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Addressing the need for occupational safety and health training programs in vocational & technical education.

Palassis J; Loos G

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 9-15, 1998, Atlanta, Georgia. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 1998 May; :83

20044077

It is estimated that young workers with less than 1 year of work experience account for about half of all occupational injuries. More than half of the injured adolescent workers received no training in how to prevent the injury they sustained. The National Occupational Research Agenda of NIOSH has identified the adolescents as one of the special populations at risk. It estimates that in any given year, there are 200,000 adolescent workers who suffer work-related injuries, 64,000 of which result in hospital emergency room visits, and 70 of these injuries are fatal. Currently, there are 11 million students in secondary and postsecondary schools who are enrolled in vocational and technical programs. Federal objectives of the Healthy People 2000 Act require more 34% reduction of the injury rate of adolescent workers, from a 1992 baseline. A review of the available National Skill Standards (under a federal act) for workers' competency and certification, revealed inconsistent requirements in the criteria for occupational safety and health (OS&H) knowledge. Workers' certification will commence in 1999. A survey of 50 states departments of voc-tech education indicated that out of 29 states that responded, only 5 had established programs in OS&H. Focus groups conducted with vocational teachers and site visits to vocational schools in three states revealed that there is great need for trade-specific OS&H training materials, and much concern for students' injury liability. Similar concerns were expressed by state and federal agencies in vocational education, by voc-tech associations and labor unions. NIOSH is addressing these needs by developing trade-specific training curricula in OS&H to cover approximately 70 trades where physical, chemical, and biological hazards exist. Each curriculum contains a teaching plan with instructor's outlines and background information with resources; case studies, student learning activities for hazard recognition and control; PPE; safe practices; and assessment methods.

Training; Education; Occupational-safety-programs; Occupational-health-programs; Adolescents; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Safety-education; Emergency-treatment; Medical-care; Mortality-data; Quality-standards

19980509

Abstract

1998

EID

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 9-15, 1998, Atlanta, Georgia

OH; GA