How many lines on a labor law poster can your employees read?

In almost any kind of workplace, there are at least few "official" posters. There might be an industry-specific safety poster. Odds are there's a minimum wage poster. And most businesses will have a number of small posters or one combination labor law poster covering relevant federal laws, regulations and guidelines. State labor law posters and even local labor law information posters may be posted in some areas, too.

That means that the average employee is presented with at least 2, and as many as a dozen posters at work.

Now for the big question...how many of them have they read? How often do they notice when the posters change to reflect new rules and laws?

Odds are, the answer is none. And never.

When most employees are questioned, they say they either just know that something is on the wall (or in the poster display case) or they've never really noticed the posters at all!

So we need to do some training! Why? Training employees on the how and what of labor law posters could:

• Prevent injuries to the employees, to co-workers or to customers
  
• Reduce the likelihood of lawsuits for missed or misunderstood benefits like FMLA or ADA accommodation
  
• Reduce the amount of time HR staff has to spend explaining protections and obligations covered in the posters

Some tips and suggestions for good labor law poster training

Focus on:

The reason the posters are there
The reason reading them is important to employees (they may miss a benefit until it's too late, etc)
The locations for the posters
An overview of the content

Do not:

Read the entire poster set to employees, unless reading skills are an issue. The focus should remain on the employee's obligation to see and read this material. Reading it may also set you up for a future lawsuit if an employee claims "that's not what so-and-so said when they read it to us!"

This little training could yield big results for your employees and for your company.

The very un-glamourous training hardworking employees need

There was a time, not too long ago, when employees who worked in hazardous areas or at hazardous job had to supply their own Personal Protective Equipment, also known as PPE.

I guess that seemed like a good policy at the time. It saved the company money, because the cost came out of the employees pocket. And in theory, since the employee was protecting themselves, they would be extra careful and make sure all the bases (or the fingers or whatever) were covered.

In theory.

But in reality? Let's take the case of Pat. A good name that could apply to a woman or a man, so no one will be offended...or everyone will. Especially the Pats. But I digress...

OKAY....Pat comes to work. Pat is a machine operator who also has to use caustic chemicals from time to time. By industry standards and OSHA guidelines, Pat is supposed to use:

Protective goggles
A hard hat
Steel-toed boots
Heavy-duty, extra long gloves
Long sleeved shirts and long pants
A lab coat or smock over street clothes
A dust mask or respirator
Ear plugs

Now Pat only makes $9.75 an hour. And PPE can get expensive. The boots alone are well over $100. So Pat skimps. Regular workboots from the discount store, no steel toes, go for $22.95. Heat and chemical resistant gloves? A pair of garden gloves instead. When it's hot, Pat wears a t-shirt. There haven't been any lab coats around the plant in years, so that's out. The rest of the stuff? Pat just doesn't have the money -- $9.75/hour only goes so far.

This went on for years. Then the rules changed.

In Rule 72:64341-64430, enacted in late 2007, OSHA declared that an

employer must pay for required PPE, except in the limited cases specified in the standard. Safety-toe protective footwear and prescription safety glasses were excepted from the employer payment requirement, in large part because these items were considered to be very personal in nature and were often worn off the jobsite.

Unfortunately, years of ignoring the standards for PPE have made employees lazy. And years of not having to pay for PPE has made employers lazy, too. But with OSHA stepping up enforcement, and industrial accidents rising, employers need to train their workers -- and themselves in safe PPE practices.

With the increased attention OSHA is paying to violations these days, training Pat -- and providing all the necessary PPE could save your company thousands.

Emergency training -- okay so it's boring -- until it saves a life

Let's face it...probably no one wants to attend an emergency preparedness or emergency response training session. It's usually pretty dry stuff, it may involve giving mouth-to-mouth to a plastic mannequin missing its limbs, and it probably will keep you away from that pile of work that's already overdue.

There's only one thing worse than attending emergency training sessions -- and that's teaching them. You know, you just know, that everyone in the class would rather be somewhere else. And quite frankly, so would you. But you do the class because OSHA requires it. Or your state or your industry mandates it.

