Safe Jobs for YouthSafety and Health Resources for
Massachusetts Cooperative Education Placement Coordinators
Teens at Work: Injury Surveillance& Prevention Project
Occupational Health Surveillance ProgramMassachusetts Department of Public Health
Beatriz Pazos Vautin, MPH, Sara Rattigan, MS, Letitia Davis, ScD
Supported by cooperative agreement #2U0OH008490-06 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Introduction
• Why “Safe Jobs for Youth”? Protect students, school, and employer Safety necessary to skill development Lack of formal resources to guide process
• How to Use this Guide Logical flow to align with placement process Can be used in part or in whole
Methods
• Worked with the MA Cooperative Placement Coordinators Association
• Employer questions and checklists reviewed by industry experts– OSHA inspectors, IH, advisory board
members
• Fall 2010 piloted with 14 co-op coordinators
• Legal section reviewed by lawyers
Overview
• Introduction
• Laws Affecting Cooperative Education Placements
• Assessing Safety and Health Prior to the Placement
• Assessing Safety and Health During the Placement
• Information Resources
• Appendix
Laws Affecting Placements
Contents• Introduction• MA Vocational Technical Education Regulations• Workers’ Compensation• Child Labor Laws in Massachusetts• MA Deleading and Lead-Safe Renovations• Issues of Liability
Prior to Placement
Contents• Introduction
• The Co-op Agreement
• Questions to Ask the Employer about Safety and Health
• Tips for Talking with the Employer
• Worksite Safety and Health Assessment Checklists
• The Final Assessment
• Working with Students and Parents Prior to Placement
Employer Questions
• Potential hazards
• Safety & health training
• Workplace safety & health policies & procedures
• Safety & health contacts
General Checklist
Occupational Clusters
• Agriculture & Natural Resources
• Business & Consumer Services
• Education• Hospitality & Tourism• Manufacturing,
Engineering, & Technological
• Arts & Communication
• Construction• Health Services• Information &
Technology• Transportation
Occupational Clusters
Business & Consumer Services Checklist
During the Placement
Contents
• Introduction
• Supervisory Worksite Visits
• Working with Students and Parents During the Placement
Additional Sections
• Information Resources– NJ and Ontario materials, OSHA website
• Appendix
- printer-friendly checklists and handouts
Pilot
• “This is my first year as the Co-op Coordinator…I think it is very useful and I like the way it was structured.”
• “I have found the handouts for parents and employers to be very helpful and really like the cluster-specific safety checklists. It’s a great reference tool for me, employers and parents! Thanks!”
• “Very Useful. Great Work.”
Challenges
• Issues of liability• Resistance from experienced co-op
coordinators• Understanding types of placements in
each cluster• Balancing schools need to find
employers while keeping students safe• OSHA citations• Staff turnover
Dissemination/Future Plans
• MA co-op coordinators (release 6/28/11)
• DPH website
• Review & adapt for other job placement professionals
• Suggestions for others?
