Employee Training

Have you ever met a business owner who doesn’t want to be profitable and provide a safe work environment for employees? Have you ever met an employee who doesn’t want to be appreciated, fairly compensated, and to work without injury? Accidents reduce business profits through both direct and hidden costs and they can decrease employee morale. Yet, accidents happen and people continue to get hurt.

Experience tells us that proper training for employees is essential in reducing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Simply training employees on how to perform their jobs safely can prevent many workplace injuries. Training provides the knowledge and motivation to interrupt events that can lead to injuries.

Hiring, training, orientation

Injury prevention begins with an effective hiring program to assure you hire qualified people who will become assets to your business. Organizations that accurately assess the demands of the job are in a better position to select qualified people and to develop effective training methods for specific tasks.

Orientation and training should cover job expectations and instructions on how to perform the job safely—and they should be documented. In developing orientation and training programs, consider your people, the work environment, and the equipment used in your operations. Focus on tasks that most frequently lead to injuries. The more frequently incidents occur, the higher the chance of experiencing a serious injury.

Use this checklist to help evaluate your training program and its effectiveness.

• Does training cover general workplace safety practices?
• Are specific instructions included on controlling hazards unique to the individual job assignment?
• Does training occur on a regular basis?
• Is training provided when new tools, equipment, systems or processes are introduced?
• Are training sessions documented for each employee?
• Are training records retained?
• Are managers and supervisors held accountable for training new employees?
• Are employees held accountable for applying the training techniques and working safely?

Since most people spend almost one-third of their lives at work, the workplace should be a safe place. With safety training, you can provide a more secure environment for your employees and reap the benefits of higher productivity, profits, and employee loyalty.