Mandatory Safety Training – Motivation Is The Key

Talk safety between training sessions. Become a familiar presence as the friendly, approachable “safety guru” by getting out into work areas as much as your schedule allows so you can chat with your workers. Establishing a connection outside of training shows workers that you care about their safety, which is why you conduct regular and repeat training sessions. These walkarounds help workers understand the importance of safe work practices and instill in them a safety mind-set that encourages them to want to attend later safety training sessions.

Make training sessions interactive and relevant. Once you get workers into training sessions, keep up the personal touch by engaging them personally and applying every training point to their jobs. For example:

• Encourage questions, and ask questions yourself. For example:
• I know you’ve heard this before. Why do you think I’m repeating it?
• Why do you think we have a written list of safety rules in addition to our training sessions?
• Do you have any stories about how taking a shortcut caused a near miss?
• Use current events such as incidents in your workplace or stories from the newspaper or a safety magazine. Ask trainees how these incidents could have been prevented.

Are you prepared for National Safety Month? Safety training is not only vital to your employee’s well being but also to your company’s. The BLR Employee Training Center for Safety features ready to use, web based training sessions on more than 50 topics. Take a no obligation Free Trial Today.  Click Here

Motivate by being motivating! Use your personality and the professional relationships you’ve developed with trainees to engage them in their own safety concerns. Follow these tips to make the most of your safety advice:

• Be specific. Detail expectations. Don’t say “be careful around machines”; say “turn off the machine before retrieving the item.”
• Be confident. Know safety inside and out so you can exude confidence on what works to keep people safe—and what doesn’t. Keep your own professional training up to date so you’re always giving your workers the latest, most effective safety techniques.
• Be repetitive. Stop a few times throughout the session to review. Ask trainees to explain instructions back to you. If possible, have them perform the instructions with equipment or tools.

Keep the training message visible with written materials. Review the safety signage on machinery and tools and in certain work areas in regard to the areas on which this training is focused. Remind them of these instructions and warnings because people tend to not notice their environment once it becomes familiar. Use training sessions as a reminder of these daily available safety messages.

Also, give succinct, visual handouts as safety reminders. And change up (nonmandatory) safety posters in the work area on a regular basis to match with the current training emphasis. Make handouts and posters available in languages other than English if your workforce needs this.

Use all these methods to make safety training a “must-see” event in your workplace.

With more than 30 years’ expertise in assisting companies with their training needs, the BLR team has assembled a collection of training topics critical to every employer.  The Employee Training Center for Safety is your easy and effective solution to employee training whether its National Safety Month or all year long!  Take a no obligation Free Trial Today.  Click Here

Why It Matters

• Many workplace accidents are caused by unsafe acts.
• These accidents can be avoided by effective and regular training.
• Safety trainers can use many methods to motivate employees to attend, absorb, and apply the safety message to act safely on the job.

More Articles on Training