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50 Tips For More EffectiveSafety TrainingVolume 1

10103560

10103500

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50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training: Volume 1

©BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 10103500

Table of contents

Section #1: Specific operations safety training tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Asbestos awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Back safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Bloodborne pathogens safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chemical labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Cold weather work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Emergency action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Emergency preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Ergonomics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Fall protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Forklift safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Hand safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Hazardous waste operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Head protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Home safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Housekeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Lockout/tagout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Machine guards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Safety data sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Occupational Safety and Health Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Power tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Respirators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sexual harassment and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Violence in the workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Section #2: Train the trainer tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Blended learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Case studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Computer-based training (CBT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Fresh approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Handouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Icebreakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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Interactive training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Lectures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Multilingual training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Online training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

PowerPoint® training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Presentation jitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Toolbox talks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Section #3: Special event and awareness training tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

February—Workplace Eye Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

May—National Electrical Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

June—National Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

July—Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

August—National Hearing Aid Awareness Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

September—National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month . . . . . . . . . . 53

October—National Fire Prevention Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

November—Lung Cancer Awareness Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

December—Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training: Volume 1iv

Section #1: Specific operations safety training tips

Asbestos awarenessTraining covers a broad range of employees29 CFR 1910.1001(j)(7)

Asbestos training should match employees’ jobs. For companies in general indus-try, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) detailed trainingrequirements related to asbestos exposure were designed primarily for those that useasbestos in the manufacturing process. Regardless of the source of the exposure, allworkers who may be exposed to airborne asbestos at or above the permissible expo-sure limit (PEL) require extensive training in how to protect themselves through engi-neering controls, respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE), andmedical surveillance. But there is an entirely different category of workers—those incustodial or housekeeping-type jobs—who also must receive “asbestos awareness”training even if there is no immediate threat of asbestos exposure. (This requirement, ofcourse, applies only to workers in buildings where asbestos is believed to be present.)A strong case can be made that any employees who might encounter ACM in thecourse of their jobs should receive asbestos awareness training.

“Awareness” means understanding the hazards. Perhaps the first point to makeabout asbestos is that exposure above the PEL can be very dangerous, potentiallycausing serious diseases, including cancer. The second point, however, is that whilethere are many items that might contain asbestos—roof shingles, floor tiles, variousinsulating materials, etc.—these should not automatically be considered hazardous.Emphasize that the main hazard of asbestos comes from inhaling microscopicasbestos fibers, which are likely to be produced only if asbestos or ACM is damaged,disturbed, or otherwise no longer intact. Minimum OSHA requirements for asbestosawareness training include:

Why it matters …� Serious diseases related to asbestos exposure include lung

cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, a cancer involving thelining of bodily organs.

� Symptoms of asbestos exposure usually do not appear until20 or 30 years after exposure.

� Buildings constructed before 1980 are generally presumedto contain asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM).

©BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 10103500 1

� Health effects of asbestos exposure

� Locations of ACM in the building or facility

� How to recognize if ACM is damaged or has deteriorated

� Housekeeping procedures related to asbestos

� Proper response in the event of a release of asbestos fibers

Go beyond the minimum requirements. Some of OSHA’s training requirementsfor workers exposed at or above the PEL can also apply to general awareness train-ing. These include:

� The relationship between smoking and asbestos exposure in causing lung cancer

� Specific work processes and engineering controls intended to control asbestosexposure

� The meaning of warning signs and labels related to asbestos

Finally, remember that OSHA’s Asbestos Standard requires that training (includingawareness training) must be conducted at least annually and that copies of thestandard itself, as well as asbestos safety training materials, must be made availableto employees upon request.

Back safetyA million reasons to take back injuries seriously

With over 1 million back injuries in the workplace each year, prevention should be amajor focus of your safety training—and not just for workers in material-handling jobs.While it’s true that a leading cause of back injuries is overexertion—such as improp-erly lifting a heavy object—it’s not the only cause. Other major reasons for disablingback pain are related to long-term effects of doing a job, including:

� Heavy physical work of any kind

� Awkward postures required to do a job

� “Whole body vibration”—for example, operating a jackhammer or heavyequipment such as a crane

� “Static posture”—being required to sit in one position for an extended periodof time

Why it matters …� Back pain accounts for about 25 percent of all workers’

compensation payments—totaling nearly $10 billion peryear.

� In a recent year, there were nearly 300,000 back injuriesresulting in lost workdays, of which 89 percent were in material-handling jobs.

� Back injuries are the leading cause of disability for workersyounger than 45.

2 50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training: Volume 1


Clearly, teaching proper lifting techniques is very important—but it’s still only partof the answer.

Ask employees for their own solutions.A complete back safety program will alsolook for ways to reduce long-term effects by educating employees about the possiblecauses—and asking them to contribute to the solutions. Workplace safety studies findthat injuries and accidents are often greatly reduced when employees and manage-ment work in partnership. If back injuries are a persistent problem in your workplace,form a task force to take a closer look. Implementing just one good idea can morethan pay for itself in terms of reducing lost time injuries and workers’ comp costs.

Substitution works. One company used a safety team to reduce employee backinjuries by 57 percent and lower related workers’ compensation costs by 71 percent. How? The team first identified specific causes of the injuries, then devel-oped ways to avoid them—primarily by substituting mechanical devices for manuallifting. So encourage employees to use mechanical devices—hand trucks, conveyors,pneumatic lifts, etc.—whenever possible, instead of their own arms, legs, and backs tolift and carry heavy objects. And if substitution isn’t feasible in a given situation, two ormore people should team up for a difficult lift.

Bloodborne pathogens safetyA far-reaching issue29 CFR 1910.1030

Nearly 6 million American workers are at risk for infectious diseases suchas hepatitis and HIV. That’s why OSHA takes its Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Stan-dard so seriously—and as a safety trainer, so should you. To begin with, all employeeswhose jobs expose them to infectious diseases must be trained, at no cost to themand during working hours. Training must occur at the time of an employee’s initialassignment to a job that may expose him or her to infectious diseases, and at leastannually thereafter. Additional training must be given when jobs or procedures arechanged or when the nature of the employee’s exposure changes. Training materialmust match employees’ education, literacy, and language levels.

Make sure you’re not leaving anything out. Review the training provisions ofthe OSHA standard, which are summarized here:

Why it matters …� OSHA’s BBP Standard is often one of the Top 10 most fre-

quently violated standards, with penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

� An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick and othersharps injuries are reported each year, but the actual num-ber is probably much higher.

� The risk of contracting hepatitis B from exposure to infectedblood may be as high as 30 percent.

� A copy of the BBP Standard with an explanation of what it requires

� General explanations of infectious diseases, their symptoms, and how they aretransmitted

� An explanation of your company’s written Exposure Control Plan

� Description of the hazards of infectious diseases associated with different jobs

� Information on how to reduce the risk of exposure, including engineering controls, work practices, and PPE

� How to select, use, store, removal, handle, decontaminate, and dispose of PPE

� Information on vaccination against hepatitis B

� What to do in an emergency involving blood or other potentially infectiousmaterials

� What to do if exposed, including reporting and medical follow-up

� Signs, labels, and color-coding relevant to infectious materials

� An opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the trainer

Emphasize engineering controls and work practices.While PPE is vitallyimportant, the first line of defense against infection is to use equipment and meth-ods designed to lessen the risk of exposure in the first place. A prominent exampleis preventing injuries from needlesticks and other sharps—one of the leadingcauses of exposure. As new devices that reduce the need to handle sharps becomeavailable, employees should be immediately trained in how to use them properly.Similarly, they need to know the best work practices for handling, storing, and dis-posing of sharps properly and safely.

