52tips for Safety Trainers

8/3/2019 52tips for Safety Trainers

1/22

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52 Tips for Safety Trainers

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52

Tips

forSafety

Trainers

1Encourage your workers to besafety athletes

Just like professional athletes, your workers need to be trained to

play safely, use personal protective equipment and maintain goodphysical condition to stay in the safety game. By encouraging your

workers to stay fit, you will help them understand how to prevent

injuries, increase their endurance and flexibility and stay alert. Do

you know which sports stars are admired most by the workers on

your crew? Use these professional athletes as examples of the

benefits of training, fitness and safety equipment.

Encourage safety leadership

Safety in the workplace is a team effort. By tapping the potential

resources your workers have to offer, you can cultivate a stronger

safety culture. Recognize and be on the alert for individuals

expressing an interest in safety leadership. This might help you

identify the next volunteers for the safety and health committee, or

someone who would be a good candidate for further education and

advancement. Arrange to send your potential safety leaders to a

safety course or conference.

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Learn your workers best learningstyles

When you know how your workers learn that is, how they process

information you can help them get the most out of workplace

safety training. Some workers learn best by listening to instructions,

while others need to study a text manual. Still others follow pictures

and diagrams successfully. Your safety communication is most

effective when its a mixture of discussion, written materials or

visuals and a demonstration that people can actively participate in

or touch.


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Reinforce positive safety behaviorReinforcing positive safety behavior can have an enormous

impact on your safety program. Instead of always focusing on the

problems, focus also on the accomplishments. Identify milestones

that deserve recognition and celebrate these with your workers

when a milestone is reached. Any leader who focuses on these

factors will raise her level of credibility with her team and enjoy the

benefits of a positive work culture.

Learn how to lighten up

A sense of humor is an important asset for a safety supervisor. It

can be especially useful when conducting safety training. Laughter

can reduce tension and relieve stress. It can help you get the

substance of the safety message across. Trainers who use humor

to convey information are generally more effective in getting their

audience to accept and remember their message.

Provide effective orientation fornew workers

To keep new workers safe, employers must be very clear on

performance expectations and adherence to safety requirements.

For new, inexperienced, returning or transferred workers, your

orientation should include:

An introduction to managers, human resources personnel,supervisors and co-workers;

A tour of the facility; and

An introduction to the job and duties, including health and

safety issues.

New workers should also be assigned an experienced buddy

to help them stay safe and answer health- and safety-related

questions.

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5

Address off-the-job seasonalsafety

For most workers, the workplace environment is controlled, with

safety rules in place and workers performing familiar tasks. Off the

job, however, the environment is much more lax, safety rules are

often disregarded or unknown and people perform tasks theyre

unfamiliar with. Keep workers aware of off-the-job hazards by

addressing these topics in your safety meetings:

Winter driving;

Holiday safety;

Recreational safety; and

Lawn and garden work.

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Include safety tours in yourregular safety meetings

As part of a safety meeting, take a tour of the work area with yourcrew. Encourage everyone to point out hazards, and make definite

plans for correcting them as soon as possible. The more you and

your workers discuss and investigate workplace hazards and unsafe

practices, the safer everyone will be. So start your own safety

investigation and encourage your workers to make it part of their

daily practice.

13Involve workers in job safety

analysesA job safety analysis (JSA) is not always best left only to a safety

supervisor. Your workers experience in doing a job gives them

superb knowledge of what can go wrong from a safety and health

standpoint. While some hazards can be obvious to everyone, many

workers probably encounter situations that havent been considered

by others. Your workers insights are vital. Conducting a JSA is also

valuable as a training guide for new employees, a refresher for

existing employees and as a tool for determining why an incident

happened.

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6

Promote health and fitness on

the jobAny day is a good day to spread awareness about workplace health

and fitness. Encourage your workers to focus on workplace health

and fitness by:

Coordinating an activity for everyone to participate in at lunch

hour. Even a simple walk around the block counts;

Providing fruit and granola bars to promote healthy choices; or

Combining forces with other businesses in your area to

plan a joint event. (This could also provide great networkingopportunities.)

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Look to your first aid kit for signsof near misses

Having trouble encouraging workers to report near misses?

Consider using a logging process for the first aid kits in work areas.

