Workers at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park know there are dangers that come with the job.

"These little things, if overlooked, can become big problems," says Kenny Houston, a maintenance worker at the park.

For years, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has provided safety training for hundreds of employees at national parks across the United States, to some as far away as Hawaii. But now the program is expanding.

"If you have a local business that would have to travel to receive this training, or pay for a company to come in from out of town to provide this training, it can be very expensive," says Vic Adams, SKCTC Dean of Community and Economic Development.

Now, the new Kentucky Safety Training Institute can teach safety to workers at local businesses.

"We want to bring some of that program back to kentucky, and give some of our local people an opportunity to take advantage of it," says Bruce Ayers, SKCTC President.

"They really bring out the safety aspect in our daily jobs, the things we might become complacent about," says Houston.

And college officials say the institute will help get students ready for their careers.

"It's gonna be able to provide things that we normally couldn't have provided before," says Adams.

And officials say keeping safety of your workers a priority from the start, always pays off in the end.

Officials say the Kentucky Safety Training Institute will also be available to local city and county governments.