Chemical labelsAre employees reading them?

Find out what employees know about the chemicals they use.As a trainingexercise, choose a substance that employees commonly use, and ask your group todescribe the basic information found on its label: common and chemical name, thekind of hazard it represents, and how to handle and use it safely. If they don’t know oraren’t really sure, it’s time to reinforce a fundamental HazCom safety message: Alwaysread the label before using any product that may contain a hazardous substance.

Why it matters … � Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) surveys have indi-

cated that a large percentage of workers do not read labelsfor pesticides and other chemicals.

� There are more OSHA citations for violations of Hazard Communication (HazCom) than any other general industrystandard.

� To state the obvious—hazardous chemicals are hazardous,causing such tragedies as fires, explosions, and serious ill-ness if not handled properly.



(Remember that this rule also applies to such common “household”-type productsas cleaners.)

Know the reasons employees don’t read labels. U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency surveys of employees who use pesticides strongly suggest many reasons thatemployees don’t read labels, including:

� Poor reading skills—chemical labels aren’t exactly literary masterpieces; theyare often full of unfamiliar words that few people readily understand andsometimes use small print that is physically difficult to read.

� Language barriers—employees for whom English is a second language may simply be unable to read and understand the information on a label.

� Familiarity and overconfidence—employees who have been using a substancefor a long time may think they already know what they need to know aboutthe substance and its hazards, even if they don’t.

Review the labeling requirements for hazardous substances. Remind yourgroup that all products containing hazardous chemicals are required by law toinclude certain safety information on the label. Emphasize that this information isthere to protect them and that it’s part of their responsibilities as employees toread labels and understand what they mean. If possible, reproduce an actualchemical label as a handout and review the information point by point:

� Brand, common, and chemical name

� Signal words—“Danger” for higher level hazards or “Warning” for lower level hazards

� Instructions for safe handling and use—remind the group that these are notoptional

� Description of the principal hazards of the product and how to avoid them

� First-aid information if present on the label

� Symbols and number codes that indicate the level of hazard that is present

As a final point, acknowledge that many employees may find reading and under-standing chemical labels to be difficult. Reassure them that they should never hesi-tate to seek assistance of a supervisor, rather than fail to read the label.

Cold weather workWatch out for winter’s chill

Why it matters …� While there are no specific rules for cold weather work,

OSHA does take it seriously and publishes helpful guidelines.

� According to OSHA, more than 700 hypothermia deathsoccur each year in the United States.

� In addition to hypothermia, frostbite is also a serious hazardof cold that can cause permanent damage to body tissue.

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Cold weather dangers are nothing to sneeze at. Employees need to know that working outside in cold conditions can have serious hazards—principallyhypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia in particular is a significant health issue,for three reasons:

� It’s sneaky—It can be difficult to recognize until a case becomes moderate tosevere.

� It’s deceptive—It can happen even if temperatures are above freezing.

� It can be deadly—Unrecognized and untreated, hypothermia can actually kill.

Often, the real culprit in cases of hypothermia is not cold by itself—it’s moisture (that’swhy it’s possible to get hypothermia in relatively mild conditions). So make sure youremployees know that it can be far worse to be cold and wet than just to be cold.

What is hypothermia, exactly? The human body has its own “thermostat” to regu-late its normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and it generates heat inresponse to cold temperatures in order to maintain this level through such mecha-nisms as perspiring and shivering. Hypothermia means that the body’s normal tem-perature has dropped sufficiently to impair physical and mental functions. And itdoesn’t take much—body temperature that is only slightly below 98.6 degrees canproduce mild hypothermia. Signs of advancing hypothermia include:

� Loss of physical coordination

� Slurred speech

� Uncontrollable shivering

� Dazed consciousness or irrational behavior

Take steps to prevent hypothermia. Employees who work in cold conditionsshould understand, first, that hypothermia is a real hazard and, second, that thereare several commonsense things they can do to protect themselves, including:

� Stay dry—If they get wet, come in and change clothes or dry out.

� Dress in layers—These provide insulation, and outer layers can be removed ifthe weather gets warmer.

� Wear clothing that resists moisture or “wicks” it away quickly. Synthetic fabricsare best; cotton is not recommended because it retains moisture.

� Work in pairs—If one shows signs of hypothermia, the other can provide assistance.

� Avoid caffeine and alcohol—These actually hurt, rather than help, in resistingthe cold.

� If they’re uncomfortably cold, come inside and warm up!



ContractorsAre you required to train them?

You may be responsible for the safety of outside contractors. Generally,when employees of an outside contractor come into your workplace, BOTH yourcompany (what OSHA calls the “host” employer) and their own employer shareresponsibility for the outside employees’ safety. The dividing line between areas ofresponsibility is not always clear, but you can use this rule of thumb as a startingpoint: The contractor is responsible for making sure that its employees know howto do their jobs safely, while the host employer is responsible for informing the con-tractor of any hazardous conditions that are specific to the host’s workplace. Forexample, if your workplace includes hazardous chemicals, the host needs to makesure the outside contractor knows about the hazards.

Know the OSHA standards that refer to outside contractors. The “rule ofthumb” mentioned above can apply for any potential hazardous situation involv-ing outside contractors. But be aware, also, that several of OSHA’s general industrystandards refer specifically to the host employer’s responsibilities. These include:

� Process Safety Management (29 CFR 1910.119)

� Hazardous Waste Operations (“HAZWOPER”) (29 CFR 1910.120)

� Confined Spaces (29 CFR 1910.146)

� Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147)

� Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)

Note that this list is not necessarily complete and that there are various construc-tion industry standards (29 CFR 1926) that include rules for outside contractors aswell. Note also that different standards impose different requirements on the hostemployer, so be sure to read them thoroughly.

Communication and coordination are essential. Regardless of specific OSHArequirements for outside contractors (if any), it is essential for safety managers of boththe host employer and the contractor to exchange all relevant information regardingpotential hazards and safety procedures. This is for your own company’s protection aswell as the safety of all employees. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Why it matters …

� OSHA is likely to hold the host employer at least partiallyresponsible in the case of a death or serious injury to a contractor’s employee.

� Demonstrating a comprehensive safety program that includesoutside contractors can help defend your company fromlegal liability if something goes wrong.

� Ensuring that outside contractors have good safety programshelps protect your own employees from accidents.

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� Require outside contractors to demonstrate an adequate safety programbefore they come into your workplace.

� Review your own safety program with the contractor; identify any differencesbetween the host’s and the contractor’s programs, and agree on how to bridgeany gaps.

� Arrange for any specific training that the contractor’s employees might need,either by requiring the contractor to provide the training or by providing thetraining directly.

Emergency Action PlanAre employees prepared for emergencies?29 CFR 1910, Subpart E

Who needs to have an Emergency Action Plan? There are two different, butequally correct, answers to this question. The first answer is that OSHA requires anEAP only for employers that are covered by certain standards, such as “Fixed Extin-guishing Systems” and “Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemi-cals” (other standards also require EAPs). The second answer is that everycompany really should have an EAP. Not only does OSHA explicitly recommend it,but it simply makes sense to have a plan for a safe, orderly response to emergen-cies such as fires, weather events, and releases of hazardous substances. And notethat even relatively minor incidents, such as small fires or spills, constitute an“emergency” if they trigger an alarm and require employees to stop what they’redoing and evacuate their work areas.