But then one day, the unthinkable happens. Someone falls off a forklift. Or has a heart attack right there in the lunch room. Or a blizzard shuts down the roads and the electricity, and you have two dozen people in the office. with no heat. And suddenly all that safety training or emergency response training kicks in, and people know what to do (and what NOT to do) and a life is saved. Or do they? Were they listening as someone droned on about first aid? Or emergency shelter?

That's the flip side of emergency training. The point of it all, that's hard to remember when that plastic dummy appears in the middle of the room. This stuff really is about life and death.

So what can we, as trainers and HR pros, do to make the very necessary and often mandatory safety training or emergency response training a little more palatable?


1) Make it fun

We've said it here before, and I will say it again. THERE IS NO REASON TRAINING CANNOT BE FUN! Whew, that felt good! Did y'all hear it? Examples?

Instead of training from a book, with a lecture, teach the basics and then turn the training session into a custom version of Jeopardy, complete with buzzers. "Yes, Alex, "I'll take Blood and Bones for $200" is lots more fun than "if a bone appears to be broken, stabilize the limb with a..." Yawn!

Throw things! Okay, not heavy things like supervisors or even small rocks, but fun things like foam balls or stuffed bears wearing safety helmets. Someone asks a question and tosses the toy. The catcher has to answer, then gets to ask the next question and toss the toy. And so on. The game moves fast, the answers stick. Much easier to keep people's attention on a subject like proper tagging of machinery when something is flying around the room and they have 30 seconds to answer!

Give prizes! No, we are not in third grade, but yes, we do still like to get prizes. Talking pens, chocolate bars, movie tickets, desk toys. Small stuff. But it keeps people paying attention and playing along.

That's it. Simple, right? You thought there would be more, just because I put a "1" in front of "Make it fun" didn't you? Ha! Just having some fun. Try it. As weird as it sounds, it just might save someone's life someday.

Help! Would your workers know what to do?

Jane was on her usual route to the printer to pick up her morning reports when without warning, she collapsed to the ground.

Mary, who was just steps behind her in the hallway, rushed to Jane’s side, quickly determined that she’s unconscious and yelled for help. Other coworkers hurry from their cubes and offices to see what’s happening, but no one knows what to do.

They’re frantic, asking each other – Who knows CPR? What’s the extension for the medical readiness group? What do we DO?

Your company may have a medical response plan for emergency situations like these in the office, but how confident are you that everyone will know what to do when faced with a serious medical emergency?

The first step for any business is to develop a comprehensive Emergency Medical Response Action Plan. According to OSHA, an emergency action plan should include, at least:

• Means of reporting fires and other emergencies
• Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments
• Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
• Procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed
• Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them
• Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan

Having a plan is only the first step. In order for it to work, employees need to know their responsibilities. After developing your medical response plan, here are some ways to ensure employees will know how to follow it.

• Set up an Emergency Medical Response Team (MRT). Members of this team should be trained in CPR and AED use. At least one member of the team should be available during each shift.


• Provide first aid training. Even employees who are not members of the MRT should be trained on basic first aid and know what to do until a member of the MRT arrives.


• Keep first aid supplies easily accessible. Train workers on where these first aid supplies are kept and how to use each item.


• Post medical response information in high-traffic areas. Create safety posters with the names and extensions of MRT members and hang the posters in highly visible areas in the building.


• Train everyone. Train every employee in the building on your medical response plan and how they should respond in emergency situations. Develop role-play activities to ensure that employees understand the plan.

Remember that even a small accident like a slip and fall can put an employee out of commission for weeks. Have a plan and train employees on how to respond to and prevent emergencies and accidents on the job.

Fake safety training cards resurface, shed light on serious problem

Fraudulent safety certificates are surfacing around New York city, raising more concerns that the area’s safety training programs are in serious trouble.

Officials last month discovered a fake safety training certificate, complete with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logo, trainee’s name and trainer’s signature, at a violation-troubled construction site. (NY Daily News)

Joao Dias, the card’s owner told officials that he had never received any OSHA training in return for the card, had never even met the “trainer” who signed it, and that a site foreman gave him the card.

The city of New York is no stranger to problems related to OSHA training. A New York Daily News investigation published earlier this year exposed a widespread network of fraudulent construction safety programs.

