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.

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.

Training Trends: Keep your team on their toes

Team coaching and employee recognition are two hot issues, especially in a down economy. It’s important that your team stays on their toes and feels appreciated for doing so. Check out our suggestions for designing training programs that will keep your employees going strong.

And then, check out FEMA’s tips and our supplementary training ideas to set up your fire safety plan. Keep your employees up-to-date with tools and information that can save lives and even your entire business.

Here’s a glimpse at the September issue of Training Trends:

Ready, set, hike… uh, I mean work!

Success in the world of professional football is measured in yards, touchdowns and winning games. In the world of business, however, the road to success is not always well paved.

No, there aren’t any play calls to memorize or grueling physical workouts, but the players on your team are still in need of a coach – someone to motivate and encourage them to do their best.

You want your team to grow, to be productive and win that big game (e.g. sales numbers, peak productivity), and coaching can help you get there.

Here’s the game plan: ... (more)


Putting the Arrrrrrrr in Recognition
Ways to recognize and motivate employees in a down economy

Ahoy, matey! It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th and the perfect time to get out yer gold coins and stuffed parrot to honor the shipmates who so diligently scrubbed the ship deck and managed to avoid walking the plank.

All pirate-speak aside, employee recognition is an essential part of sparking motivation and creating company loyalty on the inside. Building employees’ self-worth and appreciating them for all they’ve accomplished will keep them going strong, especially in a down economy.

Here are a few tips that will make your employees feel recognized: ... (more)


Are you up to FEMA’s standards?
Fire safety training to prevent a disaster

September is National Preparedness Month and a necessary time to make sure your employees are trained and ready in case of a fire. Fire causes thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars in damage each year, making it the most common disaster amongst businesses. Here are some ways the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends you stay prepared:

• Have your office, plant or facility inspected for fire safety; ensure compliance with fire codes and regulations.
• Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in appropriate locations.
• Consider an automatic sprinkler system, fire hoses and fire-resistant doors and walls ... (more)

Each month, the experts at TrainingTime.com share all of the latest and greatest tips, trends and buzz from across the training industry in our Training Trends newsletter. If you’re not on our mailing list, please take a few seconds and sign up.

If you’re a training expert or HR professional and are interested in writing content for Training Trends or TrainingTime.com’s learning library, visit our “Write for Us” page for instructions on how to contribute.

Preventing swine flu at work: Prepare now

Thanks to the H1N1 flu virus, familiarly known as the swine flu, the upcoming fall flu season will be unlike anything the U.S. has experienced in recent history, and government officials are urging businesses to prepare for a possible widespread outbreak.

With the pandemic estimated to reach up to 2 billion people, three Cabinet secretaries met last month to announce new guidelines to help businesses plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season.

“One of the most important things that employers can do is to make sure their human resources and leave policies are flexible and follow public health guidance,’’ said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “If employees are sick, they need to be encouraged to stay home. If people begin to experience flu-like symptoms at work, they should be sent home and possibly encouraged to seek medical treatment.’’

Employers’ flu season plans should address key preventative measures including:

• encouraging employees with flu-like symptoms to stay home from work,
• operating with less in-house staff, and
• having employees at higher risk for illness or serious medical complications from infection work from home.

Before the season gets into full swing, employers should take a look at the company’s sick leave policies and ensure employees understand them, according to the CDC. Employers may also want to consider adopting flexible hours for employees who need to care for sick family members or if a child’s school is closed.

Other suggestions include offering on-site flu vaccines, encouraging employees to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, limiting face-to-face meetings and business travel, and allowing employees to work from home.

“Keeping our nation’s workers safe is a top priority,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, who participated in the announcement. “Faced with a renewed H1N1 challenge during the coming flu season, we are developing tools that will help ensure America’s workers stay healthy and our businesses remain viable.”

Every company will have a unique plan that fits their business needs, but the main goal should be protecting workers. Help prevent the spread of flu at your company by training workers how to keep themselves and their families safe.

Related posts:

Training is key to preventing the flu at work

Preventing the flu in the office, six simple steps

Keep your germs at home!

