New Hires Need Safety - Part 2/6 - Implementing Effective New Hire Safety Training Programs

Safety training programs save lives every day. "Safety is not just a slogan, it's a way of life." Is all you need to know about the value of all of that training investment by all companies combined … saving even just one life is worth it.  No one wants to be at the scene of an accident.

Stunningly, 75% of workers have issues with wearing PPE with 56% of workers saying that they just don’t want to, 48% that think it’s not needed, and 36% believe wearing PPE makes their jobs more difficult.  This is the data that you need to combat and educate and train for.

Building YOUR Mandatory New Hire Safety Training Program:

Identify YOUR Workplace Hazards: Perform a complete evaluation of possible dangers new employees may encounter in their roles, including physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic risks and understand the level of risk associated with each one. Then tailor YOUR training program accordingly.

Develop Clear Policies and Procedures: Create, review, assign and test your detailed safety rules and steps that address identified dangers.

Design Engaging Training Materials for all Learning Styles:  Make sure the content is clear and easy to understand and is interactive by using various media plus hands-on exercises.

Conduct Regular Training Sessions: Plan and conduct regular training meetings and audits for new hires to cover all important safety steps, emergency plans, and the use of your PPE.

Evaluate and Update YOUR Program: Check the effectiveness of training through testing, feedback and incident reports.  Remember to regularly update the content.

Conclusion:

Identifying and evaluating risks, as unlikely as they may be, is the first step to new employee safety.  Allocate resources for safety initiatives such as training programs, safety equipment and safety tracking software. Audit rigorously and adjust accordingly.  Then you can build and communicate a safety program around those risks and use that program to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous training.  Your commitment to a culture of safety, plus an effective training program and feedback, will help ensure that the slogan “SAFETY STARTS WITH YOU” means something to both the company and to the employee.