North America’s Building Trades Unions is critical to ensuring that our members have a foundational understanding of best practices and key safety measures when it comes to pipeline infrastructure. Our members are the most highly-skilled craftspeople in the industry, and we are proud to be a part of building the infrastructure that delivers abundant, reliable and affordable energy to U.S. consumers.”

The first of the Pipeline Construction Safety Training Program courses will take place at NABTU training facilities in West Virginia, Ohio and California later this month and in March. More safety courses are being scheduled throughout the year around the country.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the natural gas and oil industry, which supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 600 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 47 million Americans.

North America’s Building Trades Unions represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada to create economic security and strengthen the highly skilled construction workforce by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renown apprenticeship and training, and boosting secure middle class career pathways for women, communities of color and military veterans.

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