What should an EAP contain? OSHA includes helpful guidelines for EAPs as anappendix to its standard on Exit Routes, EAPs, and Fire Prevention Plans (29 CFR1910, Subpart E). In brief, the EAP should address any emergencies that might rea-sonably be expected to happen in your workplace and include:

� Procedures for reporting the emergency

� Evacuation procedures—ideally, the EAP should include floor plans showingexit routes and assembly points

� How to account for all employees who have evacuated

� Responsibilities of any employees who are designated to stay behind andensure safe shutdown of operations

Why it matters …

� OSHA estimates that approximately 200 workplace deathsand 5,000 workplace injuries each year are due to fire, oneof the most common types of emergencies.

� In one recent year, OSHA issued more than 300 citations forviolations of its rule on Emergency Action Plans (EAPs).

� Safety experts all agree that knowing how to act quickly andproperly in an emergency is the key to saving lives and preventing injuries.



� Responsibilities of any employees who may be designated to perform rescueor medical duties

What should emergency response training include? Every employee needsto know what he or she is expected to do when an emergency alarm sounds—andfurthermore, to do it quickly. For most employees, the proper response is simply toevacuate the work area in a rapid but orderly manner, using proper exit routes, andto assemble in a designated “safe area.” However, some employees—OSHA callsthem “evacuation wardens”—should be given the responsibility for making surethat other employees leave the area properly and safely. OSHA recommends onewarden for every 20 employees and suggests that they should receive specializedtraining in:

� Knowing the complete layout of the building or work area, including the variousexit routes

� Giving guidance and instruction to employees during evacuation

� Knowing how to assist employees, such as those with disabilities, who mayneed assistance

� Checking all rooms and enclosed spaces to make sure that no one is left behind

� Accounting for all employees after evacuation is complete

Emergency preparednessDisaster training or training disaster?

Emergency training is not “one size fits all.”The proper emergency response toa fire might be quite different than to a hurricane, a release of toxic chemicals, or a ter-rorist attack. Not knowing the difference could make a bad situation a lot worse—andyou don’t want to wait until a disaster happens to find out that your emergency train-ing is … well, a disaster. So the first step in an effective training program is to identifywhat types of emergencies might actually occur and determine the appropriateresponse for each. This may mean that you need to have more than one type of train-ing for different possible emergencies.

OSHA’s guidelines are a good start. Although OSHA’s standards related toemergency response provide little specific direction on what training must include,other OSHA publications have specific guidelines for emergency response training.These guidelines include the following general training points:

Why it matters … � In one recent year, OSHA gave out more than 300 citations

for violations of its EAP rules.

� Life-threatening emergencies can happen in any workplace,so it simply makes sense to make sure employees know howto respond properly and safely.

� A comprehensive emergency response program can alsohelp reduce legal, insurance, and recovery costs.

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� Recognizing potential hazards and threats that might create an emergency

� Contents of the company’s EAP

� Location and use of common emergency response equipment, such as alarms

� Individual roles and responsibilities

� Warning, alarm, and communication procedures and systems

� Evacuation and shelter procedures

� Reporting and accountability procedures (that is, making sure everyone isaccounted for in an emergency)

� Equipment shutdown procedures

Because fast response is critical in an emergency, practical exercises and drillsshould be considered essential to effective emergency training. And rememberthat employees with specific emergency response duties must receive additional,specialized training.

Don’t forget to update emergency training. OSHA also provides guidelines onwhen to provide emergency training. Clearly, it’s not enough simply to train onceand forget about it. OSHA encourages emergency training:

� Immediately after developing an EAP

� After revisions to the EAP

� For all new employees

� For employees with new responsibilities or assignments

� When new equipment, materials, or processes are introduced

� When exercises and drills show unsatisfactory performance

� In any event, at least annually

ErgonomicsErgonomics may be more important than ever

When Congress killed OSHA’s Ergonomics Standard in 2001, some people thoughtthat interest in preventing work-related MSDs would also start to die. That predic-tion turned out to be wrong. If anything, the focus on MSDs and ergonomics has

Why it matters … � Estimates of the costs associated with work-related muscu-

loskeletal disorders (MSDs) range from $13 billion to $54billion per year.

� According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about one-thirdof all occupational injuries and illnesses are due to overexertion or repetitive motion.

� Numerous case studies show that increased ergonomics-oriented awareness, training, and hazard reduction willreduce injuries, lost work time, and associated costs.



intensified on the part of business, labor, and OSHA. Why? Because all three havefound that ergonomic measures for preventing MSDs actually pay off in terms ofreducing worker injuries, lost work time, and insurance and medical costs. OSHA inparticular has announced a four-point program for ergonomics that includes:

� Guidelines for specific industries and tasks

� Enforcement—even without a specific standard, OSHA will inspect forergonomic hazards and issue citations under the General Duty Clause

� Outreach and assistance, to help businesses address ergonomic issues

� A National Advisory Committee on ergonomics to continue studying ways toapply ergonomics in the workplace

Tailor your training to employee needs and issues. There is no “one size fitsall” way to approach ergonomics training, because types of MSDs and their causesvary so widely from industry to industry and even from task to task. Determine thetypes of training that are needed by reviewing health records and job analyses forevidence of MSD hazards. Then design and conduct training sessions that addressthese specific hazards—even if you have to hold different ergonomics sessions foremployees in different job classifications.

Employee involvement and feedback is key. Employees themselves are theonly ones who really know the physical requirements of their jobs. Encourage themto talk about the tasks they must perform at their workstations and to do their ownanalysis of potential MSD hazards and how these might be alleviated. For example:

� Have them discuss, and actually demonstrate, the types of actions they takethat involve repetitive motions, impact, or awkward movements or positions,

� If possible, show them different, less physically stressful ways to perform thesetasks, or

� Ask for their specific suggestions on new or different equipment, tools, furni-ture, and other engineering controls that might reduce MSD-related problems.

Fall protectionTraining helps ensure a soft landing

Falls are a leading cause of work-related deaths—and are almost completelypreventable.While most falls occur in the construction industry, the problem is byno means limited to construction work. General industry experiences thousands of

Why it matters … � OSHA estimates that there are about 68,000 fall-related

injuries in the workplace each year.

� Falls of all types in North America account for an estimated800,000 injuries per year, including 13,000 deaths.

� OSHA’s general industry standard for guarding floor andwall openings had more than 1,400 citations in one recentyear, with penalties of more than $1.2 million.

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serious accidents each year from employees falling from or through roofs, platforms,ladders, scaffolds, and openings in floors or walls. OSHA believes that almost allsuch accidents could be prevented through the use of basic safeguards such asguardrails, safety harnesses, and other fall arrest equipment.

Develop your own training program for fall protection. OSHA regulations forgeneral industry provide very little guidance for such training. Yet it’s clear that inany workplace where falls could occur, employers should address this issuethrough employee training as well as by providing the physical safeguards that arerequired in the standards. A basic training outline might include:

� Recognize the hazards—identify the locations, conditions, and situations inyour workplace where falls might happen.

� Understand the need for safety equipment—employees probably don’t need toknow the detailed OSHA specifications for guardrails and other fall protectiondevices, but they definitely should understand that such equipment is requiredon or around platforms, catwalks, openings, or wherever there is a fall hazard.

