FT. LAUDERDALE, FL— Nova Southeastern University (NSU) recently received a $1.6 million federal grant to help train oil industry workers and others in related industries to better prepare for and respond to oil spills and hazardous materials events.
The 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Environmental Health Safety was given to NSU's Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness (CBAP), which is a part of the university's medical school, the College of Osteopathic Medicine. The money will be used to train oil industry workers, law enforcement, and those in the maritime industry to prepare for disasters as well as handle and dispose of hazardous materials.
CBAP, has been working with one of its partners, Shell Oil Company in Robert, Louisiana for the past two years on related all-hazards preparedness training programs, which prepares oil rig workers for spills.
"This grant is a significant expansion of the training we have been doing with Shell Oil," Rokusek said. "We wrote the grant long before the BP oil spill, so we had no idea that the need for this type of training would become so critical."
Rokusek added: "While we may not be able to prevent further oil spills, this grant ensures that we improve training standards to make the dangerous job of dealing with hazardous materials, such as oil, safer. The needs for this type of training are urgent and ongoing."
The project's overall goal is to provide safety and health training to those who may encounter hazardous materials, including weapons of mass destruction, or who may respond to the clean up of hazardous water, such as an oil spill.
Another project goal will be to train several thousand employees over the next 5-year period. These include workers and supervisors on ships (including cruise ships), docks, ports, oil/gas rigs, or oil/gas platforms, as well as law enforcement personnel to react quickly to hazardous events.
Kelley Davis, Ph.D., an NSU associate professor of microbiology and a CBAP faculty trainer, will lead the implementation of this new training initiative.
"I am so pleased to be able to work with Dr. Davis, as she brings a new and expanded perspective to CBAP that combines her background in microbiology, law enforcement, and academics," Rokusek said.