More than 1,800 Montana high school students in construction trade and industry classes at 17 different schools will be that much safer this school year through Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana equipment grants program, including St. Regis and Superior high schools.

“Montana has some of the highest rates of workplace injuries in the nation. That is why Montana State Fund is partnering with Montana’s high schools to positively impact the importance of safety in the workplace for the next generation of Montana’s workers,” said Mark Rosenleaf, MSF Safety Consultant. The State Fund is the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer.

“It is our goal to provide safety gear and safety information to students and teachers, so they have the tools they need to champion safety both in their classrooms and in their future professional endeavors.”

A safety professional from MSF traveled to each of these high schools, and Rosenleaf traveled to Mineral County on Sept. 5 to hand out safety gear, such as work gloves, welding gloves, welding helmets, face shields, coveralls, hard hats, safety glasses, fall protection gear, safety vests and ear plugs to the students. In addition, he supplied the teachers with safety materials they can use to reinforce safety awareness in their classrooms.

Since the program began in 2017, 2,631 high school students have benefited from this safety gear program. The 2018/19 High School Recipients include:

• Anaconda High School Welding Class – Teacher: Ryan Pesanti

• Anaconda Jr, Sr High Wood, Carpentry, Small Engines Automotive Classes – Teacher: Brian Riley

• Belgrade High School Woodworking Class – Teacher: Randy Radke

• Belgrade High School Welding Class – Teacher: Eric Kinnaman

• Jefferson High School (Boulder) Welding and Construction Trades Class – Teacher: David Heimann

• Bozeman High School Welding Class – Teacher: Rick Hedlund

• Bozeman High School Woodworking Class – Teacher: Dan Brown

• Butte High School Industrial Arts – Teacher: Denise Bordeleau

• Beaverhead County High School (Dillon) – Agricultural Education Class – Teacher: Caleb Igo

• Drummond High School Industrial Arts – Teacher: Bill Wagner

• Helena Capital Woodworking Class – Teacher: Bob Pearce

• Helena Capital Welding Class – Teacher: Tom Kain

• Helena High Welding Class – Teacher: Cindy Galbavy

• Park High School Industrial Tech and Welding Class – Teacher: Jamie Islay

• Park High School Metal Fabrication Class – Teacher: Shane Stender

• Manhattan High School Welding Class – Teacher: Neil Harvey

• Missoula Big Sky High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Scot Traeder

• Missoula Sentinel High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Dave Burtch

• St. Regis High School Industrial Technology Classes – Superintendent: Joe Steele

• Superior High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Jeff Schultz

• Three Forks High School Industrial Arts 1 Class – Principal: Justin Helvik

• Whitehall High School Industrial Arts Class – Teacher: Casey Harris