Senior secondary vocational education (MBO) schools can offer the optional subject 'Deepening knowledge of staying fit, safe and healthy at work'. During this optional subject, students consciously learn to work in a fit, safe and healthy manner. This reduces the risk of workplace accidents or physical or mental health problems throughout their career.
After the optional subject
After completing the optional subject, students will be better able to positively influence and monitor their own health and that of others. This is achieved by applying their own skills and by complying with rules and agreements. The optional subject also covers how to discuss working in a fit, safe and healthy manner with managers and colleagues. All of this leads to sustainable employability.
On the website of the Foundation for Cooperation on Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market (Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven, SBB), you will find detailed descriptions of this optional subject for level 2 (Dutch) and levels 3 and 4 (Dutch).
In the school's Risk lnventory and Evaluation (Dutch) you must separately list the hazards and risks that may occur in practical classrooms and the measures you are taking to counter them. You can ensure these measures are implemented by systematically focusing on the health and safety of students and staff in the practical classroom. During lessons, draw attention to the hazards and risks associated with the subject, so that students can learn about them while still at school. For example, when working with machines. You can find more information about drawing up an Rl&E on Arboportaal (Dutch).
Each training course has a qualification file. lt sets out the requirements that a student must meet in order to obtain the diploma. The qualification requirements are in line with the knowledge and skills that companies need. Sometimes, the qualification files of training courses explicitly state requirements for healthy and safe working practices. For example, the qualification file for the 'All-round welder' course (level 3) states:
'An all-round welder is responsible for his or her own safety and is jointly responsible for the safety of his or her colleagues. He or she is obliged to use the prescribed safety equipment and ensures that others use it too. When he or she discovers unsafe situations, he or she reports them to his or her own manager and takes the necessary measures to remedy the unsafe situations. He or she works in accordance with working conditions regulations and applicable company rules with regard to safety, welfare and the environment.'
The file then shows that the student must be able to apply the safety regulations in all actions. All qualification files can be found on the SBB website (select English).
The SCC Basic Safety diploma shows that someone:
knows the laws and regulations regarding safety
recognises unsafe situations
knows what to do to prevent accidents
This SCC diploma is not a mandatory part of senior secondary vocational education (MBO) programmes. Nevertheless, more and more companies are requiring their employees to have this diploma. This also applies to students and trainees. That is why it is a good idea for MBO schools to make the SCC diploma part of their curriculum and to use it in the subject specific implementation of safe working practices. This is good for both the safety and the career opportunities of students.
What should the school pay attention to in practice?
In both block or day release (BBL) programmes and prevocational learning pathway (BOL) programmes, it is important that systematic attention is paid to healthy and safe working practices. This applies to both theory lessons and, certainly, practical lessons. Teachers, practical training supervisors, safety coordinators, prevention officers and the board play an important role in this.
Teachers teach young people how to work safely and healthily. This is done in the regular subjects based on the qualification files, but also within the optional subject 'Deepening knowledge of staying fit, safe and healthy at work'. In addition, teachers supervise the healthy and safe working practices of students.
A practical training supervisor guides the student who is doing a traineeship, checks whether the practices at the work placement company are actually healthy and safe, and maintains contact with the practical trainer. See also the agreements in the Service Document on Practical Training Contracts (Dutch) of the Netherlands Association of Senior Secondary Vocational Schools (MBO Raad).
A safety coordinator or prevention officer is responsible for the school's Rl&E, which enables safe working in practical classrooms.
The board of the educational institution is ultimately responsible for overall working conditions management: students and teachers must be able to work safely. The board is responsible for information provision and supervision, including in the practical classrooms.
Only by working together can schools and work placement companies ensure that students learn to work in a healthy and safe manner. That is why it is important for the school to maintain dialogue with the company, also when things go wrong. Does the student carne to school with stories that may indicate unhealthy or unsafe situations? Talk about it. In this way, you can work together to ensure that the student develops into a skilled professional who works in a healthy and safe manner.
Not every young person is immediately able to recognise health and safety risks. Mentioning hazards and risks or unsafe working practices may be even more difficult. Especially if they have to mention them to their manager or practical trainer. Nevertheless, it is important that young people are trained to discuss hazards and risks.
lt is important for the practical training supervisor from the school to have a good understanding of the situation at the traineeship or work placement company. And for the student to talk at school about their work at the company, including whether they are working in a healthy and safe manner. This allows the school to tailor the curriculum to the practical situations students will encounter and to intervene in a timely manner if there are problems with health and safety at work within the company.
