7 Secrets to Attention-Grabbing Safety Training

Most studies of adult attention spans agree that for most adults the outer limit is about 20 minutes. The longer a training session continues, the shorter the attention span becomes.
 
One study indicates that after an hour of uninterrupted lecture, attention spans can drop to 3 or 4 minutes punctuated by long periods of inattention.

You have to wonder—and worry—about what trainees might have missed during those lapses in attention. Was it the essential piece of information that could have prevented an accident?

Shrinking Attention Spans

Many educators and training experts believe that attention spans actually are shrinking because we’ve become such a visual society. Just watch TV with the sound off for a few minutes. The images change every few seconds. Take a look at the electronic games that kids grow up on today, and think about e-mail, texting, and so many other recent technological developments.

Information comes now in short, fast bursts. So trainees—especially the younger ones—may tune out anything that requires too much focus for too long.

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How to Keep Their Attention

Here are seven strategies that can help you grab and hold trainees’ attention during those all-important safety training sessions:

1.   Plan training sessions in reasonable chunks. Say you’re going to train on a particular hazard, procedures necessary to prevent injuries, and required PPE. Rather than delivering information about all three points in one continuous stream, break it up into three chunks interspersed with interaction between trainer and trainees and among trainees.

2.   Use self-paced materials composed of short modules. Make sure each module offers interactive opportunities as well as opportunities to go back review information covered.

3.   Include interactivity when you lecture. For instance, talk for a bit and then discuss what you’ve just covered, encouraging lots of trainee participation. Have a question and answer period between training points, or divide large training groups into small groups to discuss issues or complete training exercises. You can use quizzes and problem-solving exercises to challenge trainees and make them think about what they’re learning. Or give trainees a chance to practice what they’ve learned for a few minutes before proceeding to the next point.

4.   Think about attention span when planning training, especially if your training group is composed largely of younger workers who have grown up in the “electronic age.” Realize that they may have shorter attention spans than older workers, and take that into account.

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5.   Use a combination of training tech

niques. For instance, give a brief 5-minute introduction, show a short training video, have a discussion about key points, give a quiz, and then provide a handout and have a short review. Mixing it up helps keeps trainees alert and engaged.

6.   Allow rest breaks during long training sessions so that trainees have a chance to get up and move around, have some water, and refresh themselves for the next round.

7.   Let trainees know up front that they’ll be evaluated. Tell trainees at the beginning of the session that there will be a quiz or performance evaluation at the end of the session, which they will be expected to pass. This will encourage them to pay attention during the session and ask questions about any information they don’t understand.

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