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Effective safety training


Effective safety training is an unofficial phrase used to describe the training materials designed to teach occupational safety and health standards developed by the United States government labor organization, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has produced many standards and regulations that affect employers and employees in the United States. United States employers have a legal responsibility to educate employees on all workplace safety standards and the hazards that their employees may face while on the job, and providing effective safety training meets that responsibility.

Employers must have an overall safety program including relative site specific safety information where applicable. The safety training program should cover topics such as:

Employers must document all training. Creating a training matrix will help keep track of who has been trained, when they were trained, the training topic, and when it is time for refresher training. Employees must also sign an official sign-in sheet provided by the employer that can serve as proof that employees received proper training. The sign in sheet must have a broad description of what is being covered in the training. Tests or quizzes on the presented material can help gauge employee understanding of the material and highlight topics that need to be reviewed.

The non-English speaking population is consistently growing in many industries and it is important that employers provide bilingual training for those workers, as OSHA requires that all employees be properly trained.

Most employees display attitudes of disinterest and dread at the thought of attending a safety training, which can leave the trainer feeling frustrated and unappreciated. It is the trainer's duty to make safety training fun and educational, which will help the trainees to retain the information, enjoy the course, and apply the learning to their work and lives.

An effective training program can reduce the number of injuries and deaths, property damage, legal liability, illnesses, workers' compensation claims, and missed time from work. An effective safety training program can also help a trainer keep the required OSHA-mandated safety training courses organized and up-to-date. Safety training classes help establish a safety culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety as it is easy for seasoned workers to negatively influence the new hires. That negative influence however, can be purged with the establishment of new, hands-on, innovative effective safety training which will ultimately lead to an effective safety culture. A 1998 NIOSH study concluded that the role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.


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