� Know how to use PPE—personal fall arrest equipment, such as safety har-nesses, is considered to be a type of PPE that requires thorough training inhow to use it properly, in compliance with OSHA regs (29 CFR 1910.132).

� Use common sense—falls often occur when employees are careless or foolish;for example, there have been several instances of deaths from workers stand-ing or leaning on skylights.

� Take action to prevent tragedies—encourage employees to develop a strong“safety sense” about possible fall hazards, to take all possible precautions inpotentially hazardous situations, and to report any unsafe conditions (such asmissing guardrails or other safety equipment) immediately.

Employees should know when harnesses or other fall arrest equipment isrequired. It’s helpful to have specific rules, or at least clear guidelines, especially ifthese go beyond OSHA requirements. As an example, several companies have adopteda rule that all work that takes place 6 feet or more off the ground requires employees towear complete fall protection equipment—a rule that has saved lives more than once.

Forklift safetyForklift safety training isn’t just for operators29 CFR 1910.178 (l)(1)(i)

Why it matters …� According to U.S. government statistics, forklift-related

accidents account for nearly 20,000 injuries and nearly 100 fatalities per year.

� In one recent year, OSHA cited 2,858 violations of rules relatedto powered industrial trucks and assessed nearly $1.8 millionin penalties.

� Recently, OSHA announced fines of $72,500 for a single com-pany that had been cited for forklift safety rule violations.



While it’s true that only employees with specific training can operate a forklift, anyemployees who work around forklifts should know the basics of safe operation andmaintenance—and what they must do to avoid getting hurt accidentally. So don’thesitate to hold a “basic forklift safety” session for anyone who might be affected byforklifts. Even experienced, trained operators won’t be harmed by some refreshertraining in basic forklift safety. And remember that OSHA takes forklift safety veryseriously and in recent years has beefed up its standard to include very specificand careful operator training requirements.

To begin with, everyone should know about forklift hazards. Forklifts are big,heavy machines that can seriously injure or kill people; they’re not like minicars in anamusement park. Remind employees that forklifts can topple over, collide with objects(and people), and drop heavy loads, as well as represent a possible fire and explosionhazard when refueling. Next, review some of the basics of forklift safety: Never exceedthe rated load capacity, make sure the load is balanced on the forks, never ride as apassenger on a forklift, never stand under the forks when they’re raised, no smokingwhen refueling, etc. Finally, encourage all employees to be on the lookout for possibleforklift safety hazards—including unsafe operation or maintenance problems—and toreport any such hazards to a supervisor as soon as possible.

Formal operator training requires more than just the basics. OSHA’s stan-dard on powered industrial trucks has very specific requirements for operatortraining that should include a combination of formal training (classroom, videos,etc.) with practical instruction, as well as an evaluation and certification process.The standard specifies that only those who are already competent operators canprovide this training and also specifies a long list of topic areas that training mustcover. Once trained, operators must receive refresher training and evaluation atleast every 3 years—more often for operators who have a record of accidents ornear misses. (Note that a near miss involving a forklift should be taken very seri-ously and used as an occasion for formal or informal safety training.) Trainersshould definitely refer to the “training” section of the OSHA standard to make surethat all the required subject matter is covered.

Hand safetyKeeping hands out of trouble29 CFR 1910.138

Why it matters … � There are about 250,000 serious hand, finger, and wrist

injuries in private industry per year, according to Bureau ofLabor Statistics data.

� In a recent year, about 8,000 of these injuries were amputations.

� In one recent year, OSHA issued more than 1,000 citations forviolations of the “General Requirements” section of its PPEstandard (29 CFR 1910.132).

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Ignorance isn’t bliss.When OSHA revised its PPE standard in 1994, it included a newrule on hand safety. There were two main reasons for revising the overall PPE rule:

Too many employees were not wearing PPE, and too many employees who didwear PPE were either using the wrong PPE or using it incorrectly. Regarding handinjuries specifically, one study showed that 70 percent of injured workers did notwear gloves, and the remaining 30 percent wore gloves that were inadequate, dam-aged, or wrong for the type of hazard being protected against. OSHA thereforeconcluded that it wan’t enough simply for employers to require employees to wearPPE—the employer needed to select PPE based on the specific conditions andpotential hazards of the task to be performed.

Have employees conduct their own hazard assessment for hand safety.OSHA requires employers to determine the types of PPE to be required by assessingthe workplace for hazards. Involving employees in this hazard assessment can bean effective training technique. On the topic of hand safety, ask them to list all theways their hands might be injured on the job. Depending on the jobs done in yourworkplace, the list might include:

� Cuts, lacerations, punctures, and even amputations

� Abrasions from rough surfaces

� Broken fingers or other bones of the hand

� Chemical burns

� Severe skin irritation (dermatitis) from contact with certain chemicals

� Thermal burns from touching very hot objects

� Absorption of hazardous substances through unprotected skin

Choose the right gloves for the job.Of course, wearing gloves will help protectagainst many of the hazards listed above. But not just any kind of glove will do. Asanother training exercise, have employees match the hazards they’ve identified withthe right kind of glove, and ask them to explain why certain types of gloves are or arenot appropriate for certain hazards. (For example, use rubber rather than cotton glovesfor handling hazardous liquids because rubber repels liquids, while cotton absorbsthem.) And for hand injuries that generally are not prevented by gloves (lacerations,broken bones, amputations), remember to include training on safe ways to use handtools, power tools, machinery, and other typical causes of serious hand injuries.



Hazardous waste operationsHAZWOPER training isn’t for amateurs29 CFR 1910.120

OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard puts a lot of emphasis on training, for both employeesand trainers. And not just anyone can be a trainer. The standard specifies that HAZWOPER trainers themselves need to be trained or have equivalent academiccredentials and instructional experience. This means, for example, that supervisorsand managers can’t provide training unless they have already been trained to do so.In fact, supervisors and managers on hazardous waste sites must receive the samekind of training as other employees, plus an additional 8 hours of specialized train-ing in subjects that will allow them to supervise others.

HAZWOPER training is highly job-specific. The OSHA standard requires thatemployees may not participate in field activities “until they have been trained to alevel required by their job function and responsibility.” The number of hours ofrequired training varies according to the type of worker:

� Regular site workers who may be exposed to hazardous substances need atleast 40 hours of off-site training, plus at least 3 days of supervised field experience.

� Regular site workers (or workers who occasionally come to the site for specificlimited tasks) whose duties have a very low risk of exposure need at least 24 hours of off-site training plus 1 day of supervised field experience.

� Limited-duty or occasional site workers whose job duties change such thatthey are regularly exposed to hazardous substances must receive the addi-tional 16 hours of off-site training and 2 days of supervised field experience.

� Employees who can demonstrate that they already have equivalent training andexperience need not undergo initial training (of course, it is the employer’sresponsibility to make sure that the “equivalent” training is adequate).

� All employees (including supervisors) must receive at least 8 hours of refreshertraining at least annually.

HAZWOPER training should include plenty of “hands-on.” Of course, adequatetraining is about more than just counting hours. That’s why, for example, computer-based training (CBT) for HAZWOPER isn’t enough all by itself. According to OSHA,

Why it matters … � By definition, sites covered by OSHA’s Hazardous Waste

Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) stan-dard contain substances that could endanger the health ofemployees and potentially the general public.

