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Some safety trainings are job specific, but others apply to the entire company. These topics must be covered because they’re essential to the health and safety of your whole team.

Maybe you’re getting ready to hire and want to put a robust training program in place. Or, perhaps, you’re preparing a training session for your existing staff. No matter what, these subjects apply to everyone.

Four Safety Topics to Include in All Employee Training Sessions

Ergonomics

From lifting heavy items and reaching overhead to sitting in a desk chair with poor posture, workers in a variety of jobs can sustain musculoskeletal disorders. However, these injuries can easily be prevented by providing proper ergonomics training — i.e., teaching them how to adapt the job to their body.

This is important, as musculoskeletal disorders are one of the top reported causes of lost or restricted work time, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Training can reduce the number of injuries incurred by workers — and the subsequent costs to you — because when people are educated and informed, they’re better equipped to avoid injuries and notice early warning signs of an issue.

Personal Protective Equipment

In most cases, OSHA requires employers to pay for workers’ personal protective equipment, when it is used to comply with agency standards. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean people are going to use it or will do so properly.

Specific PPE-related training will likely be needed for different job functions, but it’s important for the entire team to understand its importance. Including PPE in all employee training sends the message that failing to use these essential tools — and doing so properly — is not an option.

See Something, Say Something

An important slogan with many meanings, but all focused on safety. Employees need to be empowered to speak up if they see any potential safety hazards. Some observations will turn out to be false alarms, but others can allow you to stop a serious safety issue before someone gets hurt.  Reinforcing this motto in training shows the team you need their help to keep everyone safe, and want them to speak up if something doesn’t seem right.

Workplace Violence Prevention

You want your workplace to be somewhere employees feel safe. However, this isn’t a given. Sadly, many American workers report being victims of violence at their workplace each year, according to OSHA.

Therefore, it’s important to include this topic in all employee training for two reasons — to make it clear violent behavior will not be tolerated and to encourage anyone who has been victimized to come forward. OSHA recommends creating a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence, so respect your team enough to make this a policy and ensure it’s well-publicized.

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