There are two things we know about workplace safety:
All workplaces have hazards, and
All staff need regular safety training.
Accidents happen in every workplace. Identifying hazards and offering regular workplace safety training to all personnel should be standard items on the agenda of any organization. Just don’t make it the same old ‘check the box’ training done in the same old way. Boredom, disengagement, and complacency will result.
Your employees need to be reminded of the hazards that are present in their workplace on a daily basis, and your training delivery technique is crucial. The future of safety training is interactive, realistic, and immersive safety training that makes use of technology.
Continue reading for more information on how to involve your employees in safety training.
Top ten training suggestions
Employ interactive training as well as hands-on methods and demonstrations. To have a significant impact, safety instruction must include “experiencing” or “doing.” Lecture-style training is passive and heavily relies on a dynamic presenter to engage and interest employees.
Several major outcomes resulted from a recent study on road safety instruction that was delivered utilizing smart devices and immersive techniques:
Multimedia delight and a more engaged experience were critical in improving learning results.
Users were drawn to novel mobile technology, and this provided an opportunity to further their education.
The ability of a tablet to display high-quality multimedia is one aspect that may entice people to participate in a road safety instruction program.
Arrange training materials in the sequence in which they will be used to perform the assignment. Safety training should be methodical, with all safety knowledge presented sequentially. This helps employees recall the important steps as they put them into action. Employees should be trained in safety topics related to their work area or job tasks. Every job, machine, and piece of equipment is unique and requires a unique set of safety knowledge and abilities to use appropriately.
Train as soon as possible following a working mishap, injury, mortality, illness, or near miss. Audit present processes, make any necessary adjustments to solve the issue, and train personnel as quickly as possible.
Inform the staff of any new policy or practice modifications. This is generally best accomplished through their direct line manager or through regular meetings. A constant message reminds employees of the importance of workplace safety to the organization.
Provide additional safety training to employees when a job or task poses an increased danger. This is especially important for individuals who consistently perform high-risk tasks in a variety of changing contexts. Even more so for individuals who do repetitive jobs and may become complacent and unprepared for a shift in the workplace.
Maintain open lines of communication. Employee feedback is critical for comprehending their hands-on experience with specific safety protocols. It also keeps people engaged and promotes “ownership” of the procedures.
Give favorable feedback. Supervisors should observe employees as they work and accomplish their tasks while interacting in the workplace. It’s a good idea to ask employees about the safety precautions they must take in their jobs. This activity encourages excellent practice while also identifying gaps in their understanding of how to execute their work safely. Coaching and direction can immediately correct miscommunications. If staff fail to learn and apply their new knowledge, safety training must be repeated and reinforced.
Use real-life examples to leave a lasting impression. The safety message is reinforced through imagery and storytelling. Using immersive and interactive training methods helps to ensure that the safety training information is appropriate for the work environment and task being trained.
Train in small increments and in brief bursts. Most adult learners have a 20-minute attention span. It is critical to space out your training days so that your staff can acquire and comprehend the safety information.
It provides opportunities for Q & A. Asking questions about how a job or operation is done is an excellent way to keep employees engaged and active in their safety training. It also pushes them to consider the practical application of their proposals in their daily work.
Workplace training delivery has evolved dramatically during the last decade. This has been influenced by the widespread use of smart gadgets as well as changes in how adults learn and consume information. Because of the significance of the message sent by this training, this has implications for safety training. Every worker has the right to work in a secure workplace. Organizations are advised to examine interactive approaches and the time employees are expected to spend in safety training sessions in terms of efficacy and knowledge retention.