e-news

  The quarterly newsletter for Safety Professionals

Q1, 2007

Issue 5
   

Ask the Experts

 

How Do I Start a New Training Program?

 
It's a new year, and you're thinking of updating/upgrading or even starting a new safety training program. Here are some tips to make it easier.
 


It's a new year and you've decided that health & safety are going to be priorities in your workplace. So, now what?  Here are 5 steps that will help you get started:

1. EVALUATE YOUR NEEDS
You need to take a good look at your workplace, your workers and what their needs are. Are they working with chemicals? Do they work in confined spaces or transport dangerous goods?

Once you've properly evaluated and decided what their needs are, you can determine what kind of training and documentation is needed.
 

Remember, if you have 20 or more employees, you need to have a Joint Health & Safety Committee. This committee can do your safety audit and determine what your requirements are.  

You should also evaluate your needs against your legal requirements. You want to ensure that you are meeting (and maybe exceeding) what is legally required of you. The Ministry of Labour or Worker's Compensation Board in your province is a good place to get this information.
 

2. DECIDE HOW TO DELIVER THE TRAINING
There are a variety of options for delivering your training. You have to pick the option(s) that are best for your workforce. Training doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in a boardroom all day. Here are just some of the ways you can deliver your training. Pick a different method every time or mix-and-match to keep it interesting:
 

Online: An online course means employees can train at their own pace and it often replaces the need for expensive classroom courses. By training each employee independently, you can also avoid the logistical nightmare of scheduling everyone for a classroom course and shutting down production lines.

Video: Pop in a movie and give your audience something to look at and listen to. Movies help visual learners and can often be integrated into a classroom course or replace them altogether.

Self-teach: As long as your employees are disciplined, this can be a great way to let employees train at their own pace.

Practical: In general, practical and site-specific training should be part of ANY training program. This reinforces that the theory they just learned really is applicable to their work environment. Take employees on a tour of the facility and point out areas where their new-found knowledge will be put to use. Do a practical demonstration of something they just learned or ask employees to discuss how the training affects their workplace.

 


3. OFFER THE TRAINING
After you've determined how to best deliver the training, set a schedule and deadlines for when each course should be completed. If you're having a hard time getting people to complete the training, try offering incentives.
 

4. KEEP RECORDS
Make sure you keep accurate and current training records to prove that the training took place. If you are using an external provider for online training, you may have access to an Administration Site where all the training records are updated automatically and available to you 24/7.

Keeping records will also help with recertification.
 

5. RECERTIFICATION / REFRESHER TRAINING
Different courses have different requirements for retraining and refresher training. For example, TDG (Transportation of Dangerous Goods) Certificates are valid for 3 years. To avoid a lapse in certification, the training must be re-done prior to expiry and a new certificate issued. If you do step 4 properly, the recertification should be no problem to manage.

Good luck!
 

 
Copyright © YOW Canada Inc., 2006. All rights reserved.
 
Concerned about privacy? Don't be...we never sell or share your personal information. See our | Privacy Policy |
 
YOW Canada Inc. 1306 Algoma Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1B 3W8. 1 (866) 688-2845.
 
 
Copyright © YOW Canada Inc., 2006