May 2010

All employers are required to instruct workers on health and safety (H&S) regulations and the hazards each employee may face while on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has promulgated H&S standards that have an effect on employers and their employees within the United States.

Employers are required to have a comprehensive safety program that includes site-specific safety information, if the program is applicable to the workplace. OSHAs General Industry Standards (29 CFR 1910) contain H&S programs that pertain to a large majority of facilities. These include, but are not limited to:

• Hazard Communications
• Emergency Action Planning
• Personal Protective Clothing
• Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
• Permit-Required Confined Spaces
• Medical and First Aid
• Materials Handling and Storage
• Powered Industrial Trucks
• Electrical Safety
• Machinery and Machine Guarding,
• Walking and Working Surfaces and
• Hand and Portable Powered Tools

All of these programs as well as other standards have a required training component. Employers are required to document all of the training provided to employees. Formal, detailed sign-in sheets should be provided, so the employer can show verification the employees received training. The sign-in sheet must contain information about the course content, dates of the training, employee’s printed name and signature and whether there was a test for comprehension, such as a quiz or hands-on testing.  Since it is difficult to maintain all of the information pertaining to training topics, attendance, class dates and refresher requirements, the development of a training matrix is recommended. In order to develop a training matrix, the following data needs to be obtained:

• List of employees in need of H&S training
• All H&S classes that are provided, specifying which ones are mandatory
• How often each of the classes is offered
• Who the trainers are for each class
• Employee departments and positions that require specific training classes
• Required refresher class time frames

Once all of the data is collected, a spreadsheet or database can be utilized to maintain the information and be able to generate reports to show proof of training to regulatory entities or for auditing purposes.

One difficulty with developing an effective training program is changing how the training is perceived by employees. If the classes are thought to be a waste of time and/or there is little employee participation, the program will not be successful. The classes need to be interesting, specific to the workplace and interactive. Trainers need to be credible, knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.  The trainer also needs to be able to manage the audience. Questions from the participants are excellent for the learning of the group; however, any participant who wants to use the venue for another agenda can be a detriment to the entire group’s learning. These employees need to be dealt with in a professional manner, up to and including removal from the class. If the participants are uninterested in the class, they will not retain any of the subject matter and could potentially be at risk for injury or illness in the future. If the employee enjoys the training and can relate to its content, he/she are more likely to retain the material.

There are several ways to improve your training sessions to allow for better participation.

• Make sure you have an all-encompassing training presentation and your trainer knows the subject matter. It becomes very apparent when the trainer is trying to “wing it.”
• Conduct a 45-60-minute training presentation.
• Add activities to the training, such as hands-on and Q&A sessions.
• Create an agenda for the training for employees to follow.
• Ask employees to share experiences relating to the subject, as a way to get them engaged.
• Add some witty material to the presentation to keep the session light and comfortable.
• Change the place where training is provided. Move from the conference room to another area or even outside, if feasible.
• Test the comprehension of the employees with a quiz or hands-on testing.

Training is just one element of a comprehensive safety and health program. Classes that are well received by the workforce will help to establish a safe work environment with reduced injuries and illnesses.

© August Mack Environmental, Inc.

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