A qualitative investigation of factors affecting school district administrators’ decision to adopt a national young worker curriculum |
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| Institution: | 1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1090 Tusculum Ave. MS C-10, Cincinnati, OH 45226, United States;2. RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States;1. Technische Universität Chemnitz, 09107 Chemnitz, Germany;2. Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany;3. BMW Group, 80788 München, Germany;1. Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States;2. Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States;3. University of Iowa, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, 145 N. Riverside Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States;1. University of Gothenburg, Box 100, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden;2. Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden;3. Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden;1. George Mason University, United States;2. Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety R&D, United States;1. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vehicle Crash/Bio-Impact and Traffic Safety, Department 4, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China;2. Department of Medical Engineering, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China;3. Department of Medical Engineering, People’s Liberation Army 958th Hospital, Chongqing, China |
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| Abstract: | Introduction: Even though the majority of youth in the U.S. work, and workers under the age of 18 are seriously injured on the job at higher rates when compared to adults, most adolescents lack instruction on workplace safety and health. Method: This qualitative study examines the extent to which selected U.S. school districts provide workplace safety and health instruction to students and explores the factors that influence districts’ decision to adopt a free, foundational occupational safety and health (OSH) curriculum. Results: Results from key informant interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 34 school administrators revealed that only a third of the districts have at least 75% of their students receive some instruction on workplace safety and health, while 15% indicated they provide no instruction on this topic. District staff who indicated that they provide OSH instruction stated that it is most often taught through career and technical education (CTE; 65%) and/or health classes (26%). They believed the benefits of providing this instruction include assisting students to get jobs (38%) and helping students learn about safety (32%), while competing demands (44%) and time constraints (41%) were identified as barriers to providing OSH education to students. Conclusions: Given the importance of work to teens and their increased risk of work injury, interested stakeholders—including parents, teachers, employers, and the public health community—should promote the inclusion of workplace safety and health instruction in U.S. secondary schools. Practical Applications: This research fills a gap in current knowledge about the extent to which OSH is currently taught within U.S. secondary schools, enumerates barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of workplace safety and health instruction in schools, presents a free, foundational curriculum in workplace safety and health, and provides directions for future research on the vital role schools can play in preparing the future workforce for safe and healthy employment. |
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| Keywords: | Workplace safety and health Occupational safety and health Secondary schools School administrators Teachers |
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