Introducing safety ed. in schools will keep next generation safe at work – Killeen
Introducing safety and health education into schools could make the single biggest difference to keeping the next generation safe at work, according to Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen, who addressed the awards ceremony of a pilot safety programme in schools run by the Health and Safety Authority today (Monday 15th May 2006).
Minister Killeen presented certificates to post-Junior Cert students and teachers in 15 post-primary schools, across four counties (Clare, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon) that participated in the training and roll-out of a safety and health module.
There are over 300,000 workers aged 15 to 24 in the Irish workforce, according to the CSO and European research shows that young workers, between 18 and 24 are 50% more likely to have an accident at work than their older counterparts.
Speaking at the presentation in Ennis Minister Killeen said “We need to bring the safety message into every level of education so that it’s the first thing we think of no matter what activity we’re about to undertake - whether it’s driving a car, serving food in a restaurant or operating a machine – the principles are the same. If we have the skills to identify hazards, assess the risk and do something about it, then we’re significantly reducing our chances of having an accident, whether in or out of work. These are valuable life-skills and should be recognised as such.
Minister Killeen paid special tribute to all the students who took part in the pilot project. “It’s your participation, enthusiasm and feedback that will make a huge difference to the projects future direction. I hope that this is just the first step to the introduction of safety education into classrooms across the country”, the Minister added.
Chairman of the Authority, Jim Lyons said, “This initiative is about taking the workplace safety message to the younger generation so that we can begin to foster that all-important ‘safety first-mindset’. With up to 70% of post-primary students in part-time jobs, the need to equip young people with the right skills to keep themselves and their co-workers safe is more important than ever.”
Chief Executive of the Authority, Tom Beegan added that the Authority has commissioned the National Council for Curriculum Assessment to examine the curriculum and to identify opportunities for introducing risk education into mainstream curriculum areas from early-learning right through post-primary level.
Notes for Editors
Summary of Project
The pilot safety and health module was rolled out in 15 schools in Clare, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon (approx 350 students) and involved training 25 teachers (over 3 days) to deliver the course through the Shannon Curriculum Development Centre. The programme was delivered to the following post-Junior Cert. class groups: Transition Year, Leaving Cert. Applied, Leaving Cert. Vocational and the traditional Leaving Cert. groups.
Module Content:
The module included the following topics:
- Key safety concepts
- Risk assessment
- Work experience and preparation for the world of Work
- Manual handling and ergonomics
- Understanding chemical safety
Learning outcomes:
As a result of participation in this module, students would:
- Understand key terminology and concepts of health and safety;
- Be aware of hazards in the workplace (school, community, home);
- Know the main controls required to prevent accidents to oneself and to others;
- Understand the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers in the workplace;
- Understand the basic tools used to manage safety in the workplace;
- Appreciate that human behaviour is a major factor in accident prevention;
- Understand the effects of accidents on the victim and wider circles of impact;
- Know where to source and access relevant information.
The key aim of this module is to support teachers at second level in assisting students to make the transition from the school environment to the workplace, by providing them with knowledge and skills in the area of health and safety.
ENDS
LA 185
Last modified: 15/05/2006
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