Teacher's Guide

safe@work is a health and safety package for secondary school students undertaking work experience. It is designed to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of occupational health and safety matters before entering a work place.

The main aim of safe@work is to provide students with information about occupational health and safety hazards and laws, and practical solutions to some common health and safety problems.

Employers provide students with valuable opportunities to gain experience in the work place. It is important for students to understand that employers have a duty of care towards them, and that they also have responsibilities towards the employer.

safe@work is user-friendly and includes interactive student centered activities designed to encourage flexible, self-paced learning. In line with the philosophy of the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF), safe@work encourages students to become self-motivated and confident in their approach to learning. It is particularly relevant for the increasing number of students undertaking courses where learning in the work place is part of the curriculum.

Students are expected to work through a module, reading and studying the information under various topic headings, prior to undertaking the self assessment questions that follow.

The information in this package is available in PDF (portable document format). This allows teachers to print a photocopy master of any of the modules to use in class. The multiple-choice tests and Awards of Attainment are NOT available in this format.

safe@work consists of:

Curriculum and Standards Framework

This section indicates the Curriculum and Standards Framework relevant to safe@work.

safe@work User Guide

The safe@work user guide provides teachers with instructions on how to access and deliver Safe@Work in schools. It includes teacher lesson plans, electronic copies of A Job Well Done teacher resources, and handy tips and tricks for using the site. See: safe@work User Guide

General Module

The General Module is designed mainly for secondary school students undertaking work place learning programs, to introduce important facts about health and safety laws and common hazards. Students should complete the General Module before moving on to complete any of the Industry Modules.

Review Module

The Review Module allows secondary school students to refresh their memory of the main information in the General Module before they complete one or more industry modules. Students are only required to complete this module if 12 months or more have elapsed since they first completed the General Module.

Industry Modules

Each of the Industry Modules contains more detailed information on the main hazards specific to each industry. The fourteen Industry Modules are:

If students are eager to complete an Industry Module relevant to their part-time work, they can do so either in class time or out of class on their own initiative.

Self Assessment Tests

There are separate tests for the General Module and each Industry Module, to complete on the Internet. Each module contains several sections. Students should work through a module, reading and studying the information, before attempting a self-marking multiple choice test.

Before they commence the test, it is important for students to type their name and school on the computer screen exactly as they want it to appear on their Award of Attainment.

safe@work Awards of Attainment

There are Awards of Attainment for the General Module and for each Industry Module. These can be printed off the Internet when students answer at least 12 out of 16 questions correctly. The Awards of Attainment recognise their understanding of basic occupational health and safety information and can be kept in their portfolio. The Award of Attainment is not valid until it is dated and bears the school stamp and the principal's signature.

How long will the Award of Attainment be valid for?

Awards of Attainment for the General and Industry Modules are only valid for twelve months.

If twelve months or more have elapsed since a student satisfactorily completed the General and Industry Modules and the student wishes to undertake work experience in the same industry, the student must complete the Review Module and redo that Industry Module.

If a student is planning to undertake work experience in a different industry, the student must satisfactorily complete the Review Module and the Industry Module relevant to that industry.

Resources

Resources are provided as printable PDF (portable document format) files. Some activities are designed to be completed in class, while students can do others on their own.

Links

Links are provided to some relevant resources on WorkSafe's Internet site and to other Internet sites with occupational health and safety information and activities.

Further Information

If you have any questions about safe@work or would like to provide feedback, please contact the Youth Transitions Division (youth.transitions@edumail.vic.gov.au)