Educational innovation to integrate safety into experimental subjects

Abstract

Education is one of the essential pillars to strengthen a genuine culture of prevention which then impact on the workplace. In Chemical Engineering, occupational health and safety training is absolutely necessary, because of the type of equipment and products handled. However, the integration of the prevention of risks in the new plans of study of Chemical Engineering is very variable and still inadequate so that graduates are able to develop their careers by applying the principles of risk prevention. Taking advantage of starting up of new grades, we intend to develop a strategy to improve the safety training of students of the Degree in Chemical Engineering (GIQ) of the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (UPV). To this end, we requested a project of educational innovation, which was awarded for its execution in the academic year 2012-2013. In that project, we proposed to improve training in hygiene and safety of the students through the three courses of Experimentation in Chemical Engineering. To do this, innovation contemplated the incorporation of procedures and modes of action focused on the prevention of risks in the work developed in these experimental courses. After the implementation of the innovation, this work describes the activities carried out; and shows some results concerning the evaluation of the degree of learning of students throughout the three subjects. From the results and the reflections of the involved lecturers, we propose future lines of action to improve the learning in safety of students of GIQ.