THE FORMATION IN SECURITY AND HEALTH OF THE SECOND CYCLE STUDENTS OF THE TECHNICAL DEGREES

The graduates from the technical degrees of the Polytechnical University of Valencia (UPV) will have a professional development that in many cases will be oriented to one or another form of industrial management. In this context, the competences related to the security and health are fundamental, since they directly affect to the workers in their charge. In 1995, after the necessity to develop a policy of protection of the health of the workers by means of the prevention of the risks derived from their work, it appears the law of prevention of labour risks: “Ley 31/1995, de 8 de noviembre, de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales”, with the object to promote the security and the health of the workers. Since this moment, some curricula, but not all of them, began to include formation related to the security and health; generally through optional. Nevertheless, most of the formation in prevention of labour risks is offered through postgrade studies (courses and masters).
For several degrees, some professors of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department of the UPV, are teaching some subjects related to the security and health in several curricula pertaining to different schools. All these subjects are of 2nd cycle, so students come from different degrees, not only of the UPV but also of other universities. In order to verify the level of knowledge related to the security that have the students who arrive at these subjects, they have to answer an evaluation survey at the beginning of the semester. In this survey students have to respond to some basic questions on security and health. The main conclusion stated of these evaluations is that the formation in security of the students of 2nd cycle is quite little, besides any advance has not practically been detected from the appearance of Law 31/1995, having passed more than 10 years from this take effect. In this work, the surveys made for several courses are analysed with more detail, and some reflections in relation to the evolution and needs of improvement of the formation in security and health in our universities appear.