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Occupational safety and health is a specialized branch of the health professions focusing on the practices and the environment of workers. Protecting America’s workers, and the general public, from injury and illness in today’s age of technological advancement has become one of the most challenging and rewarding professions available. Occupational safety and health professionals strive to anticipate, identify, evaluate and eliminate or control hazards which expose people, property or the environment to danger or harm. The profession is concerned with prevention of injuries or occupational diseases that may occur with the interaction between the worker and the chemical (gas, vapors, mists and fumes); physical (noise, heat and radiation); biological (bacteria, viruses and molds); ergonomic (repetitive motion and work-induced fatigue); mechanical; electrical; and other forces in the work environment. This proactive approach to hazard elimination or control requires specialized applied science and technical skills coupled with communications and general education skills that only a properly formulated curriculum can provide. The Occupational Safety and Health program at Oakland University meets and exceeds the recommendation for educational outcomes recommended by the American Society of Safety Engineers. These ASSE criteria have been adopted by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) for accreditation of safety-related degree programs that meet these high standards of educational excellence. The Occupational Safety and Health program at Oakland University is currently in the ABET accreditation process. The program director, Dr. McGlothlin, was on the ASSE Education and Professional Standards Committee that developed the educational outcomes-based criteria for ABET accreditation of safety-related programs. Subsequent to ABET adoption of the ASSE-developed accreditation standards, Dr. McGlothlin was invited to participate in ASSE training programs that lead to his appointment as an ABET program evaluator for safety-related degree programs. Dr. McGlothlin is confident the Oakland University Occupational Safety and Health program meets or exceeds established ABET criteria for accreditation. Should OU's program become ABET accredited, it would join an elite group of only six programs in the nation to obtain ABET accreditation of a baccalaureate degree in the area of industrial/occupational safety and health. In addition, this Oakland University program would be unique in the state of Michigan as the only ABET-accredited safety-related degree program. The benefits to students, university and employers would be significant with this prestigious accreditation. Endorsements encouraging ABET accreditation of this Occupational Safety and Health program have been received from the program’s industry advisory committee, the Greater Detroit Chapter of the ASSE, the Southeast Michigan Safety Council, and the national ASSE organization. In addition, the ASSE Foundation is considering funding one-half the cost for the ABET accreditation visit to the Oakland University campus. Another unique feature of this program should occur with the development of a master’s degree program in Safety Management. Again, this would be a highly desirable and unique program in the state of Michigan. Endorsements encouraging development of a master’s degree in Safety Management have been received from the program’s industry advisory committee, graduates of the baccalaureate degree program and the Greater Detroit Chapter of the ASSE. The master’s of Safety Management degree program will be modeled after the master’s degree in Engineering Management developed by the Oakland University Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering in cooperation with the university’s School of Business Administration. Initial curriculum design has been completed with the School of Business Administration, the program’s industry advisory committee, and the ASSE Educational Standards Committee.  |
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