� OSHA cares a lot about HAZWOPER training—its standardextensively covers training requirements, with an appendixon training guidelines.

� In one recent year, there were more than 200 OSHA citationsfor violations of the HAZWOPER standard.

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CBT training should be accompanied by opportunities for Q&A, discussions ofactual incidents and situations, and hands-on assessments of employees’ knowl-edge. Depending on their specific job duties, types of hands-on training mightinclude:

� Putting on and removing protective clothing

� Putting on and removing a respirator

� Cleaning and inspecting a respirator

� Conducting sampling of potentially contaminated air, soil, or water

� Demonstrating safe and proper ways to handle containers of hazardous materials

Head protectionWhich employees need to wear hard hats?29 CFR 1910.135

OSHA’s “head protection” regulation doesn’t tell the whole story. TheOSHA rule for head protection in general industry specifies two types of employ-ees who are required to wear head protection:

� Those who work in areas where there is a potential for head injury from fallingobjects, and

� Those who are working near exposed electrical conductors that could contactthe head.

But those two specific examples just begin to cover the range of situations inwhich employees should be required to wear a hard hat. The head protection ruleis only a part of a much broader Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standard(29 CFR 1910, Subpart I) that starts with a more detailed description of employeeswho are affected.

“Physical contact” hazards trigger hard hat requirement. OSHA’s generalrequirement for PPE states that protective equipment shall be used “wherever it isnecessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment” that could causeinjury through (among other things) physical contact. More simply put, wheneverthere is a reasonable chance that someone could suffer a head injury, head protec-tion should be required. Causes of head injuries might include:

Why it matters … � Head injuries are no joke—they often can be disabling and

even fatal.

� There are many instances each year of a worker’s life beingsaved by wearing a hard hat.

� Violations of OSHA’s PPE standard were cited 1,800 times ingeneral industry in one recent year, with penalties totalingover $1 million.



� Falling objects—including both small objects such as tools, and large objectssuch as loads falling from a raised forklift

� Flying objects—including objects being swung from a crane or similar device

� Bumping the head on overhead objects, such as piping

� Contact with electrical hazards, such as power lines or wires

Hazard assessment is the key. Another important part of OSHA’s PPE standardis the requirement to perform a hazard assessment of the workplace to determinewhat kinds of PPE employees must wear. (Note that you must have a written certifi-cation that the hazard assessment has been performed.) A hazard assessment canbe an ideal training exercise for employees: Have them inspect their own workareas for conditions that might cause head injuries, then report back a list of theirfindings. It should help make them more aware of hazards and how to protectthemselves—and perhaps even encourage them to wear hard hats whether or notthey are specifically required to do so.

Home safetySafety at home means safety at work

Safety shouldn’t stop at quitting time. There are at least three good, practicalreasons why your company should encourage employees to practice safety athome as well as at work:

� Paying attention to safety at all times makes safety a habit and builds a good“safety attitude.”

� Preventing accidents at home means fewer lost workdays and fewer employeeswho can’t do their work properly because of off-the-job injuries.

� An off-the-job death or serious injury to an employee or family member is areal tragedy that will affect coworkers and your company as a whole.

What are the top five causes of fatal accidents at home? This is a questionyou can ask employees to lead off a training session. According to the Home SafetyCouncil, the answer, in order of frequency, is:

1. Falls

2. Poisoning (ingesting or inhaling toxic substances)

3. Fires

Why it matters … � Accidents in the home cause approximately 20,000 deaths

per year and 13 million injuries per year in the United States.

� Medical and other costs of home accidents total in the billions of dollars annually.

� Employees with a “round the clock” safety consciousness areless likely to be injured than those who view safety only as ajob requirement.

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4. Suffocation (often involving choking on food)

5. Drowning

Interestingly, the five leading causes of nonfatal injuries are not the same. Falls stillleads the list, and poisoning is Number 5. In between are Striking or being struckby an object (Number 2); Cuts (Number 3); and Overexertion, such as backinjuries and muscle pulls (Number 4).

Make the connection between home safety and work safety. The list of paral-lels between home hazards and workplace hazards is almost endless: tripping andfalling, hazardous substances, electric shock, fire, power tools, falling and flyingobjects, eye injuries, back injuries, etc., etc. Remind employees that they shouldtake the same precautions against these hazards at home as they do at work,including reading labels, wearing PPE, and removing tripping hazards. Make it astandard part of your safety presentations to discuss how safety training at workshould be practiced at home as well.

HousekeepingIt’s a safety issue29 CFR 1910.22(a)

“Your mother doesn’t work here, so please clean up after yourself.” Signswith these or similar words are frequently seen in employee lunchrooms and workareas, as a way (not always successful) to remind employees not to leave a mess forothers to deal with. Encouraging employees to follow good housekeeping practicesisn’t only about being neat, clean, and considerate of others—it’s also a serioussafety issue. If there were any question about that, one need only read OSHA’s ruleon “housekeeping,” which starts out with the blunt statement, “All places of employ-ment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms shall be kept clean and orderlyand in a sanitary condition.” There is no room for exceptions in a rule like that.

Hazards of poor housekeeping—how many can you name?As an exercise in ageneral training session on housekeeping, try asking the group to name all the possi-ble safety hazards that might be associated with poor housekeeping in general.Some general hazard categories are below, but encourage your group to be as spe-cific as possible.

Why it matters … � In one recent year, OSHA issued more than 1,100 citations

for violations of Subpart D (“Walking and Working Sur-faces”), which includes the housekeeping rules.

� Penalties for these violations totaled more than $550,000.

� Enforcing good housekeeping practices helps encourageemployees to maintain an alertness to hazards and a good“safety attitude.”



� Fire—from ignition of paper scraps, wood shavings, dust, or puddles of flamma-ble liquid

� Slipping and falling—on wet floors

� Tripping and falling—from objects left on the floor

� Cuts and puncture wounds—from sharp objects left exposed on floors or othersurfaces

� Injuries from tools or other objects falling from work surfaces

Some jobs have specific housekeeping requirements. Beyond discussing generalgood housekeeping practices to prevent accidents, remind employees that certaintypes of jobs require them to follow specific housekeeping practices. Depending onyour workplace, these jobs might include:

� Cleanup and removal of hazardous dust, such as lead or asbestos,

� Containment and cleanup of small spills or leaks of hazardous liquids (a majorrelease of hazardous chemicals, of course, requires specialized personnel,equipment, and procedures),

� Proper storage or disposal of empty or partially used containers of hazardoussubstances or of tools used for applying these substances (such as brushes orcleaning equipment), and

� Cleanup and other housekeeping practices for hazardous substances mayrequire separate training sessions with more detailed descriptions of properprocedures.

Lockout/tagoutTraining must be effective and complete29 CFR 1910.147

Lockout/tagout training can save lives. Stories about employees crushed todeath when heavy machinery starts up without warning are all too common. So it’sessential for your training in the isolation and control of hazardous energy (aka“lockout/tagout”) to be effective. To begin with, remember OSHA’s rules about thethree categories of employees who must be trained:

1. “Authorized” employees, who lock or tag out machinery in order to performservice or maintenance

2. “Affected” employees, who use or operate machinery that is locked or taggedout and who are present when maintenance or service is being performed

Why it matters … � OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard was the fourth most fre-

quently violated standard in one recent year.

� There were nearly 4,000 OSHA citations for lockout/tagoutviolations in that year.

