During the 2020-2021 school year, educators found themselves faced with the unique challenge of delivering instruction virtually in the face of a pandemic. While there was an almost universal scramble to find the best possible solution to ensure no student was left behind, educators in places like career and technology centers (CTCs) faced the additional challenge of providing hands-on experience in a virtual world. The staff and administration at Beaver County Career and Technology Center  (BCCTC) , like so many other CTCs, had to produce a plan that was solid and efficient and would also accommodate all the districts and students within their area of service—no simple task! Staff at B...

The 2019 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still one of the most dangerous in America with 577 fatalities. Since fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week . This year's National Farm Safety and Health Week theme is  "Farm Safety Yields Real Results". In preparation for next week, CareerSafe wants to highlight some important topics in farm safety and education to help you know what to look for, how to be prepared, and how to respond to agricultural workplace hazards . Some impor...

The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. However, certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens can contaminate food, causing foodborne illnesses, or "food poisoning". The federal government estimates there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually–that's 1 in 6 Americans. Each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Luckily, following four simple steps to food safety (clean, separate, cook, chill) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) can help lower your chances of getting sick!   CLEAN hands and surfaces often Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before...

Every year, red light runners cause hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries, and #StopOnRed2021 , created by the Federal Highway Administration, aims to educate drivers about the dangers of red light running and to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes. But driving safety doesn't end with stopping at red lights, and it's something every driver should keep in mind every day—not just during Stop on Red Week. No matter how skilled of a driver you are, it's a good idea to review driving safety basics from time to time just to be sure that you are keeping yourself—and other drivers and pedestrians—as safe as possible. Below are some basics to keep in mind any time you are...

One of the most important things a teacher can do to impact the lives of their students is to make their classroom a "safe space"—both physically and emotionally. This is crucial because, for students to learn, they need to feel safe. Physical safety has even been linked to higher academic performance, fewer risky behaviors, and lower dropout rates. Because of their daily interaction with students—and their positions of influence in the lives of students—teachers play an important role in establishing a safe, supportive learning environment. In fact, positive teacher-student relationships can have long-lasting effects on the social, emotional, and academic development of youth. So, how do yo...

It's summertime, and COVID-19 restrictions are starting to be loosened and lifted. If getting out of your house and finally having some fun sounds appealing, you're not alone! However, emergency rooms often see twice the number of injuries and trauma in the summer that they see in the winter—with the most common injuries resulting from car crashes, severe sunburn, water sports, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.  Although we've just wrapped up National Safety Month , safety is something we should always practice—so let's brush up on some safety skills associated with common summer hazards and make this a "National Safety Summer".  Water Safety According to the National Safety Counci...

CareerSafe offers several scholarship opportunities for students . One of these opportunities is our annual National Youth Safety Video Contest. For this contest, student entrants are encouraged to create short videos demonstrating safety in the workplace. The top 3 entrants receive scholarship prizes for the winning group members and cash prizes for their schools, along with a trip to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference . ​ 2021 FINALISTS (in no particular order) 1st Place: Tulsa Tech - Riverside Campus, Tulsa, OK "Better CareerSafe Than Sorry" 2nd Place: Middle Creek High School, Apex, NC "Scared Straight Safety" 3rd Place: Midway High School, Newton Grove, NC "Adam Fix...

Times of struggle and challenge are often some of the greatest periods of growth, and the pandemic has certainly created plenty of challenges. However, as we have risen to meet those challenges, COVID-19 has helped shine a light on crucial changes that needed to be made in the world of health and safety. Though the lessons COVID-19 has taught us have been plentiful, a recent Safety+Health magazine article highlights two health and safety truths in particular: 1) none of us are immune to hazards, and 2) the quality of life is determined by health, more than anything. People have a common tendency to believe that the bad thing (in this case, a disease) "won't happen to me", and the pandemic ha...

This year marks the 25 th anniversary of National Safety Month (NSM) , an annual observance begun by the National Safety Council (NSC) with the goal of increasing public awareness of the leading safety and health risks. According to the NSC, the U.S. is currently seeing the highest number of workplace deaths since 2007—there were 5,333 fatal workplace injuries in 2019. Let's work together to get that number WAY down! Following this year's theme, The Year of the Safety Hero , NSC will be focusing on a different topic during each week of June and sharing a variety of safety resources you can use to be a safety hero. The weekly topics for NSM are:   ​ Week 1—Prevent Incidents Before They S...

​The hot topic on CareerSafe's social media channels in April and May was teen worker safety. Using the hashtag #KeepTeenWorkersSafe , CareerSafe and our partners shared tips and engaged youth workers in an almost month-long conversation about workplace safety. We were thrilled to highlight so many resources for young workers—and we were a little sad when the official campaign period ended. But the conversation didn't stop in mid-May, because #KeepTeenWorkersSafe is much more than a once-a-year hashtag or social media campaign. You're probably thinking, " Then what exactly is #KeepTeenWorkersSafe? " We're so glad you asked! Laying the foundation for progress In June 2018, CareerSafe joined t...