This will let you keep track of minor injuries that workers would not

normally consider reporting. Keep the logging process extremely

brief, simply recording the date and the cause, and a checklist of

minor results. You can then analyze the logs to determine if there

are near miss issues that are not being reported or if a potentially

serious situation needs to be addressed or investigated more

closely.

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I f y o u w o r r y a b o u t t h e c o s t o f t r a i n i n g

s t a f f a n d h a v i n g t h e m l e a v e , c o n s i d e r

t h e c o s t o f n o t t r a i n i n g t h e m a n d h a v -i n g t h e m s t a y .

J i m S u l l i v a n ,

R e t a i l S a l e s C o n s u l t a n t


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7Use quotes to liven up a safetypresentation

Quotes are usually used to introduce or support a premise made

in a presentation, sales pitch or advertisement. But if youre

using quotes solely in that context, you could be overlooking an

enlightening aid. Quotations are indispensable tools in crafting

presentations, both at the brainstorming stage and as a framework

for writing them. Find quotations on various subjects such as

procrastination, planning and goal setting to help you create a

different kind of presentation that will capture your audiences

interest.

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Tear down language barriers inyour workplace

Consider the safety signs, labels, material safety data sheets,

operators manuals and other written materials your workers must

read every day. Now consider how dangerous the workplace must

be for workers who cant read all of the material. To help workers

with English as a second language, offer translated training

materials and include lots of illustrations.

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Use cognitive techniques tovisualize safety

Cognitive behavioral methods are essential for sustaining lasting

change related to safety, health and environmental improvement,

for both management and line employees. One of the cognitive

techniques thats been proven effective is called visualization.

You can use visualization to teach people safe strategies. Have

them visualize safe practices and their outcomes. Such internal

preparation allows people to evaluate potential events and

consequences for themselves and others.

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8

Encourage social ties to reduceworkplace violence

Safety supervisors must understand and be aware of the signs

of workplace violence, identify those who display them and

anticipate problems before they erupt. Mentally disturbed and

potentially violent people often lack a social safety net. So one thing

supervisors can do to prevent violence is to encourage employees

to maintain strong social networks at work. Peers have a way of

anticipating disaster before it happens.

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Help workers with Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder be saferand more productive

People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can

sometimes find it difficult to remember information, follow directions,

concentrate and complete work on time. These few strategies may

help workers with ADHD be safer and more productive:

Allow workers to complete demanding tasks when they are

most alert. For the majority of workers, this is in the morning;

Schedule boring, repetitive tasks in small chunks throughout theday;

Be flexible. Allow workers to work in private and/or away fromdistractions; and

Provide a detailed to-do list employees can use to stay ontrack.

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A l w a y s a c k n o w l e d g e a f a u l t . T h i s w i l l

t h r o w t h o s e i n a u t h o r i t y o f f t h e i r g u a r d

a n d g i v e y o u a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o m m i t

m o r e .

Mar k Twa i n


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9

Follow email etiquette

Effective communication is an essential skill for safety professionals.

Whether youre communicating through an internal memo, safety

training or in person, its important to ensure that your message

is understood. This is just as important when youre sending a

message electronically. Remember these tips when sending email

correspondence:

Write a specific subject line;

Get to the point fast;Use plain language;

Be courteous;

Be professional; and

Include your current contact information.

Tailor cold weather safety trainingto your worksite

Its not just the road thats slippery in winter. Remind your workers

that loading docks, stairways, equipment yards, parking lots and

other areas of your plant or facility can also become icy. Adapt

your safety meeting to the particular fall hazards that are common

to your work crew. Do they have to get in and out of vehicles in

icy weather? Must they walk along loading ramps to do their jobs?

Check your worksite for areas that could be a particular hazard in

the cold weather and discuss them in your meeting.

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T h e I l l i t e r a t e o f t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y w i l l

n o t b e t h o s e w h o c a n n o t r e a d o r w r i t e ,b u t t h o s e w h o c a n n o t l e a r n , u n l e a r n

a n d r e l e a r n .

A l v i n T o f f l e r


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Trainers

10

Learn the signs of underlyingconflict

Avoiding conflict isnt always possible, but there are ways to control

potentially explosive situations. People often feel safe bringing

up certain issues that are, in fact, a mask for the real sources of

conflict. At times, they arent aware of the real source of conflict or

are not sure of how to bring it up. Typical signs of underlying conflict

are chronic complaining, increased levels of stress, unnecessary

competitiveness, absenteeism, failure to accomplish much,

retaliation and undermining comments between team members.

