Career and technical education (CTE) educators, administrators, and students face greater potential for risk than most of their academic counterparts due to the physical and hands on nature of nearly all disciplines found in CTE. As a consequence, CTE professionals must maintain a safe environment for their students and themselves. In this…

We developed and implemented a yearlong safety program into our organic chemistry lab courses that aims to enhance student attitudes toward safety and to ensure students learn to recognize, demonstrate, and assess safe laboratory practices. This active, collaborative program involves the use of student "safety teams" and includes…

Standard 9 of the "National Science Teachers Association Standards for Science Teacher Preparation" is designed to ensure that science teacher preparation programs provide preservice science teachers with the knowledge and skills to understand and successfully engage students in a safe and ethical manner. This standard contains four components…

For generations, schools have routinely held fire drills. However, ensuring a safe learning environment is more complicated than staging an occasional drill. Schools and universities should have an integrated school safety plan, and it must address how to manage site hazards in science labs, kitchens and other building areas. It is essential for…

Optional safety features offered by school bus manufacturers are described. These include design changes, automated crossing arms, convex mirrors, strobe lights, and sound warning devices. (TE)

Describes school bus safety products currently on the market, such as motion-sensing alarms, automatic breaking shields, front-mounted crossing gates, and strobe lights. Gives price information and evaluates products' usefulness and necessity. (MLH)

This part of the "Street Wise" series incorporates essential bicycle safety skills into a one week bike unit, designed for 3rd through 6th graders. These skills require much repetition and practice but can help children develop safe traffic behaviors that save lives, such as stopping, scanning, signaling, street crossing, and avoiding…

Bicycle-related injuries and deaths are a significant child health problem that family physicians and pediatricians can help prevent. Children should be required to wear protective helmets and to learn good safety practices. (Author)

Sports-related eye injuries are quite common, yet the number of children who use protective eyewear (safety glasses or goggles) is extremely low. More than 600,000 eye injuries related to sports occur each year, and approximately one-third of these injuries occur in children. When children participate in sports they not only increase their…

Experienced teams competing in multiple adventure activities, several of which involved ropes, kept their harnesses on all day. Safety procedures included an initial check of buckles and harnesses by an instructor, but failed to recognize that participants would remove their harnesses for toilet purposes. Lists other possible safety errors for…

Characteristics and uses of a soft play room completely filled with soft modular play equipment are described. Gross motor activity and social interaction characterize play by young children in this environment. (DB)

Eleven thousand eye injuries are suffered annually by 5- to-14-year-old youngsters during sports and recreational activities. Baseball-related accidents result in more eye injuries to youth than any other sport. Protective face gear is discussed and recommended. (MT)

Drowning has three major causes: (1) inability to swim and/or lack of a personal flotation device; (2) hypothermia; and (3) abuse of alcohol or drugs. Defenses against drowning include: (1) proper use of personal flotation devices; (2) learning swimming and flotation techniques; (3) understanding reduction of heat loss in cold water; and (4)…

Arguments for and against the installation of seat belts in school buses are discussed. (DF)

This report, prepared for the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools superintendent and board members, identifies the questions concerning seat belt use in school buses, examines relevant literature, and draws some conclusions. According to the literature, seat belts are one of many alternative and interdependent safety devices built into…