By Chris KilbourneAug 10, 2009Training
Updated: Aug 10, 2009
Yesterday, we talked about safety orientation for new hires. Today, we continue the theme, focusing on job-specific information new employees need to learn ASAP.
Knowing how to perform a job properly includes knowing how to do it safely. To protect themselves and their co-workers, new employees have to get to know their jobs inside out.
In fact, OSHA requires it. The General Duty Clause says that employeesmust "comply with occupational safety and health standards" and all OSHA rules and regulations that apply to their "own actions and conduct."
In order to meet OSHA’s mandate, new employees have to learn the rules and the specific requirements for doing a good, safe job. Even if they have experience doing a certain kind of job somewhere else, they may not know how to do the job your way.
Orientation begins the training process that eventually creates safe, competent workers. But orientation is only the first step. Ongoing safety training has to do the rest.
Effective, consistent training develops good safety attitudes, builds expert knowledge about the job and its hazards, and teaches the precautions that must be taken to prevent accidents and injuries.
Need to get new employees off to a good, safe start? BLR’s 7-Minute Safety Trainer fulfills this goal and provides key OSHA-required training in as little as 7 minutes.
Lots to Know, Lots to Learn
Developing safe workers is all about knowledge. And knowledge begins with learning the basics.
To know their jobs and work safely, new employees must learn essentials such as:
- How to operate machines and equipment correctly and safely
- How to select and use materials, including chemicals, correctly and safely
- How to use protective devices, equipment, and controls such as machine guards, personal protective equipment (PPE), and ventilation
- How to perform routine work area safety inspections
- How to perform each step in a task in the proper order
- How to report safety problems and hazards
- What to do if something goes wrong
Of course, your new workers must also be made aware of all the possible dangers, including:
- Types of accidents that could occur on the job
- Hazards present in the work area, especially hidden hazards
- Hazardous materials in the workplace
- Health risks
- Consequences of inattention, fooling around, and careless acts
New employees also have to be warned to be on the lookout for potential risks, such as:
- Slip, trip, and fall hazards
- Electrical problems
- Chemical leaks or spills
- Ergonomic hazards
- Machine and equipment malfunctions
- Fire hazards
- Anything that just doesn’t "seem right"
Effective, 7-minute sessions providing comprehensive safety training, including materials suitable for orientation, at an average cost of $1 a day.
Effective Safety Training in Just 7 Minutes!
A lot to cover? Sure. But don’t worry. You’ll find the information you need to train new workers about job responsibilities in the BLR® 7-Minute Safety Trainer session "First Rule of Safety: Know Your Job." The session provides you with a detailed trainer’s outline as well as an illustrated handout, quiz, and quiz answers to get your points across quickly—and cost-effectively.
But that’s just the beginning. All told, this "trainer’s bible" contains 50 prewritten meetings covering almost every aspect of safety you’d want or need to train on, in a format designed to be taught in as little as 7 minutes. All of them are perfect for getting new employees off to a safe start, as well as keeping veteran workers alert and uptodate on all your safety concerns.
Major topics in the 7-Minute Safety Trainer include:
—Confined spaces
—Electrical safety
—Fire safety and emergency response
—HazCom
—Machine guarding and lockout/tagout
—Material handling
—PPE use and care
—Housekeeping/slips, trips, and falls
—and dozens more
Just make as many copies as you need of the included handouts and quizzes, and you’re ready to train.
Equally important is that the program ships new meetings every quarter to respond to new and changed regulations. This service is included in the program price, which averages just over $1 a working day. In fact, this is one of BLR’s most popular safety programs.
If you’d like to personally evaluate 7-Minute Safety Trainer and see how it can build safety awareness, we’ll be happy to send it to you for 30 days on a no-cost, no-obligation trial basis. Just let us know, and we’ll arrange it.
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