Stage a phony fatality

Many safety trainers have a hard time simply getting their workers

to listen. And companies with low incident rates are the worst,

because workers dont see a need for lectures, rules, PPE, etc.Consider staging a phony fatality to drive home the importance of

safety to your workers. Be as realistic as you can. Read a mock

obituary, read an accident report, discuss the investigations and

fines and lawsuits that could occur, and make sure to read out the

effects this fatality would have on the family members and their

well-being. It may not be a cheery and upbeat safety meeting, but

it will be unusual, and it will really get workers attention when other

methods failed.

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Promote emergencypreparedness in three steps

Remember these basic steps when addressing emergency

preparedness with your workers:

Step 1. Review your companys emergency response

procedures and policies with workers. Ensure that allemployees (including new and returning workers) have

received orientation and training in these procedures.

Step 2.Use internal communications tools such as handouts,

posters, newsletters and intranets to update workers onemergency plans and procedures.

Step 3.Schedule regular drills and exercises to keep yourworkers prepared for the unexpected.

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30Encourage sick employees to juststay home

When sick employees show up for work, theyre not only less

productive, they also expose co-workers to illnesses, effectively

reducing the companys overall productivity. They also jeopardizetheir own safety and that of everyone around them. Many

employees still go to work when theyre sick and may have a

contagious disease. Why? For some, its the fear of being fired or

looking bad. Others deny that they are indeed sick or dismiss the

symptoms as nothing serious. Supervisors need to emphasize

to workers that no onenot the boss, not the company president

and not their co-workerswill hold it against them for staying home

when they are legitimately sick. It is better to keep the disease

localized and not spread it to others than to try to be a hero and

come to work at less than full efficiency.

Promote food safety in theworkplace lunchroom

Following food safety guidelines can help prevent foodborne

illnesses and the breakroom is a great place to remind workers

of these guidelines. Cleanliness is vital to food safety, so remind

everyone to help keep things cleaned up, including food preparation

surfaces, containers and utensils. And dont forget the breakroom

refrigerator, which can also be a source of food contamination. Its

also a good idea to place posters that promote handwashing in your

restrooms and breakrooms.

Learn to spot ergonomic dangers

Supervisor intervention can be very effective in the prevention of

ergonomics injuries, such as strained backs, rotator cuff injuries and

carpal tunnel syndrome. Many of these injuries develop gradually

over time and are preceded by signs or symptoms that a supervisor

is ideally positioned to detect. Learn the signs, symptoms and

prevention techniques, and intervene early to ensure that a worker

at risk doesnt actually suffer an injury.

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13

Help workers with dyslexiaprocess safety information

Most people suffering from dyslexia are highly creative, original

thinkers. Theyre not slow learners, but rather simply learn

differently. These tips may make it easier for those in your

workplace with dyslexia to process information, including safety

training and instructions:

Use colored paper and a font size of 12 or more for handouts.

White paper reflects light and is difficult to read;

Use diagrams, pictures and hands-on material whenever

possible, especially on safety signage;

Use clear, simple language in all communication;

Avoid jargon, abbreviations, acronyms and industry slang;

Provide training material in a video and audio format; and

Provide instructions verbally and ask employees to repeat themback.

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Dont overdo your safetymessages

Safety reminders and messages generally do improve cultures

and outcomes. But there comes a point when efforts may fail

to improveand possibly even harmsafety results. Workers

can become frustrated with too many safety procedures and too

much information. This is especially true if theyre dealing with

overwhelming responsibilities or feel too pressured to produce,

while also dealing with complicated safety requirements. At that

point they may begin cutting corners on safety, either deliberately

or subconsciously. To avoid overwhelming your workers, look for

ways to simplify safety. Try to provide the appropriate amount of

information in an easily understandable wayneither too little nor

too much. A good safety program is important and training is critical.

Dont let information overload undermine your efforts.

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14

Dont know the answer to aworkers concern? Respondanyway

Nobody has all the answers. There will be times when you dont

have an immediate answer to a concern a worker brings to yourattention. But its important that you still respond. Otherwise, the

problem will fester and complicate things. And if workers perceive

the safety leader as being unresponsive, they may stop reporting

their concerns. All concerns deserve a response, even the ones you

perceive to be minor. If you dont have an immediate solution, use

the resources within your organization to address the problem. For

example, if you dont know how to solve a bathroom housekeeping

issue, work with the person in charge of building maintenance to

find a solution. Following up on concerns builds credibility with your

team members.