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.

Training Trends - Are you speaking your employees’ language?

April showers bring May flowers ... along with a garden of fresh, new training advice sprouting up at TrainingTime.com.

In the latest issue of our Training Trends newsletter you’ll learn the must-ask questions for finding the right person for every job, how to provide safety and other essential training in a language your employees understand, and how to reduce stress with a plan to balance personal and work responsibilities.

Here’s a quick look at the May issue of Training Trends:

The 5 questions they absolutely must answer!

We all know about questions an interviewer should never ask. Falling afoul of EEOC guidelines about religion, ethnic origin, family plans or genetic issues can result in lawsuits and fines, and the numbers can be staggering. Late last month, B & H Photo was fined an astronomical $4.3 million dollars for pervasive discrimination based on national origin.

But did you also know that hiring the wrong person – or letting the best choice go because of illegal criteria -- could end up costing your company real dollars because of poor performance and higher turnover. Add in the possibility of tarnishing your company’s reputation or alienating customers, and you could be looking at thousands or even millions in lost revenue. Consider this interview: (more)


Danger! I mean peligro! No, gefahr!

Why louder and slower won’t help if you’re using the wrong language for safety training

You’ve seen it on countless sitcoms. The main character meets someone who doesn’t speak English, and resorts to talking louder, speaking slowly and acting things out with elaborate gestures. On a TV show, it’s funny…but when you’re delivering employee training, the results can be tragic.

Injuries and fatalities among non-U.S.-born workers and non-English-speaking employees have been sharply increasing. Here’s what you can do to boost training effectiveness: (more)


Who comes first? When work and family needs clash

You have a big presentation due at work tomorrow. It’s almost midnight and you’re still finishing up your PowerPoint presentation in between doing loads of laundry, while mentally planning tomorrow’s lunches. And just when you think you might grab a few hours’ sleep before the alarm goes off, your four-year old wakes up with an earache and a fever. Now what?

No matter what your life includes, the challenges of blending work and family demands seem to be growing each day. Longer work hours and busy family schedules keep everyone trying to juggle three, four or more tasks at any one time.

We know we have to do it. The question is, how can we do it better? You need a Plan B. (more)

Each month, the experts at TrainingTime.com share all of the latest and greatest tips, trends and buzz from across the training industry in our Training Trends newsletter. If you’re not on our mailing list, please take a few seconds and sign up.

If you’re a training expert or HR professional and are interested in writing content for Training Trends or TrainingTime.com’s learning library, visit our “Write for Us” page for instructions on how to contribute.

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.

Employee safety tips from AIG corporate security

After receiving a bailout worth billions of dollars in taxpayer money, every move by U.S. financial institutions has been under the watchful eye of an extremely critical audience.

The conversations on blogs and other social networking sites, along with recent protests outside the doors of AIG corporate offices, have become so heated that AIG corporate security is worried for employees’ safety.

Gawker, the online gossip site, claims to have gotten their hands on a leaked AIG memo that includes advice for employees on responding to perceived threats and taking personal security precautions.

The post, titled “AIG Corporate Security's Tips for Surviving an Angry Mob,” features a copy of an AIG document that outlines “certain protective measures all employees can take in order to increase their overall safety and security.”



Employees are advised to call 911 at the very onset of a perceived threat and report any suspicious behaviors or questionable activities to AIG building security. A few of the security guidelines and employee safety tips include:

• Avoid wearing anything embroidered with the AIG logo
• Ensure AIG security badges are not visible when leaving the office
• Do not engage in public conversations regarding the company
• Walk in pairs and park in well-lit areas

Whether the document is legitimate or not remains a mystery, but the document does back AIG chairman Ed Liddy’s warning message that the company’s “public flogging” may be putting his employees’ safety at risk.

While it's unlikely that your organization will ever have to go through anything quite as public as AIG, employee safety training in dealing with disgruntled customers and the public has become a growing issue since the recession started.

Though overall workplace violence rates have dropped over the past ten years, homicides from customers and clients has steadily grown from 25 in 1997 to 74 workplace murders in 2007.

