Microlearning For Safety Training
Unfortunately, traditional safety training usually does not consider the characteristics of adult education. It is not flexible enough in terms of when and where to learn, and does not take the adults’ prior learning experiences into account. Microlearning can be a way to address adult learners in more adequate ways. It has 2 major advantages: Flexibility. Employees can decide on their own where, how, and in which order to learn. Easy access. Employees only need limited time resources for microlearning and can “squeeze it in” between longer work processes, before or after breaks. These advantages strongly rely on the right [...]
5 Steps to Protect Workers Who Lift Materials Manually
Although technology has advanced since the days of ancient Egypt and the pyramids, there are still many workers who carry and move heavy materials manually. What's also advanced is our understanding of how performing these tasks continually over time causes musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs), like strains and sprains to the lower back, shoulders and arms. 5 Steps to Compliance Taking the following 5 steps should help you avoid citations for manual materials: Step #1: Determine if Materials Can Be Moved Mechanically Determine if mechanical devices such as forklifts, dollies, conveyors and hand trucks can be used to move materials. To the [...]
How Do You Convince Management To Say “Yes” To Online Safety Training
Online safety training has grown rapidly in the post-COVID world because it is a streamlined and efficient way for your organization to manage, train, and track compliance. In the US and Canada, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state specific OSHA, and provincial authorities have mandatory training requirements for employers. eLearning is accepted in many cases, and it provides a simple way for companies to meet OHS regulations, in addition to also being a prevention measure against COVID-19, where group training in a classroom may expose employees. In general, online learning is accepted as a replacement for classroom courses, [...]
What to Look for in Results Tracking Software
Like other functions of safety management systems, tracking the consequences of preventive actions has moved from the realm of paper to software. Although technology offers significant advantages, it also poses equally daunting challenge. First and foremost, you need to ensure that your tracking software has the right technological capabilities and functions. Safety Software and the Tracking Function Safety management systems generate potentially significant value to an organization by using timely, accurate and meaningful information data to generate more effective safety solutions. Most safety system management models are based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle of continual improvement is the centerpiece of most [...]
10 Winter Driving Safety Tips
Driving in winter weather conditions poses certain challenges, including slippery roads, reduced visibility, etc. Here are 10 safety tips to give your workers—especially but not just those who drive as part of their duties. 1. Clear Off the Snow Brush the snow from all of the windows, hood, roof, side mirrors, headlights and tail lights—not just a small area on the front windshield and then start driving. 2. Check Road Conditions Before heading out, check to see what the current road conditions are and what type of weather you should expect. It’s also a good idea to make sure someone is aware of your [...]
Building a Safety Culture by Measuring Results
This desire for measurement and feedback—for keeping score–is critical to how we live our lives. It is also the key to the success of our safety program. For one reason, it lets us know how well we’re doing. For another, it can serve as a motivating force to the extent that people in the workplace will make the effort to earn a “good score.” Let’s discuss how to measure safety performance and use measurement and feedback as a motivating force to exert positive change on our organization’s safety culture. The Power of Measurement Each of us uses measurements every day, both [...]
What Are The Costs of a Lack of Safety Training
WE DO NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF OUR EXPECTATIONS. WE FALL TO THE LEVEL OF OUR TRAINING. - Archilachus BUILDING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) Safety training, like any other business activity, needs to be justified in terms of overall return on the investment (ROI). Overwhelmingly, business leaders believe that L&D programs are required to close the skills gap facing North American businesses in 2022 and beyond. Given that it is, on aver- age, 1/5th the cost to train/retrain/ upskill existing workers than to recruit new ones. Learning & development training, overall, has a significant impact on productivity and [...]
How to Save Money on Workers’ Compensation
How to reduce your risks, liabilities and costs while still keeping employees safe. Responsible business owners want their employees to be happy, healthy, and safe on the job. However, we are all aware that accidents can sometimes occur. Workplace injuries and illnesses are costly. If you own a small business and have two or more employees, by law your business may have to carry Workers’ Compensation Insurance (It’s worth mentioning that in some states workers’ comp is mandatory and in others, it is not). In addition to their social costs, workplace injuries have a major impact on an employer's bottom [...]
Trench Safety a Rising Concern
Working in an excavation or trench is one of the most dangerous jobs you’ll have. It’s so dangerous that on average, two workers in North America are killed every month in trench collapses. How Cave-Ins Happen Undisturbed soil stays in place because opposing horizontal and vertical forces are evenly balanced. When you create an excavation, you remove the soil that provides horizontal support. Soil will eventually move downward into the excavation. The longer the face (a side of the excavation) remains unsupported, the more likely it is to cave in. Workers were digging a trench at an abandoned motel, preparing [...]
Heat Wave Conditions Require Heat Stress Protections
With record temperatures in the forecast, you need to remind your work crews of the dangers of heat stress. An estimated 220 workers in Canada and the US die annually from occupational heat stress. Trust me, this is the last thing you want for any of your own workers. Educating Workers about Heat Stress Heat illness doesn’t strike without warning. There are signs and symptoms associated with each of the various forms of heat illness—heat cramps, heat exhaustion and, most dangerous of all, heat stroke (we’ll refer to these illnesses collectively as “heat stress”). The problem is that supervisors and [...]
Focus on Lightning Safety Practices
Did you know you can still be struck by lightning even when the center of a thunderstorm is 10 miles (16 kilometers) away? No place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in your area, according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service. “When thunder roars, go indoors,” advises NOAA, adding that if you can hear thunder, lighting is close enough to strike you. Anyone working outdoors needs to immediately move to a substantial building with electricity or plumbing or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with windows up, and stay inside that shelter for at least 30 minutes [...]
Using Incentives and Rewards
Training is important. It helps people succeed at their jobs, becoming more efficient and effective in the workplace. There are those people who are self-motivated and make the time for training on their own. It’s all too easy for the rest of us to push training aside or rush through it without retaining the information. IT’S ALL ABOUT MOTIVATION In our increasingly busy world, it can be challenging to get people to actually show up to training, let alone retain the information. How do you get people to be present and engaged? Incorporate training incentives to give people the extra [...]
