Occupational Safety and Health Education in Post-Secondary Career and Technical Education Construction Programs

Abstract

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the US. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are important settings in which new construction workers can learn about Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). CTE programs are sometimes the only place where these workers will encounter such training. We set out to examine the quality of OSH education received by students in post-secondary CTE construction programs by conducting a surv ey of instructors teaching in these programs across the country . The goal was to learn the extent to which previously identified" essential elements necessary for providing effective safety and health education" are spread across these programs. Our findings show instructors in these programs prioritize hands-on training, make efforts to stay current in best practices in safety and health, and regularly update their curricula. We also found that instructors need more training on effectively teaching safety and health to more meaningfully integrate such content into their trade skill courses. Finally, we found that instructors need to better model effective safety and health management systems within their classrooms to help keep students safe and set students' expectations for safe work when they enter their chosen trade.