Abstract:

Statutory legislation focused on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) must respond to emerging requirements in the whole society in the changing production and economic conditions, what is reflected in education too. They must be aimed at exclusion or reduction of the risk factors that make the emergence of industrial accidents, occupational diseases and other health harms or to determine the procedure in case of immediate and serious threat to life. This development requires new approaches not only to training experts, but in education to future teachers too.

The paper presents the significance, importance and relevance of lifelong learning future chemistry teachers in Occupational Health and Safety in terms of educational work and in relation of its application in practice. The education and training to Occupational Health and Safety is a tool of systematic forming and developing science and professional knowledge and skills. In the paper, we approach the Occupational Health and Safety education for future chemistry teachers, which is divided into the following topics:
- safe manipulation with chemicals (chemical elements and chemical mixtures),
- providing first aid in the event of a potential risk to health,
- correct handling with fire extinguishers and fire extinguishing of chemicals.

Lectures and workshops with practical demonstrations to the presented topics were focused on the area of OHS, mainly on decrease of accidents, assessment and prevention of risks with orientation on progressive arrangements of good practice, on the education and support of consciousness that leads to the complex improvement of the welfare, increasing of „culture of work” and school preparation.

Establishment of an effective system of education and training towards the OHS in the legal responsibility and keeping of the principles connected to the OHS, rigorous implementation of regulations into the everyday practice, support of science and research in the area of health protection, as well as in the creation and extension of the system for the OHS education. Such knowledge base is open also for new methods and ideas.

The main aim of the current university system is to acquire new knowledge with the perspective of their further use in practice. Mainly chemistry teachers need understand, evaluation of danger and risks of various types of chemical elements and chemical mixtures, and in which situation, where and why they are dangerous. The risks of chemicals may appear when they are in the form of side products, i. e. waste materials during laboratory exercises. It is highly required to know the rules ensuring safe work with chemical elements and chemical mixtures. Education in OHS is oriented on protection against risks, fires and explosions. Our aim is an interdisciplinary approach to OHS, which extends the knowledge and experience of students - future teachers, especially with an emphasis on their use in practice. There is a growing need to create the conditions for their lifelong learning in Occupational Health and Safety.

Keywords:

Education, teacher, student, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), first aid, fire extinguisher, chemical, risk.