Countless time-crunched safety managers put off offering safety training for their team because they think any (or all) of the following:
- Training is expensive
- Creating a training program is time-consuming
- Safety training is boring
- Training isn’t actually effective
If you’ve ever decided against injury prevention training for one of the reasons above, it’s understandable. In the past, most safety trainings were boring and time-consuming.
We’re now in the golden age of online training. This means that establishing a positive culture of safety by keeping workers updated on safety requirements and best practices is now more convenient and budget-friendly than ever.
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Why is Safety Training Important in the Workplace?
Frequent, ongoing safety training is proven to reduce workplace incidents. By assigning online lessons every month or quarter, you can establish a safety culture at your company without taking workers away from their job duties.
With online training, you don’t have to pay a trainer, rent a space or buy lunch for everyone. You get all the education needed and benefits for a fraction of the cost – without any pesky surprise expenses. And with training programs that include a master-based system, you’ll feel confident knowing that employees are actually reviewing and retaining the information. Mastery-based training ensures that learners are presented with all the required material – course segments can’t be skipped or passed without presentation and demonstration of understanding.
SambaSafety uses a mastery-based system for our online driver training courses. Each lesson within Qorta University, our comprehensive driver training solution, includes periodic quizzes and exercises that work to ensure the driver’s understanding.
Safety Training Benefits Employees
Most employees don’t mind training – they like knowing what’s expected of them and learning how to do their job more efficiently. What they don’t like is being lectured. That’s why safety lessons around or under the 20-minute mark on a smartphone, tablet or laptop are ideal.
When looking at big picture benefits, regular online safety training is also proven to reduce the number of workers’ comp claims and improve operational efficiency.
Sample OSHA Warehouse Safety Training Schedule
Below is a sample of a monthly schedule covering some of the most common OSHA warehouse safety trainings needed.
Month 1 – Safe Lifting
This 12-minute lesson covers one of the most common injuries to drivers – when they are loading and lifting cargo. Safe lifting is a basic technique that is often overlooked. In this lesson employees learn the mechanics of safe lifting and the steps that need to be taken to prevent injuries.
Month 2 – Back Injury Prevention
Back injuries are common in the workplace. This 14-minute course teaches employees how to avoid back injuries, tips and exercises as well as lifting and lowering, pulling and pushing techniques. These lessons could save your employees from being part of the estimated two million back injuries that occur annually in the United States.
Month 3 – Ammonia Awareness
If your workplace stores, handles or moves Ammonia, there are certain safety protocols that must be followed for everyone’s safety. This eight-minute lesson covers ammonia hazards, storage and transfer as well as reporting and evacuation procedures. It will help keep employees safe from things like lung damage, fluid build-up in the lungs and severe skin irritation and burns.
Month 4 – Ladder Safety
Using a ladder may seem straightforward, but every year thousands of workers are injured while using a ladder. This eight-minute lesson covers the safe use and operation of several ladder types. The segments in this course cover ladder material, types of ladders, ladder inspection, ladder length and setup as well as safe climbing tips.
Month 5 – Personal Protective Equipment
To protect employees’ eyes, face, head, feet and hands, companies develop standards for using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The use of this equipment is often required as a condition of employment. This lesson on Personal Protective Equipment covers potential hazards at most locations that call for the use of PPE and reviews regulatory requirements for use of PPE.
Month 7 – Slips, Trips and Falls
Slips and trips cause most work-related injuries and 15% of all accidental deaths each year. This 11-minute lesson covers:
- The types of falls that can occur
- How to identify if a slip, trip or fall may occur
- How to walk defensively
- How to use three points of contact
Month 8 – Box Cutting
When used correctly, a box cutter is an effective tool – but it can also be extremely dangerous. This eight-minute lesson reviews safe practices to follow including selecting the correct tool, holding the tool, stabilizing the material and use of PPE.
Month 9 – Pest Management
This 12-minute lesson covers how to protect warehouses against rodents, birds and insects. While seemingly menial, this lesson proves important in ensuring your employees can avoid unnecessary diseases and/or illnesses, infestations or interruptions.
Month 10 – Safe Operation of Pallet Jacks
Pallet Jacks are a useful tool but can be dangerous if employees don’t know how to operate them safely. The safe operation of pallet jacks will protect the user and anyone else who may be in the vicinity. This lesson covers the safe operation of pallet jacks and watch outs when operating in confined spaces.
Month 11 – Lock Out, Tag Out
“Lock out, tag out” is a process to identify faulty equipment that needs repair and should not be used. Incorrect lock out, tag out is one of the top five most-common OSHA citations. This six-minute course was created to explain the hazards associated with using damaged equipment, how to correctly mark and label equipment and employee responsibilities.
Month 12 – Hand Truck Safety
Moving boxes and cargo can be hard work, but using a hand truck can make the process easier. The safe and efficient use of a hand truck is vital to preventing injuries and damage to cargo.
In this six-minute lesson, employees will learn:
- Hand truck inspection
- Delivery routes
- Safe hand truck loading
- Specialty hand trucks
- Tips and techniques
Employee Training Should Be Comprehensive
If you’re just getting started on your training journey, you know that risk isn’t unique to only one area of your company. In addition to providing your employees with OSHA warehouse safety training, know that driver training is also absolutely necessary in mitigating risk across your entire company and keeping your employees as safe as possible.
Which additional core concepts should you cover when implementing comprehensive safety training? Download our checklist to find out!
