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?

Contact Information

Beatriz.Pazos@state.ma.us

617-624-5677

Sara.Rattigan@state.ma.us

617-624-5258