Examining Factors Associated with Accidents in CTE and STEM Education Labs: A National Safety Study

Safety continues to be one of the core components of career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Evidence of its importance can be found in many state statutes, approved state OSHA plans, federal OSHA regulations, national and state academic standards documents, and resources published by professional CTE and STEM educator associations such as ACTE, NSTA, and ITEEA. This paper presents safety findings from a study involving 718 educators from 42 states who taught lab based CTE or STEM courses. Correlational analyses revealed factors which were associated with accident occurrences. This study provides practical implications for state departments and school districts to improve the safety practices, protocols, and policies within CTE and STEM education labs.