About Us
As early as 1988, safety coordinators, consultants and trainers employed by various Oklahoma technology schools began informal gatherings during August Conference, an annual professional development hosted by the then named OK Department of Vocational and Technical Education. Aptly named the "Vo-Tech Safety Team", these informal gatherings primarily served as a networking opportunity with other safety professionals. Over time, these gatherings grew in attendance as technology schools began offering more robust and diverse safety education to clients. By 2000, nearly every technology center within the now named OK Department of Career and Technology Education had an established safety education and training team serving within their Business and Industry Services department.
Between 2008-2010, changes to the format of the annual meeting, since renamed Oklahoma Summit, had made informal gatherings far more difficult. And while some level of engagement with other safety professionals was available throughout the year, these were few and far between and were always dictated by other governing entities. There existed nothing that allowed for the opportunity to collaborate together solely as safety professionals. The need to establish a more formal means of meeting together was clear.
And so, the Career Tech Safety Team was born. In 2011, the first Career Tech Safety Conference was held in Wayne, OK at Mid-America Technology Center. Since that time, through continued development of governing by-laws, partnerships with local business and industry clients, establishing our own financial backing and renaming to the CT Safety Team, our organization has carved out this unique place where safety professionals within the OK CareerTech System can come to focus on our true passion: the health, safety and well-being of Oklahoma's workforce.
Name and Logo
Career Tech Safety Team 2011-2013
Business & Industry Safety Team 2014
CT Safety Team 2015-2025
CT Safety Team 2026 - Present
Mission
"Educate, Train, Protect"
We strive to provide our members with the expert occupational safety and health education, training, resources, and support necessary to proactively identify and mitigate safety hazards and risks found in today's workplace environment. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of safety, where members and partner entities are educated and engaged in the commitment to prioritize safety as a core value. Through collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, we aim to reduce injuries, fatalities, and environmental impacts, contributing to a safer world for all.
Vision
"To do a job right means to do the job safe."
We see a world where safety is a top priority for every individual, organization, and community. We see a world where asking questions and removing doubt saves lives, where safety training and education are embraced and not delayed, where production schedules do not override safe work practices and where every individual is encouraged to participate in their own well-being. We believe that a spirit of true collaboration and partnership between company and employee, management and subordinate, contractor and laborer, is what is necessary to achieve a positive safety culture and what is required to inspire, educate, and equip everyone with the tools and knowledge to make safety a way of life.
