Occupational safety and health training in Alaska

We have eleven years of experience delivering a wide variety of worker education programs in cross-cultural settings to reduce the levels of occupational fatalities and injuries in Alaska. We published an instructional manual and informational poster for workers, on Alaska's "Right-To-Know" law regarding chemical and physical hazards. The "Job Hazard Recognition Program" curriculum for high school students has received national acclaim for being proactive in dealing with worker safety education before the student becomes a member of the work force. Adult educational programs and materials have been designed to include less lecture and formal presentation, and more practical "hands on" and on-the-job experience for specific trades and hazards. New industry specific manuals deal with hazardous waste reduction as a method to reduce harm to the employee. Difficulty in getting instructors and training equipment to rural locations is dealt with by becoming creative in scheduling classes, using locally available equipment, and finding regional contacts who support the overall program. Alternative approaches to funding sources include building on regional long-term plans and establishing complementary program objectives.