The list of alleged offenses include trainers teaching 10-hour federal OSHA courses in two hours and students taking classroom breaks with a beer or two at the bar.

New York city has since pledged to crack down on the “dangerously negligent” attitude toward mandatory safety training, but the problem may be more widespread than officials thought as fraud-related violations resurface.

Cutting corners when it comes to safety training is always a risky road to travel. Read some of our related posts on the dangers of cutting safety out of the budget and how to save money on employee training:


Investing in leadership development during a downturn

Recession-proof employee training tips

Is our economy causing more workplace injuries?

Employee training and the 2009 budget battle

Fraudulent OSHA trainers under fire

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented more rigorous guidelines and improved monitoring standards to eliminate fraudulent trainers from the ranks of its Outreach Training Program.

The 36-year-old Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program that has grown to a national network of more than 16,000 independent trainers. Eligible trainers teach workers and employers about workplace hazards and are also authorized to provide OSHA 10-hour course-completion cards.

However, some trainers have been fraudulently issuing course-completion cards without providing the appropriate workplace safety training.

"The use of independent trainers has allowed OSHA to significantly extend its training capabilities," said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "But OSHA will not tolerate fraudulent activity or unscrupulous trainers when workers' health and lives may be at stake.” (OSHA press release)

As the program’s success grew, some states and cities made the 10-hour courses a mandatory term of employment. Fraudulent training activity became more apparent to OSHA after businesses started making it a requirement for workers.

To fight the fraudulent training activity, OSHA has increased unannounced monitoring visits to check that trainers are adhering to program requirements. Any fraudulent activity will continue to be reported to the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General. Trainers caught falsifying information may be subject to criminal prosecution.

"Strengthening the integrity of the Outreach Training Program will help ensure that workers receive quality training, help them gain employment and return them home safely at the end of their workday," said Barab.

OSHA has asked the public to call a new outreach fraud hotline at 847-297-4810 to file complaints about fraud and abuse related to the Outreach Training Program.

OSHA fines Wal-Mart $7k for employee’s trampling death

Earlier this week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for inadequate store management after completing an investigation into the death of an employee last year.

On November 28, 2008, Jdimytai Damour, a seasonal worker, was trampled to death by a crowd of customers rushing into the store to take advantage of its annual “Blitz Friday” pre-holiday sales event at a New York store.

The OSHA inspection "found that the store's employees were exposed to being crushed by the crowd due to the store's failure to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles," according to a press release.

The citation carries a proposed fine of $7,000, the maximum amount for a serious safety violation. Within 15 days from the receipt of the citation, Wal-Mart must comply, hold an informal conference with OSHA or contest the citation.

OSHA said in a statement that Wal-Mart did not give employees enough training or tools to deal with the large crowd of shoppers that day.

"This was an unusual situation but not an unforeseen one," said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA's acting area director for Long Island. "The store should have recognized, based on prior "Blitz Friday" experiences, the need to implement effective crowd management to protect its employees."

Though the $7,000 fine equals the amount of money Wal-Mart makes in about 18 seconds, the retail giant may still contest the OSHA violation, saying that the trampling was unforeseeable.

The criminal investigation into Damour’s death ended earlier this month after Wal-Mart agreed to pay nearly $2 million and improve safety at its 92 New York stores. Wal-Mart also said it would consider making safety improvements in more of its stores outside of New York.

While this case may have been an “unusual situation,” it still brings needed attention to the importance of employee safety training. From learning how to work in the summer heat to managing crowds during the holidays, every season comes with its own set of safety challenges.

To help your employees prevent injuries, the National Safety Council has designated June as National Safety Month. The Council tackles a different workplace safety issue each week: teen driving, fall prevention, overexertion and distracted driving. For more information, visit the official 2009 National Safety Month site.

For more information on employee safety, read these helpful posts and articles:

The heat is on: Stress worker safety in the summer sun

Danger! I mean peligro! No, gefahr!

Is the “dork factor” hampering your safety training?

The ugly side of safety incentives

Name your poison: Dealing with MSDS sheets

The heat is on: Stress worker safety in the summer sun

Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21, but people living in the central plains are feeling the heat, with temperatures already hitting the 90s in some spots.

