TRAINING FEATURE HOW TO MAKE H&S TRAINING COUNT


Mark Ward, general manager at UL EHS Sustainability, explains how making learning and refresher sessions a priority ultimately leads to a safer and more efficient workplace


An estimated 621,000 workers in the UK sustained a non-fatal injury at work in the 2015/2016 period according to official HSE government statistics. It is fair to say that the majority of these accidents could have been prevented by stricter training procedures and a greater awareness of the risks and hazards in the workplace, all of which can be instilled within a worker from the day they start at a new company. The way in which employers enable learning and information- sharing plays an influential role in whether new employees will become safety leaders or safety liabilities. Anyone who has started a new job remembers how challenging it can be to adjust to a different environment, new jargon and unfamiliar work processes. Therefore, the importance of a solid on-boarding process cannot be overstated, not only to ease the employee’s comfort, but also to avoid more serious incidents. For instance, error and incident rates are highest when task familiarity is low, and in the absence of information, new employees tend to develop their own potentially unsafe and inconsistent methods. New employees are often unaware of policies, work procedures, hazards and precautions, and lack a frame of reference that makes it possible to fully appreciate the importance of training. That is why training typically starts with a high level overview, with the delivery of procedural details following in on-the-job training. Training programmes do not have to be dull, and often the more


exciting initiatives receive the most engagement from workers. Being an enthusiastic trainer can help employees be more quickly drawn in and attentive. Greeting individuals as they walk in and learning names quickly can be a big help too. Additionally, the use of multimedia, games and role play can help break up the session, and get across the


underlying safety messages you are trying to convey. It is essential to encourage


employees to ask questions during and after training sessions. Making the session more of a conversation than a lecture will improve engagement and give them a chance to share their thoughts and opinions. A “buddy-up” system can also work well, meaning fellow employees can chat through what they have learnt and consolidate their knowledge together, and a rewards-based system for training completion can help encourage healthy competition between workers and increase sign-ups with the prospect of a potential free lunch or gift voucher. New employees are typically willing to learn and have a healthy respect for hazards they are seeing for the first time, to which other employees may have become desensitized. They are often not as cynical or set in their ways as more experienced workers sometimes tend to be, and are more inclined to be open-minded and receptive to new approaches – even non-preferred methods. Making learning a priority and ensuring necessary “refresher”


sessions are organised throughout the year leads to a more knowledgeable, efficient and ultimately safer workforce.


UL EHS Sustainability www.ulehssustainability.com


/ INDU STRIALCOMPLIANCE


INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE | AUTUMN 2017


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