The Choose Safety programme is a teaching and learning resource for post-Junior Certificate students.  It is primarily aimed at Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programmes and those who are likely to engage in work experience.  It is also relevant for PLC students engaged in ‘preparation for work’ type courses.

The school pack consists of student workbooks, a teacher guidebook and a DVD.  All are provided free of charge to those schools that register with their local Education Centre or directly with Kilkenny Education Centre. The programme provides material for more than 20 hours of tuition.  The lessons may be expanded or condensed to suit the timetable arrangements in schools and the ability range of students. It is particularly suitable for those students who will engage in work experience during the school year.

The programme is designed around six units. Each unit contains enough material and teaching suggestions to cover five or more class periods. Teachers may dip into the text and engage in those topics and student activities that best suit the level of knowledge of the students.

A Brief outline of the Choose Safety course structure:

• Unit 1 introduces the concept of hazard identification and focuses on electricity and fire
• Unit 2 looks at manual handling to explore risk
• Unit 3 considers effective controls within the context of the management of hazardous substances
• Unit 4- 6 Challenge the student to reflect on and discuss how the principles of health and safety can be applied to real situations.
• Units 4 and 5 explore the important concepts of taking responsibility and communicating concerns and decisions
• Unit 6 completes Choose Safety by examining actual case studies. This unit revisits the issues raised earlier in the course.

Student Certificates
There is a Certificate of Completion available for students who have successfully completed the module. This is awarded in recognition of their increased understanding of health and safety at work. The teacher can judge whether or not the student has engaged adequately to deserve accreditation. For most, an “ordinary” Certificate of Completion can be reasonably awarded. Students meriting a Certificate of Distinction must show some advanced understanding of the issues raised. They will have completed almost all the activities, including each of the “short projects” and, at least, one of the major assignments in Unit 6.

Would you like to do the Choose Safety Programme?

Schools who wish to receive free student and teacher copies of the ‘Choose Safety’ workbooks and the accompanying DVD should contact : Tommy McCormick, Choose Safety Co-ordinator at 086-8090782 or Monaghan Education Centre at 047 74000 or info@metc.ie 

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