The Safety Technology Associate Degree program incorporates the historical, current and emerging regulations and technologies in safety, health and environmental practices, with a focus on the oil and gas industry. Coursework and assignments are geared toward real world safety case studies and safety problems facing the oil and gas industry.
The program includes courses that prepare students for all aspects of safety including:
- identify hazardous conditions and practices,
- developing hazard control programs,
- reporting and investigating accidents,
- following and enforcing standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and other government regulatory agencies,
- preventing accidents related to offshore drilling, production, crane operations and transportation and
- exploring drug abuse problems in the industry and more safety issues.
Safety Technology graduates will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the following safety, health and environmental competencies related to the oil and gas industry and beyond:
I. Research information pertaining to the business or operation, using appropriate tools and references (e.g., Internet, federal and state regulations, consensus standards, insurance and loss control references) to obtain general risk data.
II. Evaluate actual business and operations data (e.g., monitoring and surveillance data, OSHA logs, incidence reports, safety and health programs and insurance loss data) by comparing the data against internal history as well as national or industry standards in order to recognize and define risk.
III. Conduct surveys of the business or operation in accordance with the accepted survey methodology (e.g., observing the facility; referring to process flow charts; verifying safety; health and environmental systems; programs and documentation; and interviewing employees and management) in order to recognize hazards and controls.
IV. Communicate the results of surveys to management with appropriate documentation in order to inform about risks and to recommend and justify actual and potential loss scenarios.
V. Evaluate risks using established analytical techniques.
VI. Select hazard control measures by reviewing options and choosing the most appropriate to manage the risk.
VII. Communicate hazard control measures to management by identifying resources and implementation strategies in order to manage risk.
VIII. Assist with the implementation of controls (e.g., organized committees, safety teams, providing or conducting training, maintaining records, collaborating with contractors, selecting equipment, managing regulator program and safety program records) in order to manage risk.
IX. Verify that recommended hazard controls are implemented using management and evaluation techniques (e.g., site surveys, review of records, audits, interviews with key personnel and follow-up with the responsible individuals) and strategies to management and employees through organized committees, training about the risks, recommendations and justifications for the actions to manage current and potential loss scenarios.
X. Investigate incidents, accidents and near misses using established techniques in order to determine root causes and formulate or update corrective action plans.
XI. Access the effectiveness of hazard controls by analyzing performance data (e.g., behavior safety observations, job safety analysis, short service employee programs, stop work authority programs, loss data and incident rates) in order to ensure risks are adequately managed.
XII. Identify catastrophic and emergency response scenarios (e.g., fires/explosions, natural disasters, chemical releases, terrorism and medical emergencies) using established techniques to anticipate risks.
XIII. Develop and document action plans for responding to disasters and other emergencies.
XIV. Provide support to incident command operations to manage responses to disasters and other emergencies.
XV. Understand the organizational roles and responsibilities for safety among management, supervisors, employees and the safety, health and environmental technologist.