SAFETY
AND HEALTH TRAINING
INTRODUCTION
Can
your employees explain every existing and
potential hazard to which they are exposed?
Do they know how to protect themselves and
their co-workers from these hazards? Can
they tell you precisely what they must do
in the event of a fire or other emergency?
Training
can help your employees develop the knowledge
and skills they need to understand workplace
hazards and protect themselves. Safety and
health training is vital to every workplace.
This is the fourth major element in OSHA's
Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines.
Safety
and Health education is most effective when
integrated into your company's overall training
in performance requirements and job practices.
It can range from the simple precautionary
warnings given new workers when they are
first shown the job to more elaborate, formalized
instruction.
How
effective is your company's training for
safety and health? This chapter will help
in designing (or revising), implementing
and evaluating the worker safety and health
training that you provide. It also will
give information on OSHA requirements for
training and will tell you where to find
further OSHA references and other assistance.
DESIGN
First
Things First: Commitment and Involvement
Before
training begins be sure that your company
policy clearly states the company's commitment
to health and safety and to the training
program. This commitment must include paid
work time for training and training in the
language that the worker understands. Involve
both management and employees in developing
the program.
OSHA
has developed voluntary training guidelines
to assist you in developing an effective
program. These guidelines, plus information
on training required by current standards,
can be found in OSHA Publication 2254 (Revised
1992), "Training Requirements in OSHA Standards
and Training Guidelines."
You
will want your training program to focus
on health and safety concerns that are most
appropriately addressed by training. Are
there another, preferred protection methods,
for example, engineering controls or personal
protective equipment? As discussed in Chapter
8, it is important to determine the best
way to deal with a particular hazard. Once
you have decided that a safety or health
problem can best be addressed by training
(or by another method combined with training),
be sure to follow up by developing specific
training goals based on your particular
needs.
TEACHING
AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES
Training
your supervisors and employees need not
be complex or lengthy. In most small businesses
that have extensive training needs more
formalized training may be necessary. In
either case, five basic principles should
guide your training program:
1.
Perceived Purpose: The trainee
must understand the purpose of the instruction.
Therefore, the beginning of any training
program should focus on why this instruction
will be useful.
2.
Order of Presentation: Information
should be organized to maximize understanding.
For example, if you are teaching employees
the proper way to use a respirator, the
order in which you present the material
should match the steps the employee must
use to choose, fit, wear and maintain the
respirator.
3.
Appropriate Practice: We learn best
when we can immediately practice and apply
newly acquired knowledge and skills. Therefore,
job safety and health instruction is best
given at the worksite where demonstration,
practice and application can be immediate.
When onsite instruction is not feasible,
arrange for your employees to practice and
apply the new knowledge and skills as soon
as possible.
4.
Individual Differences: We are individuals,
and we learn in different ways. A successful
training program incorporates a variety
of learning opportunities such as written
instruction, audio-visual instruction, lectures
and hands-on coaching. Also, we learn at
different speeds. The pace of the training
should recognize these differences. One
effective way to learn is by teaching others.
Therefore, after the initial instruction
and some practice, it can be very helpful
to divide the group into teacher/learner
teams, sometimes pairing a rapid learner
with a slower one, but also giving the slower
learner a chance to teach.
IDENTIFYING
TRAINING NEEDS
New
employees need to be trained not only to
do the job but also to recognize, understand
and avoid potential hazards to themselves
and others in their immediate work area
and elsewhere in the workplace. Contract
workers also may need training to recognize
your workplace's hazards or potential hazards.
Experienced workers will need training if
the installation of new equipment changes
their job in any way or if process changes
result in new hazards or increases in previously
existing hazards. All workers may need refresher
training to keep them prepared for emergencies
and alert them to ongoing housekeeping problems.