As the heat index begins to rise across the U.S., it also raises special safety concerns for anyone working outdoors or in confined spaces with little to no air conditioning.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all employers provide a safe working environment for employees, including keeping workers safe in the summer heat.

Before the summer months get into full swing, employees should be trained on how to prevent and recognize heat-related illness when temperatures and humidity are high. Proper training will ensure that employees have the information they need to keep themselves and their coworkers safe when it’s sweltering outside.

Protect employees from the dangers of heat stroke and heat-related illness by following these guidelines:

• Train employees on the dangers of extreme heat and promote awareness with workplace safety posters and heat exposure hand-outs.


• Educate employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention. Ensure your safety training includes topics on how to prevent heat illness, common symptoms of heat stroke, and how to respond if a coworker is showing symptoms, including:


• High body temperature
• Absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
• Rapid pulse
• Difficulty breathing
• Strange behavior
• Confusion
• Agitation
• Disorientation
• Seizure


• Keep ample amounts of drinking water readily available for workers throughout the day. Encourage employees working outdoors to stay hydrated and take frequent water breaks.


• Allow workers to take regular cool-down breaks in shaded areas. Outdoor workers should rest for at least five minutes when they begin to feel overheated.


• Encourage workers to wear hats and clothing that is light-colored, lightweight and breathable.


• Line managers and supervisors must be prepared to respond in an emergency situation. Ensure they have access to a working telephone and know to call 911 for help.

OSHA has devoted an entire section of its Web site to preventing and keeping workers safe from heat stress. Learn more about OSHA standards related to heat stress hazards here.

Summer will be here soon. Prepare your team now, before the temperature becomes a threat to workplace safety.

Is the “dork factor” hampering your safety training?

When it comes to training seasoned employees on workplace safety, you’ll rarely find a situation where an employee thinks they’re “too cool” to take the proper safety precautions at work. But when you’re dealing with teenage employees, the “dork factor” can have a major impact on how well, or not, they’ll follow safety precautions.

I first saw the “dork factor” explained by Paul Caret at the MEMIC Safety Blog in a post about motorcycle safety and the need to wear bright colored gear. When a coworker and avid motorcyclist met up with a few of his biker friends in a new, full faced helmet, they greeted him by saying, “Dude, you look like a dork.”

It may be easy for an adult to brush off a comment insulting their “coolness” and put safety above appearance, but the same situation can be much more difficult when you’re a teenager.

Whether it’s the pressure to look cool in front of their friends by not wearing a “dorky” helmet or feelings that they’re immune to the consequences of dangerous decisions, teens tend to take significantly more safety risks than the average adult.

“Because of their biologic, social, and economic characteristics, young workers have unique and substantial risks for work-related injuries and illnesses. In 2007, 38 youth under 18 died from work-related injuries. In 2006, an estimated 52,600 work-related injuries and illnesses among youth 15 to 17 years of age were treated in hospital emergency departments.” (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Especially with the summer fast approaching and more teens entering the workforce, helping teens overcome the “dork factor” is more important to your safety efforts than ever. Consider these tips when training young workers on workplace safety:

• Know the law, and make sure teens do, too. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and child labor laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act outline specific employer responsibilities when it comes to keeping young workers safe. Ensure that you and your teen employees have a clear understanding of safety laws before they’re allowed to work.


• Train, train, train. Develop a safety training course for teens to ensure they can recognize hazards and understand safe work practices. Topics should include, but are not limited to, how to prepare for fires, workplace accidents, violent situations and what to do if they are injured.


• Supervise. Assign supervisors to groups of teen workers to help them recognize safety hazards and respond appropriately. Train supervisors to provide positive recognition to young employees who demonstrate safe working habits.


• Make safety a priority. Stress workplace safety, especially among supervisors responsible for teens. First-line supervisors can have the greatest influence on teens’ and their work habits.


• Encourage questions. Establish an open-door policy where young workers can feel comfortable asking about anything that is unclear or not understood, particularly when it comes to safety.

When teen workers know how to be safe at work and the reasons behind safety measures they’ll be better equipped to get over the “dork factor” and watch out for their own well-being, along with the safety of their coworkers. You have only a few weeks left before school lets out for summer, so get started on your teen worker safety program today.

