Safety Captain Apprentice Program

[robochick1319]

Originally Posted by MrsDitt

Actually, it's not a matter of being condescending, but of not understanding how deep and wide the job of Safety Captain can be when you decide you want to do more than just the minimum in the Safety Manual. Each team has unique equipment, circumstances, and build facilities that call for observation, planning, and implementation of custom safety programs. Those take time and effort, and the more you can learn from those who went before you, the easier it is to maintain and continue to improve your culture of safety.

Absolutely agreed. Understanding the safety manual and following the guidelines is something every member should be responsible for. The safety captain must be a subject matter expert with safety guidelines AND be a leader who understands how to motivate and communicate with their team and other teams. It's not something that happens over night.

And as Mrs.Ditt mentioned, if you are at all interested in being competitive for a safety award you must expand your efforts well beyond reading the FIRST safety manual.

Flash 1319 has a long history of former safety captains training the students who follow in their footsteps. Having seniors work closely with underclassman has been a big part of making the transition work year to year. An apprentice program of any kind is critical for a sustainable safety program. And having a mentor who leads safety is important too to organize these efforts and support the students who make it all happen.

The last thing you want is to start from scratch every time a safety captain graduates. A strong safety program builds and builds on itself year after year.