Workers
needing to wear personal protective equipment
(PPE) and persons working with high risk
situations will need special training. In
this latter category are workers who risk
occupational exposure to blood or other
potentially infectious materials. These
workers, who risk exposure to the viruses
that cause AIDS and hepatitis B, must be
provided training and other protective measures
under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard
(Part 1910.1030 of Title 29 of the Code
of Federal Regulations). For more information,
you should consult the standard. An overview
of the standard's requirements and of methods
for reducing the risk of exposure can be
found in OSHA Publication 3127, "Occupational
Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens."
Specific
hazards that employees need to know about
should be identified through total site
health and safety surveys, job hazard analysis
and change analysis. Company accident and
injury records may reveal additional hazards
and needs for training. Near miss reports,
maintenance requests and employee suggestions
may uncover still other hazards requiring
employee training. For further information,
see Chapters 7 and 9.
As
you initiate or revise your safety and health
program, you will probably employ some controls
that require the cooperation of your workers
and training to help instill this cooperation.
Examples include employees' wearing PPE
properly or carrying out certain tasks with
special precautions. For further information
on hazard prevention and control, see Chapter
8.
DEVELOPING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Develop
your learning activities to meet the training
needs you have identified. Keep in mind
the five learning principles described above.
Be imaginative in your choice of methods
and materials and make full use of your
resources. One way to get ideas is by looking
at the training programs of companies in
your industry. Another is to consult such
organizations as the National Safety Council,
the American Society of Safety Engineers,
the American Industrial Hygiene Association,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, OSHA-funded
and state-operated consultation programs,
and the OSHA Office of Training and Education.
SOME
COMMON TYPES OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING
Safety
and Health Training for Managers. A
good safety and health program is impossible
without support and understanding from the
top. Training managers in their responsibilities
is necessary to ensure their continuing
support and understanding. Formal classroom
training may not be necessary. The subject
can be covered periodically as a part of
regular management meetings.
Managers
need to understand the importance of the
safety and health program. It is their responsibility
to communicate the program's goal and objectives
to their employees. Their role also includes
making clear assignments of safety and health
responsibilities, providing authority and
resources to carry out assigned tasks, and
holding subordinate managers and supervisors
accountable.
Training
should emphasize the importance of managers'
visibly showing their support for the safety
and health program. And, of course, they
should be expected to set a good example
by scrupulously following all the safety
and health rules. They also should actively
encourage employee involvement in safety
and health problem identification and resolution.
For further information on management roles,
see Chapter 4.
These
topics can be covered and illustrated with
examples in the relatively short time. They
should be repeated at least annually.
Safety
and Health Training for Supervisors.
All employees should be involved in
matters of safety and health. However, workers
often are promoted to supervisory positions
without adequate knowledge of how to train
other employees in the safe and proper way
to do the job. It is not unusual for them
to lack full knowledge of the company's
policies and procedures. They may need additional
training in hazard detection and control,
accident investigation, their role in ensuring
the maintenance of physical protections,
emergency handling, and, in general, how
to supervise.
Since
supervisors do a lot of on-the-job-training,
they also will need to be taught how to
train and how to reinforce training. They
may need help in learning how to apply fair
and consistent discipline. Such training
can be provided by the supervisor's immediate
manager, by the Safety Department or by
outside resources.
Job
Orientation. The format and extent
of orientation training will depend on the
complexity of hazards and the work practices
needed to control them. For many small businesses
job orientation may consist of a quick review
of site safety and health rules, hazard
communication training for the toxic substances
present at the site, and a run-through of
the job tasks. This training usually is
presented by the personnel officer and/or
the new employee's supervisor.
For
larger workplaces with more complex hazards
and work practices to control them, orientation
should be structured carefully. You want
to make sure that new employees start the
job with clear understanding of the hazards
and how to protect themselves and others.
Employers frequently provide a combination
of classroom and on-the-job training. Many
have found it useful to have fellow employees
trained to provide peer training. Others
have followed up supervisory training with
a buddy system: a worker with lengthy experience
is assigned to watch over and coach a new
worker, either for a set period of time
or until it is determined that training
is complete.
Whether
the orientation is brief or lengthy, the
supervisor should make sure that before
new employees begin the job, they receive
instruction in responding to emergencies.
