CTE Safety and Compliance Course

Strengthen Safety, Engagement, and Preparedness in Your CTE Classroom.

Create a safer, more engaging learning environment with practical strategies designed for the unique needs of Career and Technical Education classrooms. This self-paced course provides CTE educators with foundational guidance for managing classroom safety, including classroom management and student engagement strategies, equipment use and maintenance, chemical safety, emergency preparedness, and ongoing compliance.

Through interactive activities, realistic CTE scenarios, reflection opportunities, and practical resources, participants will explore how everyday routines and expectations can help build a culture where safety is an intentional part of teaching and learning.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

•  Recognize your responsibilities for maintaining a safe learning environment in a school setting.
• Identify how school safety policies differ from industry practices.
• Understand the legal and ethical importance of documenting and enforcing safety procedures.
  
• Understand the legal and ethical importance of documenting and enforcing safety procedures.
• Use classroom routines and expectations to promote safe student behavior.
• Apply engagement strategies that reduce off-task or unsafe actions in lab and shop settings.
• Set and communicate safety expectations clearly and consistently with students.
• Identify key requirements for safe equipment use, maintenance, and storage.
• Understand the importance of machine guards, emergency stops, lockout/tagout awareness, and signage.
• Develop a simple equipment inspection checklist for student and instructor use.
• Recognize the importance of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and how to access them.
• Understand labeling requirements under OSHA’s HazCom standard for schools.
• Identify basic storage, disposal, and spill response procedures for common classroom chemicals.
• Know how to respond to common classroom emergencies (e.g., injury, fire, chemical exposure).
• Identify required safety equipment (eye wash, fire extinguisher, first aid kits) and its location.
• Develop and communicate emergency procedures specific to your classroom or lab.
• Locate school, district, and state resources related to CTE safety and compliance.
• Understand your responsibility for reporting accidents, near misses, or unsafe conditions.
• Use or adapt compliance checklists for regular classroom/lab safety audits.

Target Audience:

• Middle and high school CTE educators, including educators working in technology and engineering, manufacturing, welding, automotive, agriculture, culinary arts, health science, and other hands-on learning environments.
• New CTE educators transitioning from industry into the classroom.
• CTE coordinators, program leaders, and administrators who support CTE programs and learning environments.

Format:

• Self-paced eLearning course featuring interactive knowledge checks, realistic CTE scenarios, reflection activities, and application opportunities.
• 8 lessons covering CTE classroom safety, classroom management, student engagement, equipment safety and maintenance, chemical safety, emergency preparedness, compliance, and action planning.
• 12 Downloadable resources and adaptable tools to support classroom, lab, and shop safety practices.
• Estimated time to take the course is 60 minutes.
• A completion certificate is available after completing the course.