Curriculum Standards for Baccalaureate Degrees in Safety

I have made a thorough re-study of the Curriculum Standards for Baccalaureate Degrees in Safety in light of the added responsibilities many safety practitioners now have. Because of the soundness of the basic requirements and the flexibility they provide for electives, they still provide an excellent foundation for the diverse needs of those entering the safety profession. The Standards are foundational and their content is very broad. They recognize the need to have several electives available in specialty flelds, and they also recognize that individual universities will have particular course requirements. 

Several outstanding safety professionals contributed to the development of the Curriculum Standards for Baccalaureate Degrees in Safety, and they... 

Note the term a common body of knowledge. In the process of researching and writing Chapter 5, Academic and skill Requirements for the Practice of Safety, I concluded that the Curriculum Standards for Baccalaureate Degrees in Safety, jointly pubMshed by the Academic Accreditation Council of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, estabhsh a rigor of education that adequately prepares one to enter the safety profession. 

The purpose of the curriculum standards is to define the minimum academic requirements for entering the safety profession. To meet the ASSE/-BCSP accreditation requirements for a baccalaureate degree in safety, a college or university program must require not less than 120 semester hours (or equivalent) of study and meet a broad range of prescribed studies. They are briefly reviewed here. 

Considering the recent transitions in the practice of safety and the breadth of present and probable future requirements, I believe that the Curriculum Standards for the Baccalaureate Degrees in Safety represent a sound course of study through which the needed academic knowledge can be acquired to prepare those who are to enter the practice of safety. 

The ACCE (2012), Document 103, defines the standards and criteria for accreditation of construction education programs. According to ACCE (2012), the curriculum of baccalaureate degree programs should address health and safety in the constraction courses related to project execution. ACCE (2012) requires that at least one semester credit (1.5 quarter credits) must be devoted to safety. This credit can be covered either in a single course or in multiple courses. Safety content must include safe practices mandatory procedures, training, records, and maintenance and compliance, inspection, and penalties. 

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