Teach Safely offers basic training credentials

Teach Safely is a new online training resource offering verifiable instruction to students and employees on the basics of safe power tool and machinery operation.

The site, teachsafely.com, is part of a program created by teachers in the St. Helens, Ore., school district.

“The idea started a couple years ago when a bunch of us construction/woodshop teachers got together and were bemoaning how rough it was without something like this,” says Joe Mauck. “If you get a transfer student, you don’t know what they actually know as far as safety, and then you always have students who are absent or late.

“So, we realized it would be really nice to have some sort of actual master document that you could check off and a kid would have to have some skin in the game as far as making sure they checked it off.”

He and his colleagues started with a pilot program that was well-received, then wrote a grant proposal with the state of Oregon and got funded for the project.

The site presents dozens of training videos on tool and machinery operation, which students are tested on, then need to demonstrate in the classroom.

The website offers translation for students who are still learning English as a second language. Employers can receive an email notifying them of completed training.  

This article was originally published in the December 2023 issue.