14
Fall 2014 Issue
Safety & Workers’ Compensation
]
When Hiring New Employees,
Don’t Fail to Overlook Proper Employee Training
Preventative education is the key to solid workplace safety programs
Occupational health and safety consultants often talk about the
importance of senior management leadership and creating formal
safety policies and procedures. However, once those tools are in
place, it is critical that your company’s employees are educated on
your safety philosophy and trained on the appropriate procedures
to take to prevent workplace accidents.
Employee training is the foundation of any effective safety and
health program because it is the vehicle to provide information
and develop skills needed by employees to maintain a safe
working environment. Perhaps the best training opportunity is at
the point of hire.
While reviewing other company policies, new-hire orientation
should also include a review of the following items:
• Company’s safety and health policy
• Roles and responsibilities of employee and employer
• Procedures to report workplace injuries and illnesses
• Actions to take in case of an emergency
• Return-to-work procedures
• OSHA requirements
Supplemental training conducted at least annually is recommended
to reinforce your company’s safety philosophy and procedures
and keep the issue of safety at the forefront of employees’
minds. Safety training is recommended when employees change
jobs within the company that involve new hazards. Also, some
specific OSHA regulations require annual training. Safety training
methods should be interactive and job-specific for maximum
effectiveness. Employers should avoid the tendency of having
employees passively watch training videos.
To develop a training plan, the following general approach can be used:
• Determine your safety training requirements. What applicable OSHA
regulations include training requirements? Beyond regulatory compliance,
are there any other sources that require safety training, such as customers,
vendors, contractors or trade associations?
• Determine which employees will receive what training. While all employees
should receive new-hire and annual refresher training, not all employees will
need training on every topic. For example, clerical employees may not need
forklift training.
• Determine length of time needed for each training topic and schedule dates
and times for each training. Be sure to coordinate with other departments
in your company so as not to overlap or double-book employees. Verify your
training plan with management to ensure there are no conflicts or issues to
consider, such as production demands.
• Develop and assemble training materials. This includes preparing relevant
presentations, handouts or visual aids prior to the event in order to review
them effectively and ensure their accuracy.
• Document all safety training. At a minimum, training records should be kept
for as long as the employee remains with the company and possibly longer,
depending on company policy or applicable regulation.
• Schedule “make-up” training sessions.
For more information about developing an employee training program, please
contact RiskControl360°, the ORA’s Safety Partner, at (877) 360-3608. To learn
more about RiskControl360°, visit the company online:
