OBERLIN, OH and CHESTERTOWN, NY -- MIA+BSI has announced the launch of the Natural Stone University, an online education tool for stone industry professionals. Safety will be the primary focus during the first phase of the Natural Stone University. All safety courses and materials have been made available free of charge, courtesy of the MIA+BSI safety committee. Courses include modules on safe slab handling, installation, OSHA compliance and CNC operation. Toolbox talks are also available. Each course includes video and written components, as well as a closing quiz to test knowledge gained from the course. The system will also record transcripts for all who pass tests and meet competency for the courses. Courses can be taken by individuals or downloaded by managers to be administered in group settings.

“Our industry will be thrilled to offer this groundbreaking, consistent and verifiable method to teach and test competency of employees and associates,” commented 2016 MIA vice president Jon Lancto.

“This tool will cover everything from safety to sealers and will expand over time to meet all the needs of our industry.”

Nate Schultz (Innovative Surfaces, Inc.) commented, “I became involved with this initiative because I thought it was the missing link, an opportunity to provide others with a resource that I wished would have been around years ago. By providing your staff the opportunity to partake in these courses, you can feel confident that their career in the stone industry is being built on the proper foundation.”

MIA+BSI education manager Aaron Dahnke added, “Our goal is to create a safer and more productive workforce through education.”

The next phase of courses will include quarrier safety.