Laboratory safety in vocational education: An administrator’s perspective

When public school administrators first undertook the obligation of providing shop and laboratory experiences for youth and adults enrolled in their schools, they assumed a responsibility to provide an accident-free environment and a program of instruction which would include emphasis on effective safety practices (Williams, 1975, p. 50). As school curricula have expanded to include more occupational and technical subjects, the potential for situations that contribute to accidents has increased (Kigin. 1983; Ramp, Johnson, & McLuckie, 1975). What are schools doing to ensure a safe environment for students? In a survey of administrators and vocational teachers in Missouri, Dyrenfurth and Lindhart (1981) found that classroom and laboratory instruction were most often cited as the major safety program activities. Recognizing the importance of safety, several states (Dyrenfurth, et. al., 1981