(See discussion below.)
Vehicular
Safety. In 1987 over-the-road motor
vehicle accidents were the leading cause
of work-related deaths. Given the grim reality
of this hazard, all workers operating a
motor vehicle on the job should be trained
in its safe operation. In 1990 OSHA proposed
a standard requiring that such workers wear
seat belts and receive safe driving training.
Training in safe loading and unloading practices,
safe speed in relation to varying conditions,
and proper vehicle maintenance has been
found helpful in reducing work-related vehicle
injuries.
Do
not overlook the training of on-premises
vehicle drivers. These drivers can be exposed
to such hazards as vehicle imbalance, loads
tipping while the vehicle is cornering and
dangers related to battery charging.
We
urge you to emphasize in the strongest possible
terms the benefits of safe driving and the
potentially fatal consequences of unsafe
practices.
Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE). Supervisors
and workers alike must be taught the proper
selection, use and maintenance of PPE. Since
PPE sometimes can be cumbersome, employees
may need to be motivated to wear it in every
situation where protection is necessary.
Therefore, training should begin with a
clear explanation of why the equipment is
necessary, how its use will benefit the
wearer and what its limitations are. Remind
your employees of your desire to protect
them and of your efforts, not only to eliminate
and reduce the hazards, but also to provide
suitable PPE where needed. Explain how essential
it is that they do their part to protect
their health and safety.
Individual
employees need to become familiar with the
PPE they are being asked to wear. This is
done by handling it and putting it on. Training
consists of showing employees how to put
the equipment on, how to wear it properly
and how to test for proper fit. Proper fit
is essential if the equipment is to provide
the intended protection. It is especially
important in the case of negative pressure
respirators, so special fit testing is necessary.
The
effectiveness of some PPE also depends on
proper maintenance. Employees must be trained
to maintain the equipment themselves or
to see that others maintain it properly.
Vendors of the equipment and manufacturers'
instructions may be your best sources of
maintenance information.
Does
your company have employees who do not regularly
use PPE, but who will be expected to use
it during an emergency response? These employees
also must be trained in PPE use, fit and
maintenance. In your overall training program,
include simulated emergency training exercises
where employees use the equipment. Repeated
and even frequent training is often necessary.
For example, your emergency response plans
may call for using self-contained respirators
to escape from atmospheres immediately dangerous
to life or health. You should conduct frequent
exercises in finding, donning and properly
using these protective devices. If they
ever are needed, you will want your employees
capable of responding quickly and knowledgeably.
Expect
to repeat the PPE training for new hires,
contract workers and employees in newly
assigned jobs.
For
more information about PPE, see OSHA Publication
3077, "Personal Protective Equipment," and
OSHA Publication 3079 (Revised 1988), "Respiratory
Protection."
Emergency
Response. Train your employees to
respond to emergency situations. Every employee
at every worksite needs to understand:
-
Emergency telephone numbers and who may
use them,
-
Emergency exits and how they are marked,
-
Evacuation routes, and
-
Signals that alert employees to the need
to evacuate.
In
addition, practice evacuation drills at least
annually, so that every employee has a chance
to recognize the signal and evacuate in a
safe and orderly fashion. Supervisors or their
alternates should practice counting personnel
at evacuation gathering points to ensure that
every worker is accounted for.
Do
not forget anyone at your site when you
are practicing for emergencies. You should
have procedures to account for visitors,
contract employees and service workers such
as cafeteria employees. One effective practice
technique is secretly to have one or two
employees simulate an injury or other immobilizing
problem during an evacuation drill. They
could, for instance, slip away to a stairwell
not on the evacuation route and there await
discovery and rescue. Such an experience
can demonstrate forcefully to your supervisors
and alternates the importance of an accurate
count.
Additional
special instruction and drilling may be
necessary at sites where weather or earthquake
emergencies are reasonable possibilities.