� Penalties assessed totaled nearly $3 million.

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3. “Other” employees, whose jobs may require them to be in work areas wherelockout/tagout procedures are used

Note that “affected” employees are usually considered to be “authorized” if theyactually perform service or maintenance work.

OSHA requires different levels of training for different employees. Themost basic form of lockout/tagout training is for “other” employees, who need to beinformed about the procedures and to understand that any attempt to restartmachinery that is locked or tagged out is strictly prohibited. “Affected” employeesneed to also know the purpose and use of the procedures. “Authorized” employeesneed to know how to recognize hazardous energy, where it might be found in theworkplace, how to isolate or control it, and how to make sure control procedureswork. Finally, all employees need to know the difference between “lockout” and“tagout”—in particular, that tags are not the same as physical controls, and theyshould never be ignored, bypassed, or removed.

More training is usually better. Recognize that OSHA’s training categories repre-sent the minimum training requirements for each type of employee. It may well beappropriate to give all employees more information, rather than less, about the pur-poses and procedures of your lockout/tagout program. And don’t forget that OSHArequires retraining for all employees whenever:

� There is a new energy hazard,

� There are new energy control procedures,

� Employees are given new job assignments, or

� An employer has reason to believe that employees do not know about orunderstand lockout/tagout.

Machine guardsGuarding against machine accidents29 CFR 1910, Subpart O (Machinery and Machine Guarding)

Machine rule violations are high on OSHA’s hit parade.Violations of 29 CFR1910, Subpart O (Machinery and Machine Guarding) of OSHA’s regulations areamong the most frequently cited every year, and penalties can run into the tens ofthousands of dollars for each violation. Providing guards for machines is notoptional: OSHA states unequivocally that “machine guarding shall be provided”

Why it matters … � OSHA’s general requirements for machines and machine

guarding was the sixth most cited rule violation in onerecent year, with more than 3,000 citations issued.

� Penalties for these violations of machine and machineguarding rules totaled more than $7.5 million!

� More than 5,000 amputations occur each year in manufac-turing industries.



against such hazards as “those created by the point of operation, ingoing nippoints, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks,” and they must protect both machineoperators and everyone else in the area. With this in mind, the two fundamentalrules of machine safety should be:

� Never, ever remove, disable, or try to circumvent a machine guard, and

� Never, ever use a machine with a guard that is missing, disabled, or not workingproperly.

One size doesn’t fit all. These basic safety rules are essential, but they are notenough for complete training in machine safety. Subpart O covers an extremelywide range of industrial machines, including:

� Woodworking machines of all kinds (1910.213)

� Abrasive wheels (1910.215)

� Mills and calendars in rubber and plastics industries (1910.216)

� Mechanical power presses (1910.217)

� Forging machines (1910.217)

� Mechanical power transmission apparatus (1910.218), applicable to many ofthe above kinds of machines

These rules are essentially performance-oriented equipment specifications, andthey’re not exactly light bedside reading. Even so, trainers need to be thoroughlyfamiliar with those that apply to the machines in their workplace and be able todemonstrate and explain different pieces of equipment to their employees—ideally,right on the shop floor.

How often should you conduct machine safety training? The OSHA rules arenot very specific on the type and frequency of training for machine operation. Yet,the consequences of machine accidents are severe enough that training shouldclearly be a top priority. At a minimum, training should take place:

� For new operators of existing machines,

� For new types of machines introduced into the workplace,

� Whenever there is evidence that an operator needs training, and

� At least annually, on a “refresher” basis.

Note: Don’t forget to document your training with employee names, dates, andtype of training.

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Safety data sheetsReview them often29 CFR 1910.1200

SDSs are the “backbone” of HazCom. Do employees refer to the SDSs in yourworkplace regularly and often? Or do your SDSs just collect dust on a rack or shelfsomeplace? If the latter is true, it probably isn’t because employees already knowall they need to know about working with hazardous chemicals. Instead, they prob-ably don’t understand the importance of the SDS as a safety tool and that theyneed to make it a habit to refer to SDSs regularly and often. Not only do SDSs con-vey essential safety information, but OSHA insists on their availability and use inthe workplace as part of the HazCom standard.

It’s not hard to find reasons to review SDSs. One way to help instill the habit of actively using SDSs is to hold refresher training on the different hazardous chemi-cals employees work with—and to make the SDS for each chemical the centerpieceof the training session. There are plenty of reasons to justify such a session:

� A new chemical is introduced into the workplace (or a familiar chemical froma different manufacturer).

� A new use or work process for a familiar chemical is introduced into the work-place, requiring new ways to work with it safely.

� A new SDS form with revised information comes into the workplace.

� You hire new employees who may not be familiar with a chemical or with yourcompany’s safety rules for using it.

� There is evidence that employees are not using a chemical safely, such asreports of lost time due to accidents or illnesses associated with a chemical.

Note: Do your own review of the SDSs your company uses. If they seem to be out-dated or are third-generation copies that are distorted, faded, or otherwise unread-able, it may be time for a general SDS makeover.

Why it matters … � There were more than 7,000 OSHA citations for HazCom

violations in one recent year, with total penalties assessed ofapproximately $2 million.

� This number of citations made HazCom the second mostfrequently cited of all the OSHA standards and the most-frequently cited general industry standard.

� Frequent training reviews of important safety tools such assafety data sheets (SDSs) show employees that the topicreally matters and should be taken seriously.



Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationTalking to employees about OSHA

OSHA is not an adversary. One of the ultimate goals of safety training is to buildand sustain a “safety culture” throughout your organization. It’s hard to do this ifyou project an “Us versus Them” attitude toward OSHA, and even harder if you con-vey the feeling that the main reason for promoting health and safety in the work-place is to avoid an OSHA citation. Instead, focus on the concept of “partnership”among the employer, employees, and OSHA—that each has certain roles andresponsibilities in ensuring a safe and healthful workplace, and that it is in every-one’s best interests to work together for safety.

What should employees be told about OSHA? Generally, the answer is, “Any-thing they want to know.” Under the OSH Act, employers have an affirmative obliga-tion to inform employees both about the law and about their rights under the law.These informational requirements include:

� Posting the OSHA poster prominently

� Making a copy of the OSH Act and OSHA regulations and standards availableto any employee who requests them

� Informing employees of their right to be present during an OSHA inspection

� Informing them of their right to lodge a complaint with OSHA without fear ofretribution

� Posting any OSHA citations received by an employer

There is no disadvantage to being as open as possible about OSHA and your com-pany’s relationship with it, because it reinforces the sense of “partnership” you’retrying to encourage.

Employees have legal responsibilities, too. Compliance with safety regulationsis more than just having the government and company managers tell employeeswhat to do. The OSH Act specifically requires that employees comply with OSHAstandards and regulations that apply to them. Point this out when you talk about theimportance of following safety rules, as a reminder that “we’re all in this together.”

Note: Twenty-four states, plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, have their ownoccupational safety and health agencies, with rules that generally follow federal

Why it matters … � OSHA is increasingly emphasizing “compliance assistance”

and other forms of partnership with employers, rather thansimply enforcing standards by looking for violations.

� Workers are more likely to comply with safety rules if theyunderstand the “big picture” of workplace safety and health.

� Though it’s relatively uncommon, OSHA does cite and penalize employers that do not inform employees of theirrights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

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OSHA standards (or in some cases are stricter). Adapt your discussion of OSHA tothe conditions in your own state.

