Morning Edward To address the thread title...yes I do. In response to your post...I have on many an occasion lectured at schools on workplace H&S. I use actual situations (some I have previously set up), and invite the attendees to comment on the rights, wrongs and what they would do to minimise the threat of accidents in the workplace. I specifically do not discuss legislation unless invited to do so, and almost always come away amazed at the proactive suggestions. When re-visiting, and that can be many months later, it would seem that the pupils have little difficulty in separating the real safety considerations from the litigious ones. Frequently they have set up a safety committee within the school, which does indeed help the teaching staff in more ways that one. One of the success areas has been to single out an individual and ask them what they feel is the way forward. This them prompts much discussion from..."You wally, that will never work!" To..."Oh yes it will, because..." It is the interaction from the pupils that makes it so stimulating and dare I say as successful as could be expected.I have found retention to be actually very good indeed. Good luck with your continued efforts. CFT

I do know that the Irish Education Dept has now introduced to the curriculum for the age group you are concerned with 14 -16 years old in workplace Health and safety. You could check the IOSH archives as I remember it been mentioned in a SHP / IOSH notice that this was been introduced. Please find below SHP article. You will find details of the educational program at www.hsa.ie/education Health and safety added to school curriculum for Irish students 15/02/2010 Secondary-school students in Ireland will have the option to study health and safety as part of the national curriculum, using a range of educational resources provided by the government regulator. The Health and Safety Authority Transition Year Programme was launched on 11 February by the minister for labour affairs, Dara Calleary TD, following formal ratification of the programme by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The Transition Year is undertaken by students aged from 15 to 17 (between the equivalent of GCSEs and A-levels) and aims to encourage independent, self-directed learning and development of general, technical and academic skills. The HSA has provided a range of resources that includes teacher and student workbooks, a DVD, and an e-learning module, all of which will be provided free of charge for schools taking part in the programme. The Transition Year option is currently available in around 75 per cent of Irish schools, and Year directors can now offer the health and safety module as part of their programme. Work experience plays an integral part of the Year, and the HSA estimates that the work-related injury rate for 15 to 19-year-olds in Ireland in 2007 was higher than for any other age category. Consequently, it places great emphasis on education at an early age, to develop a culture of health and safety that young people can carry forward into their working lives. Said minister Calleary: “We need to equip our young people with the kind of skill set that will help prepare them for the world of work. They need to be able to identify hazards in the workplace and to know how to protect themselves.” Chair of the HSA, Jim Lyons, added: “With up to 50 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds in some form of work, whether during the summer or part-time, it is essential that students are prepared for the hazards that are encountered in the workplace.” IOSH, which is currently campaigning to have health and safety included in the national curriculum in the UK, welcomed the HSA’s initiative. Richard Jones, policy and technical director, commented: “We know that young workers, due to their inexperience, are particularly vulnerable when they first enter the workplace, so anything that can help educate them on health and safety has to be welcomed. It’s good to see the HSA driving this forward.” Details of the programme are available at www.hsa.ie/education Minister Calleary is pictured at a new ESB Networks sub-station with Patrick Caulfield, a student of Coolmine Community College in Dublin, who will do work experience with the electricity supplier as part of his Transition Year programme

The HSSA have some info on their website about educating children about safety signs and their meaning, might be something of use/interest on there: http://www.education.hssa.co.uk/

I dont think you can start gently getting the message across early enough. There is a peculiar childrens programme on CBEEBIES - which my 2 year old just loves - and they have named it Hoof and Safety....(has to be seen to be believed...!!!) http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbe...mmes/hoofandsafety.shtml it does not appear mocking and gets general safety messages across to very young children. Fair play for having a go without being sarcastic.

Hi, Can’t say I agree with the above posts I’m not convinced that H&S per se should be taught as a single subject. Speaking as a former teacher I think there are too many subjects on the curriculum as it is. However I think it should be obviously be included in detail as an integral part of other subjects such as IT, sport, the sciences, technology and any practical activity where it has immediate importance. Still if anyone can convince me otherwise! Steve

I agree with Stephen, indeed I am not convinced that h&s should be included in schools at all, except relative to certain subjects like perhaps wood work. Children have a natural tendency to do things they are told not to do, such as smoking. Some go on to be smokers whilst other don't, but they do know it is bad for your health. Taking risks and experiencing the outcomes however painful is also part and parcel of growing up. I am concerned that too many of the politcally correct brigade want to wrap children in cotton wool. Before anyone says it, I am not advocating playing chicken at a level crossing, but allowing children and adolescents to enjoy their relatively brief period of freedom.

xRockape, I am not suggesting that your annual 'spot the hazard' or whatever is not of some benefit. However, surely for life's common risks is the job for parents to advise their off-spring? When I was a kid it was don't accept sweeties from strangers etc. Meanwhile, I was playing football in the street with other kids, scrumping, wrecking the odd telephone box and when I got a little older it was smoking, drinking, popping and er... I also learnt about life, people and how much I could drink without shouting for huey. Seriously, I get sick to death of over zealous health and safety people, jobsworths and political correctness being used as an excuse for all sorts of restrictive practices. If we are to keep some integrity and respect for the h&s profession, then we need to know its limitations. When I was asked by a Director of Safety to look into lifestyle issues that included what people do outside the job, I simply said "Don't you think we should get our own house in order first". Good night.

Is teaching young persons a good idea? Yes, but only if they're learning the right lessons. Individuals of all ages need to have the knowledge, skills and ability to identify and evaluate risks and then the ability to take the appropriate measure. This ability may be the resources, time, tools & confidenceto do something, or the confidence to say "No!" or "I need help!" The concept of hazard spotting can be dangerous as it induces a mind-set that "things" cause harm; things do not, events do! What happens when there is nothing in an area. I want individuals to use their imaginations, having regard to all the available facts, to make informed decisions about the conduct of lives. This may be as simple as telling an infant that cars run you over, so hold mummy's hand near the road and don't run into the road. Conversely it could be something complex such as asking them to look at activities and getting them to instruct you what can cause harm and what measures should be taken to protect the different individual's exposed to harm. Regards Adrian

I've some sympathy with this view but I think there is real benefit in integrating h&s into subjects where it is relevant. For example into a design and technology project ('wood work' Ray? - you're showing your age!!) or a science practical. ie making it part of the design process. But, it must be done in a sensible way; all too often such approaches descend into bureaucratic over-cautious exercises.