Safety Training – “It’s Important”

Day to day routines can dull safety awareness.  Relaxed attitudes can replace the caution that existed when our jobs were new and interesting.  In many jobs that same tasks are repeated with little conscious thought every day.  Associates may not always recognize the importance of safety training, or some may think of it as unnecessary because they have been doing the job for years.

Safety training is a reminder that a danger can exist and that no one is immune to accidents.  It is important for associates to understand the purpose of the training, why it is useful to them, and what can result from not following safety rules and procedures.

Training should be organized so that the order in which the information is presents will match the steps you take to perform the job safely.  Make sure every associate understands the training material, not just that they were present at the training.  Encourage associates to ask questions to help improve their understanding. Foremen and managers should observe associates after a session to determine if the training was effective.  This lets them know what training topics should be reviewed again.  If there is a general lack of understanding of hazards or safety rules and practices, schedule another safety meeting or plan a refresher course for a later date.  Associates should be able to immediately practice and apply new knowledge and skills.  If associates don’t understand safety training information well enough to use it on the job, the training has not been effective.

Some tips to help you with your safety training:

• Read or talk about the topic aloud with associates.
• Get associates involved.  Have one or more help with the training.
• Have bilingual materials and help someone to interpret if needed.
• Ask questions to get feedback.  This lets you know if associates understand the training.
• Document your training.  If you don’t have proof the training happened, it didn’t.

Most of these tips are relatively simple solutions, but the safety payoff can be enormous.  Remember, training is only effective when associates understand and use what they’ve learned.  It takes time to conduct safety training properly but it’s worth it because it takes less than a second to lose the rest of your life.