Power toolsMake sure workers are safe

There’s a lot at stake with power tool safety. If you’ve ever actually witnesseda power tool injury, you don’t forget it. Knowing how to work safely with powertools—saws, drills, sanders, grinders, etc.—is an extremely serious topic, becauseinjuries from power tool accidents can be severe and permanent. According to thePower Tool Institute, a trade group, there are three main reasons most such injurieshappen:

� Loss of concentration—operators can stop paying attention to their work ifthey repeat the same actions with a power tool over and over again.

� Unexpected events—a kickback or other sudden problem with a fast-movingpower tool can be very dangerous, especially if the operator does not have theexperience to expect the unexpected.

� Inexperience and overconfidence—it’s a hazardous combination if theoperator doesn’t know the importance of being careful at all times when usinga power tool.

Hand injuries are not the only problem. Cuts, abrasions, puncture wounds, andamputations are bad enough, but there are plenty of other ways that power toolscan be harmful. Ask your training group to compile a list of possible hazards; inaddition to the above, it should also include eye injuries (from flying particles),hearing damage (from excessive noise), inhaling hazardous dust, foot injuries(from dropping a heavy tool), musculoskeletal disorders (from vibration overextended periods), and electric shock.

Compile a power tool safety checklist. As a group exercise, construct a com-prehensive checklist of safety rules for power tools. The list should include:

� Don’t use any tool that appears to be damaged or unsafe.

� Make sure all blades, nip points, and moving parts are properly guarded.

� Electrically powered tools should be used only with power cords in good con-dition and properly grounded.

Why it matters … � In one recent year, there were more than 800 OSHA citations for vio-

lations of power tools standards (both general industry and con-struction), with penalties totaling well over half a million dollars.

� There are more than 100,000 hospital emergency room visitseach year in the United States due to power tools accidents.

� In California alone, power tool injuries cause more than 1,500injuries each year that result in lost workdays.



� Always wear appropriate PPE for the tool—eye and face protection, hearingprotection, safety shoes, etc.

� If you’re not sure how to use a power tool properly, don’t guess—read theinstructions or ask a supervisor.

� Never lift or carry an electric power tool by the cord.

As a final safety point, remember that OSHA requires employers to make sure thatpower tools brought from home meet the same safety requirements as those sup-plied at work.

RespiratorsBreathe easier knowing respirator training rules 29 CFR 1910.134

Here’s why OSHA takes respirator training seriously. In 1998, OSHA issued anew, tougher version of its Respiratory Protection Standard with greater emphasison proper training. In OSHA’s opinion, better training was acutely needed becausenearly half of the workers who wore respirators were using them improperly. Inmany cases, OSHA said, improper use of respirators actually magnified the hazardsthat respirators were supposed to guard against. Examples include:

� Improper fit, which can trap hazardous dust, fumes, etc., inside the respirator

� Poor cleaning and maintenance, which fails to remove hazardous materials

� Carelessness, such as when a worker removes a respirator, places it on a con-taminated surface, and then puts it back on again

OSHA’s 9-point training for its own employees: OSHA’s guidelines for its ownemployees elaborate on the training requirements that appear in the actual Stan-dard. The main topics to cover are:

1. The general requirements of the Standard

2. Why respirators are necessary, including hazards, potential exposure, andhealth effects

3. How respirators are selected

4. Procedures for inspecting the respirator, donning and removing it, checking fitand seal, and actually wearing it

5. The consequences of improper fit, usage, or maintenance

Why it matters … � The Respiratory Protection Standard is in the top five most

frequently cited OSHA violations.

� There were more than 4,000 violations of the Standard inone recent year.

� More than $1.2 million in penalties were assessed for Respiratory Protection Standard violations in one recentyear.

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6. Limitations and capabilities of respirator, including knowing when it reachesthe end of its service life and needs to be changed

7. Using respirators in emergencies, including malfunctions

8. Proper procedures for maintenance and storage

9. How to recognize medical signs and symptoms (such as shortness of breath ordizziness) that may prevent the effective use of a respirator

Remember that the Standard doesn’t just require training … it requires“effective” training. In other words, it’s not enough to provide information; theemployer must demonstrate that employees actually know how to use respirators correctly. Furthermore, everyone must be trained at least annually—meaning on or before the anniversary date of the first training. Finally, retraining is required whenever:

� A new type of respirator is introduced.

� An employee is not using a respirator properly.

� Retraining appears necessary to ensure safe respirator use.

Sexual harassment and safetyCivil Rights Act of 1964

Safety, health, and harassment—is there a connection? In recent years therehas been an increasing focus on the relationship between sexual harassment inthe workplace and protecting the health and safety of sexual harassment victims.According to those who have studied these issues, connections include:

� Increased stress for victims, which can lead to a variety of physical ailments

� Inability of victims to focus on doing a job correctly and safely

� Inadequate training (experienced by victims as part of an overall pattern ofbeing demeaned or insulted on account of gender)

� Intimidation that causes victims to be reluctant to raise legitimate safety issuesfor fear of being ridiculed

� Workplace violence, if harassment takes the form of actual or threatened physical contact

Why it matters … � Sexual harassment is subject to civil penalties under the fed-

eral Civil Rights Act of 1964.

� OSHA acknowledges that sexual harassment can be a formof workplace violence—an area in which the agency hasshown increasing interest.

� Stress caused by a sexual harassment may be linked tohealth problems ranging from headaches and stomachpains to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.



What constitutes sexual harassment? It’s often thought of in terms of mendemanding sexual favors from women (often in return for promotions or otheradvancement) or men subjecting women to ridicule or abuse of a sexual nature.While both of these examples are accurate, the definition of sexual harassment isactually much broader, including any form of sexually oriented conduct that inter-feres with work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive workenvironment. Potential harassment situations may involve:

� Women harassed by men, or men harassed by women, or both harasser andvictim may be of the same sex

� Harassment by superiors, coworkers, or even others not employed by the samecompany

� Physical or verbal abuse, or even silent harassment (such as posting offensivepictures)

Note also that one need not be a direct victim in order to lodge a complaint ofsexual harassment as long as there appears to be a pattern of sexually orientedbehavior that creates a negative work environment.

Safety specialists should be sensitive to sexual harassment. Remember thathigh levels of stress are not compatible with safety, since employees who are upsetand distracted are going to be more susceptible to mistakes that lead to accidents.If you sense a high stress level among employees, be alert for signs of what may becausing it—including sexual harassment. Remember, too, that seemingly innocentremarks, banter, or pranks with a sexual overtone can cause a problem if even oneemployee takes offense at them. Finally, make sure that you, yourself, are not guiltyof intentionally or unintentionally acting in a way that could be perceived asdemeaning, insulting, or offensive.

StressTips to chill out

Workplace stress is a real problem. At one time or another, nearly everyonecomplains about being “stressed out,” so it may be hard to accept that stress can bea real workplace issue with serious consequences for employees’ health and safety.The effects of workplace stress, and how to deal with it, have increasingly becomethe subject of studies by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Why it matters … � Surveys show that 25 percent to 40 percent of workers say

they face very high levels of stress at their jobs.

� Stress reportedly costs American companies more than $300 billion per year in terms of poor performance, absen-teeism, and healthcare costs.

� Workers who must take time off for stress-related problems average 20 days of lost time.

