OSH Education in Post-secondary Career Technical Education Construction Programs (Completed 2014-2019)
Kimberly Rauscher
WVU, Injury Control Research Center
Diane Bush
UC Berkeley, Labor Occupational Health Program
Research Team
Charlotte Chang, Robin Dewey, Douglas Myers
A 30% increase in construction employment was anticipated during the period between 2010 and 2020, which would mean that many young workers will continue to enter this high hazard industry in the coming years. Because young workers are at greater risk of injury compared to the general worker population, these construction workers must be provided with effective health and safety education to help them avoid injury. Many of the young workers entering the construction trade will do so through programs at the secondary or post-secondary level, but little is known about the extent and quality of the health and safety education offered in these programs — particularly in post-secondary CTE programs. This project resulted in materials that CTE Construction Administrators and Instructors can use to strengthen their program’s safety and health systems to prepare their students.
A 2013 CPWR study, Integrating Occupational Safety and Health Training into Career Technical Education in Construction — Formative Research Findings, provided preliminary information on what’s been tried.