A total of 4.3 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 2004. These cases occurred at a rate of 4.8 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor and data released last November. Meanwhile, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that, since 1971, the number of workplace fatalities has fallen by more than 60 percent and occupational illness and injury has decreased by forty percent.

One of the first reasons given by OSHA to explain this dramatic improvement is an increase in quality safety training. Companies increasingly are making employees aware of the dangers present in their work.

Indeed, the National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP) charges, "Awareness of safety does not come naturally; we all need to be trained to work safely." The majority of workplace accidents result from human error or inattention, and, as such, are easily avoidable via effective safety and health programs and training.

Says OSHA:

An effective safety and health program depends on the credibility of management's involvement in the program; inclusion of employees in safety and health decisions; rigorous worksite analysis to identify hazards and potential hazards, including those which could result from a change in worksite conditions or practices; stringent prevention and control measures; and thorough training. It addresses hazards whether or not they are regulated by government standards.

Safety training should be designed to fit the needs of the target audience. Rather than have a standard form of safety training, first cover the fundamentals; then deal with the risks specific to the particular employee. Apropos the basics, training should include the following: proper use of equipment; personal protective equipment (PPE); appropriate storage of equipment and materials; hazardous-material handling; electrical; machine guarding; ergonomics (e.g., safe lifting); reporting procedures; and responding to on-the-job injuries.

Safety training can take on a number of different appearances — from on-the-job safety equipment training to weekend seminars to a videotape or DVD during employee orientation. Training formats may include the classroom and written instruction, video/DVD, one-on-one, or computer- and Web-based instruction. Each offers its pros and cons, and, more often than not, multi-format training is not only appropriate but also most advantageous, particularly for the younger employees. (See our Training a Workforce Raised on MTV & the Web article for more.)

As aforementioned, training should be directed toward the hazards specific to your industry. While of course each of today's workplaces can be drastically different than the next, every one of them has a basic obligation to provide core safety and health training to its employees. Some typical hurdles include the following:

• Ensuring that each employee stays current with the training plan. Admittedly, it is difficult to retroactively account for all of those who missed previously held training sessions. New employees and department transfers often seem to materialize, and they need training ASAP.

• Providing a consistent message throughout. Training is simply not everyone's strong suit. Even good trainers have a difficult time delivering the same message twice! Also, goal-oriented training and education often is more effective than once-a-quarter boilerplate OSHA instruction.

• Engaging each employee in the process. Videos and DVDs can be good, but they don't require active participation. Trainers who read directly from a prepared information sheet risk being ignored or "tuned out" by the learner, according to Occupational Hazards. A good online training program provides interaction, engaging information for the student and appeal to multiple adult learning styles.

• Administering documented quizzes or tests to help ensure that the information is retained. "It's quite a paperwork nightmare to give tests to each employee on even a semi-regular basis. But it sure is nice to know you had documentation of that nature when you are audited or possibly even challenged on a legal matter."

OSHA's list of 2005's top 10 violations showed that a full 10 percent of violations involve the failure to establish a written safety program or the failure to provide training. Sure, all OSHA violations cannot be eliminated, but some minor (and comparatively inexpensive) steps can be taken to significantly reduce major violation exposure. For one, investment in written programs and training will provide immediate and long-term liability reduction.

Indeed, not only will establishing programs and training help to eliminate these violations, doing so also may alleviate many other violations that are related to training failure casually, as well as injuries and illnesses suffered by employees who are not receiving adequate training on workplace hazards. In addition, establishing written programs and training is likely to provide protection against many willful violation claims.

Finally, remember that although initial safety training is an excellent way to inform your employees, it also is important to continually remind them and motivate them to practice safety on the job. Consider offering refresher safety courses to long-time employees. And as new equipment or federal rules impact your company, train employees on the new practices. Be creative in reminding employees to think about safety.

Sources & References

Targeting Employees Under 30
by Shane Austin
Occupational Hazards, Dec. 1, 2005

Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2004
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Nov. 17, 2005

What is a safety and health program?
Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

When OSHA Comes Calling
by Tom Anschutz
Occupational Hazards, March, 20, 2006