Keep Safety Training Interesting

Feb 25, 2015

By Jessica Perez

As the new GHS continues to make a lasting effect on hazard communication and regulations continue to evolve, developing a new safety program that emphasizes these changes is expected. Why not use these changes as a platform for improving the quality of your safety training? While the bases of your safety training materials are provided, your safety training style is not. How safety information is related to employees may be the difference between a safe work place and a high risk of injury. Making safety training interesting and engaging will have longer lasting effects within the workplace.

The creation of safety procedures is typically the responsibility of safety professionals. Because of this there can be an innate sense of detachment from safety objectives. Brett Haskins suggests in his article Empower Your Change Drivers: Strategies for Engaging Employees in Safety Culture Improvement that engaging employees in the creation process of safety will generate a sense of confidence that translates into an incentive to take responsibility. He suggests forming accountability teams with incentives to practice safety compliance, a continual improvement process much like one that may be found in a typical business metrics. Pre-shift safety meetings are also suggested to emphasize the incorporation of daily work place safety. Identifying the norms of your work environment is the first step to developing a safety training lesson plan that will effectively engage your employees. The key is to engage workers as much as possible so that safety is truly a part of your work "culture."

One challenge of engaging employees in participating in safety training may be that safety is not an attractive topic. For example, chemical safety training with hazard communication can be a bit over people's head when it comes to holding interest. An article written by Barry R. Weismann Keeping the FUN in Fundamentals provides some very innovative suggestions. Here is an example of how to make chemical properties comprehensive:

FUNdamentals

• I show some photos of common items around the house, such as bleach, milk, orange juice, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, salt, and toothpaste
• I then ask the audience to think about these chemicals in their homes. I emphasize the word chemical for these common ingredients.
• I then ask them to fill in the table with the color, odor, physical state, and pH for each of the items, based on what they think it is.
• I then pour some of the ingredients into a jar and we look at it, have them test the pH, determine the physical state, odor (yes, I caution them about smelling chemicals), and color.
• I finish up by asking them, "Will it burn? Will the vapors coming out of the bottle burn?" That allows me to have a discussion about flammability and fire properties.

Content of trainings will vary due to industry specifications, however, knowing your audience and committing to a long term plan to reinforce safety standards is what will bring you "safety culture excellence."

For more information on safety training or what trainings HazCommpliance can offer your organization please email us at