In a fast-paced, ever-changing world, every employer knows the importance of staying up to date on the latest technology. Even with technological changes, however, one thing will always stay the same: the importance of safety training. Particularly in an industry like manufacturing that makes use of heavy machinery, safety is paramount.
Of course, much like industry technology, safety regulations and practices can change frequently too. Even in a rapidly evolving manufacturing industry, there are a few key ways to stay on top of safety training and education for your employees.
- Utilize technology. The very technology that can make keeping up with safety training a challenge can also be a huge boon. A learning management system (LMS) is a great tool for keeping records of completed training. These records can help identify gaps in training, making it easier and more efficient to address them before an accident occurs. Additionally, technology can be used to make the trainings themselves more engaging. Videos and interactive features like quizzes and games can help safety training to stick in employees’ minds better than a manual or slideshow.
- Lean into repetition. Seeing the same information repeatedly might sound like it would be boring for employees, but it is essential. One-time trainings are likely to be quickly forgotten. While a rollout of new technology will often necessitate new safety training, there’s no need to wait for it. Frequent refreshers on workplace safety will ensure that your employees remember the rules. Decide on a cadence that makes sense for your company and stick to it. For many companies, safety training is conducted annually, but don’t hesitate to make it more frequent as needed.
- Be cognizant of time. Another effect of technology? Attention spans are shorter than ever. As noted above, it’s important to make your safety training engaging to your employees, but it’s also important to keep it as short as possible. Not only are employees more likely to remember shorter content, but they’re also more likely to implement what they’ve learned.
- Go to the source. Your employees themselves are a great resource for determining the effectiveness of safety training. Ask for feedback on the training itself, making sure to have a survey ready as soon as the training is complete. You can offer one-off check-ins as well, asking how implementation is going and whether they’ve noticed any gaps in compliance. Being closer to the day-to-day operations, they may have insights that management can miss.
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