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Focus your safety incentiveprogram on actions

When implementing a safety incentive program, make sure you

thoughtfully identify what actions you want to encourage. Rewards

that do not require actions are not really rewards and will be

quickly viewed as entitlements. Each item on your action list should

be measurable and verifiable. Consider defining what actions

employees can take to help develop a high performance safety

culture, such as joining the safety committee or leading a training

session.

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C h a n g e y o u r t h o u g h t s a n d y o u c h a n g e

y o u r w o r ld .

N o r m a n V i n c e n t P e a l e ,

A u t h o r / T h e o l o g i a n


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15

Broadcast safety improvements

Do your workers see you as the enemy trying to impede their

progress? Or do they see you as someone dedicated to a safer

work environment, fighting for everyones safety every day? To

create a vibrant safety culture, your workers need to see and feel

the companys commitment to providing a safe and healthy work

environment. Let workers know when improvements or changes

have been made in the name of safety. This will demonstrate

managements dedication to safety.

To sell safety, you need aclear vision

How can you get your safety programs adopted by your

organization? The first step is to develop the mindset necessary to

be a successful advocate for your initiatives. Look inward. Be clear

about your vision. What do you want to accomplish? Where and

how do you truly want to make a difference? To engage and gain

the commitment of management, you must first identify what you

truly value and your own level of commitment to that vision.

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Use 5 leadership qualities tomotivate others

When you give instructions, set clear expectations. Outline the1.results you expect.

People need meaningful work. Provide workers with variety and2.responsibility to keep them motivated.

Listen to the opinions of others.3.

Praise people for their efforts.4.

Include others. Ask workers for their advice.5.

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40Dont let training aids control yourpresentations

Whatever training aid you choose for your presentations, dont let

it steal your show. For example, instead of repeating whats on aPowerPoint slide, use the slide only to reinforce an important point.

And go where the class takes you. Instructors who are not very

familiar with their topic tend to use the presentation tool as a crutch.

They dont pay attention to the class dynamics, such as dealing

with questions as they arise. The worst thing a presenter can say is,

hold on to that question and well address it later. If someone has

a question, answer it right away. This is a learning moment!

Let workers make themselvescomfortable

The location of your safety meetings can affect how comfortable

your audience members are. Consider whether the meetings will

be on the workers turf or the managements. Although workers

might be physically comfortable in a conference room, they also

might be psychologically uncomfortable and distracted. Encourage

participants to push their chairs away from the table and get

comfortable. Even if they can only move their chairs a few inches,

psychologically it becomes more their space.

Make time to have a little fun

Dont get into such a hurry that you cant share a joke with a crew

member or fire back a wisecrack to another team leader. Even

during a busy workday, you can spare the few seconds required for

humor. Humor is, of course, subjective. Like anything else, it must

be enjoyed in moderation and with the right degree of decorum.

Keep it safe by laughing at yourself and never at others. Remember

that a remark that might be amusing coming from a co-worker

can sound insulting coming from a supervisor. And, of course,avoid racist and sexist comments. But as long as you respect the

boundaries, youre bound to make your workplace not only more

safe, but more pleasant.

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17

Make your safety committeeeffective through leadership

Safety committees cant get things done if their meetings lack

cohesion, structure and a spirit of cooperation. Safety committees

need leadership. And it often falls on safety supervisors to provide

it. One of the best ways to meet this challenge is to set down an

agenda and a set of guidelines and parameters for meetings. When

you impose order, you defuse confrontation and allow the members

to focus on the important thing: protecting workers health and safety.

Use the annual inventory as asafety opportunity

During the annual inventory, your plant may be getting cleaned

in areas normally overlooked. This can be a gold mineor alandminefor safety! This is a great chance to uncover hazards

that have been lurking beneath the surface throughout the year,

such as unlabeled chemicals, worn or broken fixtures, extension

cords, etc. But you can only take advantage of these discoveries

if youre physically present and have specifically asked your lead

people to bring these items to your attention.

