An Operational Model for Developing Process Operator Students’ Safety Competence in on-the-Job Learning

In the safety-critical process industry, safety competence is emphasized. It is essential to ensure that process operator students adopt good safety competence during their studies. Due to Finnish vocational education and training (VET) reform, on-the-job learning has increased, inducing a need for new methods. In this study, an operational model for developing process operator students’ safety competence in on-the-job learning was constructed and evaluated. The model was compiled in cooperation with six process industry companies, five VET organizations, and eight expert organizations. The main data collection methods were interviews and workshops. The model consists of eight phases and provides instructions, tools, and good practices for implementing on-the-job learning. Companies and VET organizations considered the model useful and identified several purposes of use for the model.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Process operator students’ abilities to assess OSH risks

Safety competence is an important process operator skill. Due to hazardous work assignment and environments, skills in assessing the risks related to occupational safety and health (OSH) are especially important. Carrying out risk assessments can be difficult, and several problems have been identified. The aim of this study was to discover how well process operator students are able to assess OSH-related risks. Risk assessment exercises with observations were carried out for students (n = 35) in three vocational education and training (VET) organizations. The results showed that all students were able to identify at least some hazards. The students identified the most probable, high-risk, and easily observable hazards. Those with previous training or experience in work and risk assessment were more capable of identifying a wide range of risks. We conclude that successful risk assessment requires related competence, which should be developed via theoretical and practical learning during VET.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Surface properties and interaction forces of biopolymer-doped conductive polypyrrole surfaces by atomic force microscopy

Surface properties and electrical charges are critical factors elucidating cell interactions on biomaterial surfaces. The surface potential distribution and the nanoscopic and microscopic surface elasticity of organic polypyrrole-hyaluronic acid (PPy-HA) were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a fluid environment in order to explain the observed enhancement in the attachment of human adipose stem cells on positively charged PPy-HA films. The electrostatic force between the AFM tip and a charged PPy-HA surface, the tip-sample adhesion force, and elastic moduli were estimated from the AFM force curves, and the data were fitted to electrostatic double-layer and elastic contact models. The surface potential of the charged and dried PPy-HA films was assessed with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), and the KPFM data were correlated to the fluid AFM data. The surface charge distribution and elasticity were both found to correlate well with the nodular morphology of PPy-HA and to be sensitive to the electrochemical charging conditions. Furthermore, a significant change in the adhesion was detected when the surface was electrochemically charged positive. The results highlight the potential of positively charged PPy-HA as a coating material to enhance the stem cell response in tissue-engineering scaffolds. 2013 American Chemical Society