An evaluation of the safety content in the National Association of Industrial Technology certification exam

Abstract

<p>This study addresses the safety portion of the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) Certification exam. NAIT promotes the field of industrial technology in education, business, and industry. Certification is the recognition of voluntarily achieved standards by the profession that created the proposed standards. Certification programs are used to define a required body of knowledge and skills, and establish common performance standards. The NAIT certification exam began its initial development in the early to mid-1990s. As technology continues to change new safety hazards are introduced. Since its development the safety portion of the certification exam has not been reevaluated critically. A Delphi study was used to determine if safety content topics had changed over time. Each survey is distributed to the panel for feedback. The feedback is then collected and analyzed. The data collected from the survey is then used to develop the second survey and the process repeats itself until consensus of opinion is obtained by the panel. This study concluded that while terminology may have changed slightly, the safety topics covered on the NAIT certification exam are still relevant and current.</p>