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Keep your emotions under control

Sometimes you may have to deal with a crisis or a controversy in

the workplace. Learn how to control your emotions in the interest

of the greater good, even in the face of difficult circumstances. It

is in moments like these that you must demonstrate your passion

for safety, confidence in your efforts and faith in the system. Its

not simply your own sanity at stake. Leadership demands that you

send the appropriate message to your workers. Never forget for a

second that workers are looking to you for answers and an exampleto follow.

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18

After a conflict, apologize

Apologizing for making a mean or inappropriate comment or a

mistake is good manners, and good manners do mean something.

It takes a big person to admit when shes wrong. And it takes a

wise leader to know how to do it correctly. So, if sorry is really the

hardest word, how should we say it?

Say what you did wrong;

Say youre sorry and make it heartfelt;

Accept the consequences and let the person vent without

interruption;

Make it right and correct the problem; and

Follow up your words with deeds. A simple act of atonement

such as a pizza or a round of soft drinks at lunch will help tomake the apology go down a lot easier.

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During times of change, keep thefocus on safety

Consciously or unconsciously, during a period of transition, a

companys energy, focus, attention and resources are transferred

to other priorities. Its therefore important that the safety, health and

well-being of employees be included in a companys vision or ideal

state. And this vision must be translated into everyday activities, so

that injuries do not occur during these challenging times.

Put training into practice rightaway

Safety training is relevant only when it is applied. If there is no

opportunity to put the training into use, there is really no learning,

nor even purpose for the training. To see if your safety training has

been effective, give workers the opportunity to experience firsthand

what they have been taught.

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19

Dont forget the safety of yourvisitors

Like most companies, you probably have a well developed

workplace safety policy to protect your workers. But does that policy

cover visitors who come to your facilities? Failure to account for

visitors is a huge blind spot that can lead not only to injuries but

liability. Remember these points:

Require all visitors to sign in and out before entering andleaving the workplace;

Let visitors know theyll be notified of hazards and emergencyprocedures when they log in (or soon afterwards);

Tell visitors that they must use appropriate personal protectiveequipment and list what that is; and

List the rules of conduct visitors must follow, e.g., no touching

equipment, no smoking, no horseplay, no entering restrictedareas, etc.

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Encourage off-the-job safety inthree easy steps

Provide PPE: Offer personal protective equipment to employees1.

who have weekend projects planned. Even if its just limited to

safety goggles and earplugs, the offer of PPE for off-the-job

activities reinforces the need to use them.

Provide Manuals: Compile a library or identify sources of2.

owners manuals for power equipment. With a company safetylibrary, an employee can quickly find how to safely use a

particular piece of equipment.

Provide Training: Many people undertake home maintenance3.

in the springtime, so you might consider offering training on

power tool safety basics. Or in November, before workers start

stringing up the holiday lights, you can provide demonstrations

on how to safely use a ladder.

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I t t a k e s l e s s t i m e t o d o a t h i n g r i g h t

t h a n i t d o e s t o e x p l a i n w h y y o u d i d i t

w r o n g .

H e n r y W a d s w o r t h L o n g f e l l o w


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20

Energize your training sessions

Remember that you are the biggest factor in the energy level

of your class. During your training sessions, make sure you are

animated. Add interest to your voice using inflection, pitch and

volume. And dont take yourself too seriously. Have fun with your

delivery and your students will have fun, too.

Use games in your safety

meetingsWhen safety meetings are fun, they are interesting and the

participants are likely to remember what they learned. Safety games

are one way to accomplish this. Try basing a safety game on

Trivial Pursuit. Use the game board and similar rules, but make the

questions about safety. Or give answers and require the participants

to say the question, Jeopardy-style. You can divide your workers

into teams to answer questions with some good-natured rivalry.

You could also try a Scrabble game, limited to safety and health

words.

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Learn to love public speaking

Many safety trainers experience stage fright. But you can reduce

your fear by changing how you think about public speaking. Try this

three-step process:

Recognize the fear and acknowledge it exists. Just admit it to1.

yourself.

Reject the fear by making a conscious choice.2.

Replace stage fright with stage delight. Thats what executive3.

speaking coach Matthew Cossolotto calls the feeling you

get when you shift your focus away from your own self-

consciousness. He recommends you pay attention instead to

the connection with your audience, the way you would in a one-

to-one conversation.

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52tips for Safety Trainers