Safety Management

The Department of Safety Management offers a hands-on, practical and applied Bachelor of Science Degree in Safety Management. The BS in Safety Management is designed to assure development of competencies which enable innovative approaches in the establishment and direction of comprehensive safety programs in educational, governmental, private business and industrial enterprises. Safety Management involves protecting and preserving people, property, productivity and the environment. The curriculum fosters an education that enables students to become responsible, knowledgeable and accountable safety professionals. The major is based on safety management concepts with technical elements incorporated throughout the curriculum.

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Safety Management at Slippery Rock University meets the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) requirements as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP). The Safety Management Major at SRU is an Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) approved degree program.

The Department of Safety Management also operates a National Resource Center-WVU OSHA Training Institute Education Center Host Site. The Department adheres to the OSHA requirements that an instructor be physically in the classroom with a maximum number of 40 students. Students who successfully complete SAFE 218 (General Industry) and SAFE 258 (Construction) are eligible to receive OSHA cards. The Cards are an added value to the courses. However, a student must meet all the OSHA requirements to receive the Cards. Cards are issued at the discretion of the Instructor and enrollment in the courses does not entitle the student to the Cards. The Department is also able to offer additional OSHA courses.

For Safety Management laboratory courses, the Department of Safety Management attempts to follow the recommendation of both the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) which is to have the lesser of 24 students per lab, and the design capacity of the room, or 55 sq. ft. per student for lecture/lab combo rooms and 45 sq. ft. per student for only lab rooms.

Mission and Outcomes

Vision

The vision of the Safety Management Major is to be the premier program of all Safety Majors at Institutions of Higher Education.

Mission

The mission of the Safety Management Major at Slippery Rock University is to provide a quality education in the managerial and technical aspects in the field of professional Safety practice.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Safety Management Major is to foster an education that enables students to become responsible, knowledgeable and accountable Safety professionals.

Goals

Prepare students for entry to mid-level administrative, managerial and supervisory positions in the field of Safety.

Enable students to demonstrate competencies necessary for the development, implementation and maintenance of comprehensive safety management programs.

Enhance the students' ability to critically analyze situations to solve problems and make decisions relative to the safety function.

Provide opportunities for students to evaluate new strategies, issues, and research based applications pertaining to the safety discipline.

Augment the students' capability to develop effective oral and written communication.

ABILITY-BASED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Professional Interaction

To interact and communicate with managerial, supervisory, labor and external public using a combination of communication, training, and technological skills for a clear exchange of ideas and information. These skills include: integrating different media in a variety of professional settings, using computers and other informational technology, using data, listening and comprehending the viewpoints of others, and effectively presenting information in oral and written formats.

Professional Decision Making

To use critical and creative thinking in preserving enterprise resources, solving problems, making decisions and gaining new insights in professional decision-making. These skills include: clarifying and justifying assumptions, reasoning with considerations of implications and consequences, inferring and drawing conclusions, and evaluating the historical, financial, legal and political decisions that impact on the safety function.

Professional Ethics and Responsibility

To value the need for lifelong personal and professional development and mandate for ethical, responsible, and accountable professional practice or performance which includes a sensitivity to and affirmation of moral values in an evolving technologic and litigious society.

Professional Competence and Application

To synthesize the body of knowledge of safety and environmental management as a basis for the performance of the skills and abilities required for an entry-level professional. This ability includes applying research findings to assure currency in the practice and the advancement of theoretical knowledge and practice within the profession.