How to react to tighter OSHA enforcement on making safety training easily understandable

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kevin Gilbert on June 5, 2010 at 9:31pm

I think if you can show you have a good program and get people to sign off on it, and document this then you will be fine.

Documentation of training content and a solid conscientious effort is all they can ask.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Moore on August 15, 2010 at 4:47am

In general OSHA standards can be difficult to understand; look at the standard interpretations on OSHA.gov website to get an example! The first objective to reach your goal is to understand who your employees are and what they do; are education levels vastly different, or is English a problem for any of them? Does your company have a program for, Continued Education through computerized programs so personnel efficiency is kept up? Is your company's safety culture an Activity Based Behavior and is the company on board with a zero deficit (incident) program? If all is well with that, then I agree with K.Gilbert's suggestion. By having a proactive approach, employees will help themselves and make learning easier. Additionally, rearrange how you teach the standards by simplifying the language so that the rules and standards can be interpreted by all employees. A good book to read is, Developing an Effective Safety Culutre: A leadership Approach by James Roughton

Permalink Reply by Kevin Moore on September 14, 2010 at 2:36pm

OSHA's long awaited I2P2, Injury and Illness Prevention Program is a breath of fresh air, even though many of us already have considered a similar program involving employee assisting in making safety decisions. I feel that I2P2 will nudge employers to make safety analysis development accessible to employees by using friendly language and concepts employees unfamiliar with safety and health can relate to. Employee involvement is great for developing peer pressure, empowerment (many employers and supervisors do not like this concept much), and participation. Making safety tougher and at the same time accessible to all employees in addition to having employers be the responsible party is now becoming the new, and hopefully better way, and at the least, another tool for the safety professional.

Permalink Reply by AIRE Industrial on December 11, 2010 at 1:30pm

Employees are some the best resources that a company has concerning safety issues. It is important to keep them vigilant and vested. Asking them to take the lead during training exercises is a great way to make sure they understand their responsibilities. If you cannot teach you it, you have not learned it. Giving employees pride of ownership in a safety program keeps them and company under internal scrutiny, which is a good thing. Employees are some the best resources that a company has concerning safety issues. It is important to keep them vigilant and vested. Asking them to take the lead during training exercises is a great way to make sure they understand their responsibilities. If you cannot teach you it, you have not learned it. Giving employees pride of ownership in a safety program keeps them and company under internal scrutiny, which is a good thing.