Slippery Rock University - Safety Management Program

Slippery Rock University - Safety Management Program

Slippery Rock University, located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, offers a Bachelor of Science in Safety Management. The program's purpose is to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to help protect workers' safety and health. The program consists of workplace safety, hazardous materials and workplace health hazards, emergency preparedness and incident investigation, environmental permitting and sustainability, and improving workplace conditions.

History

At Slippery Rock University, Dr. George Mihalik was a newly hired professor who had recently earned his doctoral degree. Dr. Mihalik was asked by the university administration to develop a Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Management. In 1978, Dr. Mihalik formally proposed a degree titled “Administration of Occupational Health and Safety Management.” Approval for the degree was granted in February 1982. The same year, during spring commencement, the first three graduates of the program were Bill Gilbert, Don Leonard, and Tom Bolen.

Curriculum and Professional Recognition

The Safety Management program requires courses that cover hazardous materials, safety regulations, construction safety, industrial hygiene, emergency management, ergonomics, and incident investigation. Students in the program must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 and a major GPA of 2.0 to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Management. The program requires students to pursue both the OSHA 30-hour Construction and General Industry cards. The program meets the Board of Certified Safety Professionals' requirements for a Qualified Academic Program (QAP). The Safety Management degree is also approved by the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM). Graduates at Slippery Rock University receive the Graduate Safety Practitioner designation, which is a pathway to becoming eligible to sit for the Certified Safety Professional examination.

Facilities and Industry Partnerships

SRU’s industry partners include MSA Safety, 70E Solutions, Falcon Power, Fire Fighter Sales & Service, Holder Construction, Kokosing Construction, New Pig, and Rockford Systems. MSA has supported SRU by donating equipment, providing training, and funding professional development. Shayla Wilkinson, a safety management major at Slippery Rock University, said she used the same equipment that professionals are using on the job. While taking classes at SRU, Wilkinson used MSA’s XTIRPA confined-space rescue system to learn how workers can be lowered into places like tanks and manholes. The system is worth $13,000 and was part of the more than $450,000 worth of equipment MSA donated to SRU over ten years. Rockford Systems also partners with Slippery Rock University. Rockford Systems has donated multiple machines and systems such as a mechanical press fully safeguarded with an SSC-1500 press control, custom-engineered guards, and a presence-sensing light curtain system. Rockford Systems will also conduct annual safety compliance validation and Stop-Time measurement services for five years. This helps make sure that the machines comply with OSHA standards.

Career Opportunities and Industry Demand

The demand for safety professionals is increasing as industries grow and experienced workers retire. Slippery Rock University’s Safety Management graduates have opportunities in fields such as construction, manufacturing, insurance, and oil and gas. Employers have reached out to the university about job openings for graduates. Future safety professionals can pursue opportunities in careers such as health and safety engineers, occupational safety and health specialists, and safety and health technicians, among other positions. Safety professionals are responsible for ensuring that workplaces are safe and secure for employees, customers, and visitors. Their responsibilities can include developing safety programs, maintaining safe working conditions, and conducting risk assessments.

Internship Opportunities

Companies from across the country come to Slippery Rock University twice a year to offer students job and internship opportunities at the Safety Management Expos. Students get to speak directly with company representatives and possibly secure interviews. Travis Browning of Superior Construction stated, “A lot of time when you talk to someone face to face you are able to get a better understanding of who they are. You can read certain social cues…but being able to have these short, almost like speed-dating interactions. Here you are able to talk to people, get an idea and set aside time to maybe later interview them and potentially do some offers.” Superior Construction hired four SRU students as interns the previous year, and one is now full-time. Amazon’s Sandy Wong was at the expo talking to students about full-time workplace health and safety jobs and internships. Wong also talked about how important networking is for young professionals searching for jobs.

References

This article "Slippery Rock University - Safety Management Program" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Slippery Rock University - Safety Management Program. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---