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Here’s a simple fact – poor safety training results in higher workplace incidents
and injuries. So it’s fair to claim that the quality of your safety induction training
system can reflect in your organisation’s overall safety statistics.
Contractor and Employee inductions should aim to increase two key aspects of safety
engagement; awareness and attitude. While most induction training
programs will be geared to educating inductees on specific safety issues, many do
not make a concerted effort to instill a culture of care around safety. However,
attitude towards safety is just as important as knowledge of safety issues. When
an inductee can see that the company places great value on safety, they are more
likely to adopt the same attitude. But how are these attitudes fostered and maintained
by a company?
7 ways to improve your inductees’ attitudes towards safety
- Show them you mean business!
By showing inductees that the induction process is important to the company, they
will receive a clear safety message from the very get-go. Don’t just throw a book
at them and ask them to read it, or plonk them in front of a DVD. Create a branded,
robust program that speaks of your company’s dedication to providing a safe working
environment.
- Engage them through an interactive process
As soon as your inductees are required to actively participate with the induction
training process its self, they are required to think! This will not only
help them receive information – it will help them remember it. (There are a few
good quality online induction programs that use an interactive questioning process
that enables inductees to respond to information as they take the course.)
- Make the content interesting
Well written material is well read! The clearer it is, the easier it is to remember.
Real life examples are also a useful technique to help inductees both understand
and retain information. While induction courses contain a lot of vital information,
simply including it isn’t enough, you need to make it interesting and engaging to
make it memorable.
- Induct them before they come on site
Many companies are now providing their inductees with the ability to take their
induction in their own homes. The only effective way to do this is with online inductions
– but it’s the best way to go. When an inductee can take their safety training in
their own time and at their own pace studies have shown that they are more likely
to retain information. This method can also be very helpful for inductees who have
English as second language.
- Create a consistent message
No matter how many departments, divisions, sites or projects your organisation has,
it is important that every employee and contractor share the same level of safety
awareness. While each area of your business may require specific safety training,
delivering an overall message of safety throughout the organisation will improve
workplace attitudes.
- Automate your re-induction and training schedule
One of the most common mistakes around safety inductions is neglect to renew training.
By automating your system, you can receive reminders whenever an employee or contractor
needs to be re-inducted. If your induction system is connected to an automated swipe
card system, you can even control site entry until the re-induction has been completed.
- Maintain control over course content
Having the flexibility to make changes to course content on the fly enables you
keep your induction training up to date. Information can become out of date very
quickly and unless your induction course content reflects this immediately, safety
becomes immediately compromised.
Induction training programs that enable the inductee to interact with the information
directly, and empower them to study at a pace that best suits their learning style,
are fast becoming the standard. Some organisations go to the trouble to build their
own system and deliver it through their intranet, but there are a number of online
solutions that are fully hosted. These are probably the easiest option and eliminate
any IT issues and costs.
Frank Templeton is Owner and Managing Director of the John Temple Group, an Adelaide,
South Australia based company providing solutions and advice regarding employee/contractor
induction, risk assessment, contractor management and security access.
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By Frank Templeton
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