Training Employees and Managers

An effective accident prevention program requires proper job performance from everyone in the workplace.

What each employee needs to know. As a business owner, you must ensure that all employees know about the materials and equipment they work with, what known hazards are in the operation, and how you are controlling the hazards.

Each employee needs to know the following:

• No employee is expected to undertake a job until he or she has received job instructions on how to do it properly and has been authorized to perform that job.
• No employee should undertake a job that appears unsafe.
• Consider combining safety and health training with other training that you do, depending upon the potential and existing hazards that you have. Your training goal is that all employees know how to keep themselves and their fellow workers safe and healthy.

Training employees. Here are some actions to take:

• Ask your state or private consultant to recommend training for your worksite. The consultant may be able to do some of the training while he or she is there.
• Industry groups, trade periodicals, and other similar sources are ways to discover additional training resources.
• Make sure that you have trained your employees on every potential hazard that they could be exposed to and how to protect themselves. Then verify that they really understand what you taught them.
• Pay particular attention to your new employees and to tenured employees who are moving to new jobs. Because they are learning new operations, they are more likely to get hurt.
• Employees who are having personal problems may also need special attention. Make sure that you train your supervisors to know all the hazards that face the people they supervise and how to reinforce training with quick reminders and refreshers, and with disciplinary action if necessary. Verify that they know what is expected of them.
• Make sure that you and your top management staff understand all of your responsibilities and how to hold subordinate supervisory employees accountable for their responsibilities.