For example, where there is a good chance
of tornadoes, employees should learn to
distinguish the signals for evacuation and
for taking shelter and should practice responses
to both. For further information on planning
for emergencies, see Chapter 8.
If
you have established emergency response
teams at your workplace, all members of
these teams are covered by OSHA's Bloodborne
Pathogens standard (Part 1910.1030 of Title
29 of the Code of Federal Regulations),
which includes training requirements.
Periodic
Safety and Health Training. At some
worksites, complex work practices are necessary
to control hazards. Elsewhere, occupational
injuries and illness are common. At such
sites, it is especially important that employees
receive periodic safety and health training
to refresh their memories and to teach new
methods of control. New training also may
be necessary when OSHA standards change
or new standards are issued. It is important
to keep these sessions interesting. Some
companies have found it very effective to
give employees the responsibility to plan
and present periodic safety and health training.
However, the success of this method depends
upon employees being provided adequate training
resources and support to develop their presentations.
Most
general industry worksites use monthly safety
meetings for this training. In construction
and other high-hazard industries where the
work situation changes rapidly, weekly meetings
often are needed. These meetings serve to
remind workers of the upcoming week's tasks,
the environmental changes that may affect
them and the procedures they may need to
protect themselves and others.
What
is called one-on-one training is possibly
the most effective training method. The
supervisor periodically spends some time
watching an individual employee work. The
supervisor meets with the employee to discuss
safe work practices, bestow credit for safe
work and provide additional instruction
to counteract any observed unsafe practices.
One-on-one training is most effective when
applied to all employees under supervision
and not just those with whom there appears
to be a problem. This is because the positive
feedback given for safe work practices is
this method's most powerful tool. It helps
workers establish new safe behavior patterns.
It also recognizes and thereby reinforces
the desired behavior.
CONDUCTING
THE TRAINING
If
employees are to learn and to improve they
must feel motivated. Here are some suggestions
for enhancing the success of your safety
and health training:
-
Prepare employees for training by putting
them at ease.
-
Recruit employees who show signs of being
good trainers of their co-workers. Prepare
them to conduct this peer training.
-
Explain the job or training topic. Determine
how much your employees already know about
it.
-
Boost your employees' interest in training
by helping them understand its benefits.
For example, training can reduce injuries
and near misses; training can enhance
productivity and overall job performance,
thereby improving the chance for advancement
and other rewards.
-
Pace the instruction to the trainees'
learning speed. Present the material clearly
and patiently.
-
Present only as much information in one
session as your employees can master.
-
Have your employees perform each step
of the operation and repeat your instructions
and explanations. Have them repeat a task
until you are satisfied they know how
to do it.
-
Encourage employees to help each other
by dividing the group into teacher/learner
pairs or practice pairs.
-
Check frequently for correct performance
during the initial practice period. Taper
off on surveillance as the trainees become
more proficient.
-
Encourage your employees to build the
new skill into the way they work best,
but caution them not to change the newly
learned procedure without first checking
with you or their supervisor.
EVALUATION
Evaluation
will help you determine whether the training
you have provided has achieved its goal
of improving your employees' safety and
performance. When carefully developed and
carried out, the evaluation will highlight
your training program's strengths and identify
areas of weakness that need change or improvement.
You
should generate a plan for evaluating the
training sessions as needs are being identified
and training content developed. This important
part of your training effort should not
be put off until training is completed.
Here are some ways you can evaluate your
training program:
-
Before training begins determine what
areas need improvement by observing workers
and soliciting their opinions. When training
ends test for improvement by again observing
workers. Ask them to explain their jobs'
hazards, protective measures, and newly
learned skills and knowledge.
-
Keep track of employee attendance at training
sessions. Training will not work for an
employee who does not show up. Absenteeism
can signal a problem with the worker,
but it also can indicate a weakness in
training content and presentation.
-
At the end of training ask participants
to rate the course and the trainer. This
can be done in informal discussion, or
confidentiality can be assured by a written
questionnaire.
