CT Tech Students Showcase Safety Skills for the TODAY Show

Three Connecticut Technical High School Students Showcase First Aid/CPR Skills for
OSHA’s Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign on the TODAY Show

Three Connecticut Technical High School students showcased their CPR/First Aid skills for The TODAY Show on Monday, April 21st.  The students took part in The TODAY Show’s coverage of OSHA’s Teen Summer Job Safety National Campaign Kick-off Event in New York City.

Chris Wyant, Ansonia, CT, Jim Blaskewicz, Ansonia, CT, and Courtney Burns, New Haven, CT joined other students from New York and New Jersey for Monday’s TODAY Show segment. The three students were selected to demonstrate their CPR/First Aid skills after finishing top three respectively in the Connecticut SkillsUSA First Aid Competition held on March 28th in Middletown, CT. In attendance for the day's activities were U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr., and Executive Director of SkillsUSA, Timothy W. Lawrence.

Jim Blaskewicz and Chris Wyant are junior Carpentry students at Emmett O'Brien Technical High School in Ansonia, CT. Jim is involved in Student Council, Key Club, Principal’s Panel and the National Honor Society. He is also a certified Medical Response Technician and a volunteer member of the American Medical Service in Ansonia.  Chris is currently an active member of the Hilltop Hose Company 5 and the Hotchkiss Hose Company 1 in Derby, CT, where he enjoys volunteering as a first responder in his community.

Courtney Burns is a junior Health Technologies student at Eli Whitney Technical High School in Hamden, CT.  Along with her passion for helping others in healthcare, Courtney is also a Peer Mediator which allows her to help students work through problems. 

The three Connecticut representatives from SkillsUSA illustrated some of the hazards associated with administering first aid and CPR, and how to prevent the occurrence of injury or illness to the responders. OSHA wanted to feature these skills since most teens work in seasonal jobs in amusement parks and recreational settings and as a lifeguard or camp counselor.  Many of these jobs may require the teen to be certified in First Aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). 

In support of its mission to protect the health and safety of all working Americans, OSHA developed a strategic initiative in 2005 focused on young employees.  The Teen Summer Job Safety (TSJS) campaign was developed to raise public awareness of occupational risks and to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities among young employees. Summer employment is often a teen’s first job experience. Most teens are novices in the workplace, have limited training and are seasonal or temporary employees. Many are hesitant to ask questions and may fail to recognize workplace dangers.

The TSJS campaign offers information and resources to address teen safety and health. It seeks to inform teens, parents, teachers and employers about prohibited tasks, rights, responsibilities and how to recognize and reduce risk of injury and illness in the workplace. Tools are included as part of the campaign to help teens and their parents make decisions about what jobs to seek.

Increasing awareness among parents, teachers, employers, and teens about the importance of developing strong safety and health patterns will ultimately help ensure a well-prepared workforce with the goal of reducing injury, illness and fatality rates among young employees.  Through partnerships, outreach and marketing, OSHA expects to reach more than six million working teens.

TODAY show cameraman shooting CPR demonstration by Chris Wyant

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao speaking to the audience

Courtney, Chris and Jim with left to right: Heidi Balch - Connecticut Director of
SkillsUSA, Timothy W. Lawrence - Executive Director of SkilllsUSA,
Edwin G. Foulke Jr. - Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
and Marie Meresko - SkillsUSA advisor at O'Brien Technical High School

See More Photo Highlights on the U.S. Department of Labor's Web site.