Summer teen safety issues on the horizon

Memorial Day, the unofficial summer kick off, is only weeks away and has many businesses looking to hire some extra help from the pool of eager students wanting to turn their free time into cash.

As businesses welcome the added help and teens look forward to the extra money in their pockets, there are some serious issues for every organization to consider before hiring anyone under the age of 18.

An estimated 200,000 teenagers are injured on the job every year and nearly 70 die from work-related injuries, according to federal statistics. Teens have a significantly higher rate of workplace injuries than that of adults, despite child labor laws restricting young workers from hazardous jobs and the penalties employers face if found negligent.

Last year’s changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that increased penalties for child labor violations have made teen safety more important than ever. Employers may be penalized up to $50,000 for the death or serious injury of an employee under the age of 18, with the possibility of up to $100,000 in penalties for repeated or willful violations.

With the summer job season right around the corner, businesses must be aware of the laws protecting teen workers and prepared to provide young workers with the most comprehensive on-the-job safety training.

Start getting your teen safety training program up to par with these online resources:

• Youth Job Safety - Developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Youth Job Safety campaign is a one-stop shop for employers, teen workers, educators and parents to find valuable information on keeping teens safe at work.


• Youth@Work: Talking Safety - The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) put together the Youth@Work program to provide a foundation curriculum in on-the-job safety and health for young workers. The site lists customized state guides, addressing state-specific rules and regulations, that can be used to supplement any teen safety training program.
  


• YouthRules! - The DOL’s online resource providing information on federal and state labor laws that apply to young workers, including the hours young employees can work, the jobs they can legally do, and tips to prevent teen workplace injuries.

(NIOSH) put together the Youth@Work program to provide a foundation curriculum in on-the-job safety and health for young workers. The site lists customized state guides, addressing state-specific rules and regulations, that can be used to supplement any teen safety training program.

Always prepare early for seasonal help and have a safety training program in place well before your organization hires teens for summer work. Ensure that your business stays protected by training teen workers on the importance of safety in the workplace from the first day they walk through your doors.

To help your business avoid costly child labor violation fines and provide a safe working environment for young workers, take a look at the ComplyRight Now E-Guide: Teen Safety in the Workplace. The downloadable guide provides concise, legally sound advice to help your business navigate and comply with the latest changes to federal child labor laws and regulations.

Beer and OSHA safety training don't mix

Last week, New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg called for a federal crackdown on fraudulent construction safety programs after a New York Daily News investigation exposed some dangerous practices.

Undercover Daily News reporters found that trainers were teaching 10-hour federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) courses in two hours. During breaks, some students allegedly drank beers at the bar below the training classroom.

"It's very worrisome. We depend on OSHA to train the workers here so that you're safe when you walk by a construction site, so that the people who work on that site are safe," Bloomberg said.

In a recent MSNBC article, “Would You Like a Beer with That OSHA Training?” the author chronicled how New York has been “dangerously negligent” in carrying out the mandatory safety training.

“Cheating is rampant. I hear lots of stories about guys getting OSHA cards in the back of a bar,” Martin Daly, head of training for the District Council of Carpenters told The News.

The $125 safety course was designed to prevent the types of construction accidents that have killed 19 people and injured 181 others last year alone.

But The News reporter found that instead of fostering, discussing and outlining procedures to deal with live electricity or prevent falls the course trainer simply showed the class a few videos and slideshows.

This attitude toward workplace safety isn’t an isolated occurrence. Studies show that negligence and cutting corners on safety training is a growing national problem.

According to a December survey of workers in the mechanical, electrical, facilities, utilities and plumbing (MEP) fields, almost half of respondents said their employer did not have a budget for training in 2009. One in four workers could not remember or had not been trained yet in a work-related safety procedure or process.

As a result of the recession, businesses have been cutting training and important safety initiatives out of the budget. It’s a decision that puts employees in danger of serious injuries and has businesses risking serious OSHA fines.

Read some of our related posts on the dangers of cutting safety initiatives out of the budget and how to save money on employee training:

Investing in leadership development during a downturn

Recession-proof employee training tips

Is our economy causing more workplace injuries?

Employee training and the 2009 budget battle