Workplace violence experts warn that there may be a rise in attacks as the economy continues to struggle. The violence is less likely to come from an angry laid-off employee, but more from an angry public. The employees that work directly with the public must be trained to deal with extremely angry customers and clients.

As the threat grows, so does the importance of building safety and employee training. Read more about how to recognize the risks of violence in the workplace and how to make positive changes to reduce that risk in “Heading off workplace violence: Keep employees safe with practical workplace safety tips” from our TrainingTime Learning Library.

Training Trends: Kick training out of the office

Kick your trainers and your trainees out of the office? You sure about that?

Yep, throw ‘em out. Right out into the great outdoors.

As winter starts to melt away and turn into spring, it’s the perfect time to move your employee training sessions out of your stuffy office building and into some invigorating, fresh outdoor air.

It’s the latest advice out of this month’s issue of Training Trends, Training Time’s monthly newsletter covering workplace training news, tips and best practices.

Along with exciting outdoor team-building ideas, the latest issue of Training Trends includes valuable sales training tips from a renowned sales guru along with critical safety training advice.

Here’s a quick look at the March issue of Training Trends:

Take Training Out of Your Office

All winter long, training has been an indoor activity for most of the country. With spring approaching, and summer on its heels, why not move your team building activities and other training out of the office and into the great outdoors? ... (full article)


Getting from the Call to the Deal

Zig Ziglar’s book titled The Secrets of Closing the Sale was the first book on sales techniques to ever make the New York Times Best Sellers List. That was in 1985. Now over 20 years later, the book remains one of the most powerful and trusted guides to getting to the sale ... (full article)


Name Your Poison

Unless your business involves only office work or remote computer-linked employees, odds are there is at least one Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) required for your company. But many managers aren’t even aware of the MSDS requirements, much less how to use them ... (full article)

Take a minute to sign up for the Training Trends newsletter and you’ll be all set to receive the best training information right in your inbox each month.

If you’re a training expert or HR professional and are interested in writing content for Training Trends or TrainingTime.com’s learning library, visit our “Write for Us” page for instructions on how to contribute.

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

Is our economy causing more workplace injuries?

After three years of decline, the number of workplace deaths in North Carolina rose by 31 percent in 2008 and officials are putting part of the blame on our country’s weakening economy.

Last year there were 59 work-related deaths, up from 45 in 2007, according to preliminary data from the North Carolina Department of Labor reported in the Charlotte Observer.

Labor officials are worried that the slowing economy is causing more companies to cut corners on safety and is creating more dangerous workplaces.

The NC Labor Department spokeswoman Delores Quesenberry said that when tough economic times hit businesses, company training and other safety initiatives are among the first to be cut from the budget.

“That's one of the first messages we want to get to employers: Make sure your employees are trained. It's not worth a life,” said Quesenberry.

A recent workplace survey is validating the NC officials’ worries, and showing that skimping on safety training is a national problem.

A December survey of 300 mechanical, electrical, facilities, utilities and plumbing (MEP) professionals indicates a negligent attitude toward training among MEP employers, according to MEP Jobs.

According to survey respondents:

• 45% said their employer did not have a budget for training
• 15% said their company’s training budget is going down in 2009
• 55% had to fund their last professional certification training and testing costs on their own
• More than 25% either couldn’t remember or hadn’t been trained yet in a work-related safety procedure or process

Workplace safety training is not a luxury - it’s a necessity. With proper training, employees are equipped with the tools to make the right decision in potentially life-threatening situations.

When the economy takes a hit, workplace safety training becomes critical for one main reason: companies hire younger and more inexperienced employees due to the scarcity of skilled workers and to save on payroll. Combining inexperienced workers with a lack of training can lead to disastrous consequences and expensive OSHA fines.

No matter how you work the numbers, the cost-savings you find in cutting back on safety will never compare to the value lost when an employee is injured on the job.

How’s the safety training situation at your workplace? Is the economy forcing your business to cut corners and put employees in danger?