Expert Ease International has been providing short talks to schools (school-leavers and work placement students) for several years now, doing it free at schools where our own children attend. We have also put up exhibition stands at school employment fairs and spoken to leavers and their parents about what they should expect when they start employment.. Over the years since my children started schools I have re-discovered that the awareness of safety by teachers is excellent. They are very competent workers, who are well aware of their responsibilities and duties towards the young people in their charge, and have ensured through experience and assessment that any hazardous activities that take place in the school are well controlled and any PPE that is required is issued, demonstrated and the pupils taught to understand the reasons for them. When my children were issued goggles it was not to play conkers, but to safeguard their eyes during science experiments. Our talks are aimed at providing a continuity between safety in school and safety in the workplace.We have been made very welcome in the schools and have provided talks to class sized groups as well as to larger groups in the assembly halls. What we have been found is that we are assisting the teaching staff prepare their pupils for work-experience and employment. Pupils are lively and keen, (particularly when the teacher uses the time to catch up on his/her paper work in the annex, and we have had the class to ourselves). Questions flow and the discussion is incredible. We have used our own training and safety equipment to provide the students with some hands-on activity, making the activity a fun one. Over the years I have come across projects as far apart as Ireland, Scotland and Australia that are very similar, and indeed the aim is to get all “safety professionals”, not just the consultants, to go into the schools. Those on a wage can do this too, and I would encourage them to do at least one a year where they have children, grandchildren, or nephews/nieces at a local school.
I see this activity as an opportunity to raise an awareness amongst young people that to be a competent worker they need to develop an awareness of the hazards that they may face and will have to control. In the long run competent workers and competent organisations will be relying upon their own competence to control work operations and people like us will become superfluous (because we have done a good job).
If you would like to do this but are nervous of talking to pupils in school, or not sure how to go about it, feel free to ask the teachers for a few pointers, or anyone else that you know who has worked with young people. They really don’t bite, but they are not afraid to ask what might appear to be the strangest of questions. Young people want to know, so whatever you can give them, give. Do not be afraid to tell them if you do not know. They are not stupid and will pick up a bluff very quickly and then you have lost them. Set them the task of finding out and promise that you will get the answer to them (a wee note to the teacher who will pass it on).
There are many resources available, some free, some at a cost. We have used our own company resources, bringing in such items as RPE, hi-vis PPE, hard hats etc, and letting the kids have a real hands-on session. We have produced information sheets for the pupils, their teachers and parents, and for their prospective employers. This means that they all go away with something to facilitate further discussion in school and at home, and a reminder that the visit was more than just a “free period”.In my experience it is a good exercise for all to be involved in, whether a safety professional or not.
As parents it is another way to facilitate the safe transition from school to work, and to be in touch with what our kids are thinking about as they face this transition. A list of web-sites that can help: |
