The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is helping workers in the southern states of the US improve occupational safety with new training opportunities.

New courses have been launched east Texas, southern Arkansas and north-west Louisiana in cooperation with the US Department of Labor.

Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas, said that the organisation is confident that the training programmes will provide an opportunity for workers in the region's oil and gas industry to learn new skills and best practice standards for operations such as drilling, plant management and transport operations.

"We are hopeful that this cooperative effort will help prevent fatalities and injuries within the oil and gas industry," he told local station KARK 4 News.

Earlier this month, the OSHA met with American Pipeline Contractors Association, where the two groups discussed a host of safety hazards in need of address.

Trenching and excavation operations were prominent among these, with both organisations pledging to improve safety and working practices in pipeline construction.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development