-
Compare pre- and post-training injury
and accident rates. The periods of time
being compared must be long enough to
allow significant differences to emerge
if training has made a difference.
It
often is easier to conduct an activity than
to judge it. But do not ignore this evaluation
phase. It will allow you to calculate your
training program's bottom line profitability.
Have the goals of training been achieved?
Do the results warrant offering the training
again at some later date? How can the program
be improved? Once you have made the effort
to provide employee safety and health training,
you certainly want to be able to answer these
questions.
RECORDKEEPING
Even
if you operate a very small business, it
is to your advantage to keep training records.
A simple form is all that you need, one
that identifies the trainee, the topic or
job, and the training date, with space for
a brief evaluation of the employee's participation
and success. These records will help you
ensure that everyone who needs training
receives it, that refresher courses are
provided at regular intervals and that documentation
is available, when needed, to show that
training was appropriate. See Appendix 11-1
for one example of an easy to maintain training
record.
SOURCES
OF ASSISTANCE
You
can obtain additional help in developing
training programs and identifying training
resources -- often free of charge -- from
a variety of organizations. These include:
-
OSHA-Funded state onsite consultation
programs for employers full-service area
offices,
-
State agencies that have their own OSHA-approved
occupational safety and health programs,
-
OSHA full-service area offices,
-
Local safety councils
-
OSHA's Office of Training and Education,
and
-
OSHA-funded training grantees.
You
can find specific OSHA-mandated training requirements
in OSHA Publication 2254 (Revised 1992), "Training
Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training
Guidelines," and OSHA Publication 3127, "Occupational
Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens."
SUMMARY
The
content of your training program and the
methods of presentation should reflect your
company's training needs and the particular
characteristics of the workforce. Therefore,
identification of needs is an important
early step in training design. Involving
employees in this process and in the subsequent
teaching can be highly effective.
Whether
you offer formal classroom training or on-the-job
instruction, use the five principles of
teaching and learning to maximize your program's
profitability. Communicate the purpose of
training. Present information in a clear,
understandable manner and a logical order.
Give trainees the opportunity to practice
the skills being taught. Let employees know
if they are performing a new skill incorrectly,
but perhaps even more important, give positive
feedback when they are performing correctly.
Recognize that we are all individuals, and
that we learn in different ways. Provide
a variety of different learning opportunities
and pace your instruction and practice period
so that all trainees -- slow and fast learners
-- have the time they need to absorb the
new skills and knowledge.
Your
program should be geared toward employees
recognizing hazards and learning ways to
protect themselves and their coworkers.
You especially may need to target new hires,
contract workers, employees who need to
wear personal protective equipment, workers
in high risk areas and workers who risk
exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Do not
overlook the seasoned employee whose job
changes as a result of new processes or
materials. And the entire workforce needs
periodic refresher training in responding
to emergencies.
Plan
from the initial design stage to evaluate
your training program. An effective evaluation
will identify your program's strengths and
weaknesses, establish whether training goals
are being met and provide a basis for future
program changes.
Recordkeeping
will help ensure that all who need training
receive it. A simple form can document both
your efforts to teach and your employees'
success at learning hazard recognition and
protection.
Finally,
do not hesitate to go outside your company
to seek help in designing and conducting
your training. Numerous organizations are
ready to assist you, often at no cost to
you.
APPENDIX
11 - 1
EMPLOYEE
TRAINING RECORD
Name
of Employee: _______________________________________________
Employee
Number: _______________________________________________
Department:
__________________________________________________
Occupation(s):
_________________________________________________
|
TRAINING
SUBJECT
|
DATE
TRAINED
|
DATE
RE-INSTRUCTED
|
COMMENTS
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
I
have received and understood the safety
and health training/repeat instruction list
above and acknowledge that it has been given
to me in my native tongue.
|
EMPLOYEE
SIGNATURE
|
DATE
|
SUPERVISORS
SIGNATURE
|
DATE
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Previous
Section: Establishing the Right Medical
Program for Your Worksite
Next Section: Evaluating
Your Safety and Health Program