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(NIOSH) and other organizations. The experts agree that stress can bring on suchhealth problems as:

� Headaches

� Stomach ailments

� Sleep disorders and resulting fatigue

� Inability to concentrate and focus

� Raised blood pressure that may lead to cardiovascular problems

� Mental health problems

Stress-related health problems can directly impact workplace safety. Itstands to reason that employees who are tired, sick, or distracted because of stressare not going to be as attentive to safety as they should be. This leads to more mis-takes, more accidents, and more injuries. But the reverse can also be true: Reducingstress in the workplace can also reduce mistakes and accidents. In fact, one studyshowed that by instituting a stress-reduction program, a company in the medicalindustry was able to cut its rate of documented errors by more than half.

Stressed out? Talk about it.Many factors, both inside and outside the workplace, cancontribute to stress. Work-related factors can include long hours, concern about jobsecurity, jobs that are boring or otherwise unfulfilling, and lack of opportunity to interactwith others on a meaningful basis. While you may not be able to change conditions thatproduce stress, perhaps one thing you can do is provide opportunities for employees totalk about the stress they feel, the reasons for it, and how it can affect their overall healthand safety. Constructively communicating about stress (not just complaining) appearsto be an effective way for employees to “blow off steam” appropriately and exchangeideas about how to cope with it. Other helpful stress-reducers are:

� Taking a few moments to relax, even if you don’t think you have the time

� Being better organized—starting each day with a written list of goals and priorities

� Finding reasons to laugh (laughter really seems to help)

Violence in the workplaceDon’t wait to train on workplace violence

Why it matters … � According to studies, as many as 1 million Americans each

year are the victims of nonfatal work-related assaults.

� Homicide is the third-leading cause of work-related death.

� While the highest percentage of workplace assaults are in theservice, healthcare, and retail industries, incidents of violenceoccur in all industries regardless of race, age, or gender.



Violent behavior can erupt anywhere.Violence in the workplace is a seriousproblem, and it covers a broad range of situations, including:

� Robberies of service employees such as sales clerks and taxi drivers

� Assaults on police officers, prison guards, and other public safety personnel

� Attacks on healthcare workers by patients

� Fights between coworkers or “revenge attacks” by former or current employees

� Assaults by strangers that are not related to any particular type of work

As a trainer, your job is to tailor your safety tips to the types of violence your employeesmight actually face. Workers in an office or manufacturing plant need much differentinformation about protecting themselves than do healthcare workers or sales clerks.

Keep your advice practical. Emphasize the need to use common sense:

� Don’t leave handbags or other valuables open or unguarded.

� Don’t go alone into dark or isolated areas.

� Be alert for unfamiliar persons in areas where they don’t belong.

Employees should know what resources are available to protect against crime andhow to use them. For example, if security personnel are available to accompany ormonitor employees in a potentially unsafe situation, make sure that information iswell posted. Above all, make sure employees know how to summon help in anemergency.

Take suspicious or threatening behavior seriously. Train employees to be alertto such warning signs as significant changes in mood or demeanor, extremely angryreactions to minor problems, and verbal abuse or threats. This can be a tricky area:While you don’t want to encourage involvement in others’ personal problems, youdo want to make sure that signs of potential violence are not ignored until it’s toolate. Urge employees with serious, well-founded concerns about the behavior of acoworker to have a confidential discussion with a supervisor.

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Section #2: Train the trainer tips

Blended learningUsing it in your safety training

“Blended learning” doesn’t just mean Internet instruction. At its core,blended learning simply means combining two or more forms of delivering infor-mation—for example, a combination of classroom instruction and an independ-ent, self-paced online course. The purposes and objectives of blended learninginclude:

� More effective training by using different delivery media to accommodate different learning styles

� Continuous training, rather than being confined to a particular time and place

� Speeding up the training process by moving through the material more quickly

� Simultaneous training of employees in different locations

Analyze your training needs and objectives before designing a blendedlearning program. Factor in the nature of the material to be covered, employees’learning styles and attitudes, and even the physical capabilities or limitations ofyour training facilities (including your computer-based infrastructure). For exam-ple, a traditional classroom setting may be best for presenting simple, concreteinformation, for structured Q&A, or if it is unlikely that employees will completeindependent study assignments on their own. On the other hand, if the requiredlearning is ongoing and evolves continuously from actual job experience, self-paced study assignments combined with opportunities for interactive discussioncan be highly effective.

Web-based training is a good place to start when adding new dimensions toyour safety training program. That’s because of the Internet’s potential to delivera wide range of information in many different ways. Explore such possibilities as:

Why it matters … � A University of Tennessee study showed that a blended learn-

ing program reduced both the time and the cost of trainingby more than 50%.

� The same study showed a 10% better result in learning out-comes compared with traditional training.

� Learning experts believe that a main advantage of blendedlearning is that it more closely replicates how people actu-ally learn on the job, through experience and interactionwith coworkers.



� Training modules that can be downloaded or studied directly online at thelearner’s own pace

� Interactive training, with online quizzes to measure comprehension

� If your company has intranet capability, virtual classrooms or internal Web-based discussion forums

Don’t forget, though, that your overall focus is the learning outcome, not themethod of delivery. Your goal is to provide the information employees need to pro-tect their health and prevent accidents and injuries. Using blended learning con-cepts can be an effective tool for achieving this goal.

Case studiesHow effective are they?

A case study should be more than just a story. Illustrating your safety messagewith a real-life example is generally a good way to make a point. But a true “casestudy” should go beyond giving an example—it should provide opportunities fortrainees to test and apply their knowledge of the subject. The audience should par-ticipate directly by answering questions and discussing possible alternatives whileyou encourage them to reach the right conclusions on their own, with you as theirguide.

Be creative in turning examples into case studies. If you’re trying to make apoint about the importance of wearing protective eyewear, for example, you couldsimply tell a story about an employee who was injured because he didn’t wear theproper eye protection. But for a case study of the same situation, you can use yourimagination to set up the circumstances behind the event. You can then go muchdeeper in exploring what actually happened, including such questions as:

� What type of protective eyewear should have been used? (Glasses, goggles, orface shield?)

� Why might the employee have failed to wear protective eyewear? (Perhaps itwas lost, or damaged, or he wasn’t sure that he needed it.)

� What might the employee have done differently? (He could have asked for areplacement or asked a supervisor if he needed to wear it.)

Don’t dwell only on the negative. Case studies can demonstrate positive out-comes as well as accidents and injuries. The example above, about protective eye-wear, could be flipped around to describe an employee who avoided a serious

Why it matters … � Case studies give people a way to relate your safety message

to their own experiences.

� Using “live” examples helps make your message real andconcrete, rather than theoretical and abstract.

� Interactive discussion and participation keeps your audi-ence engaged and attentive.

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injury by making the right choices and showing good safety awareness; you couldthen ask your audience to discuss what went right instead of wrong. Some othertips for effective case studies:

� Don’t make them too complicated—limit the number of characters and keepthe circumstances of the case simple and easy to follow.

� Coach, don’t lecture—encourage discussion by asking questions, but let theparticipants find the answers themselves.

� Summarize the main lessons of the case study at the end of the session.

Computer-based trainingIs computer-based training (CBT) right for new hires?

CBT is like any other tool. It’s great when used correctly, but not if it’s used inef-fectively or doesn’t help meet your objectives. This is especially true for trainingnewly hired employees—CBT can be very helpful, but only when you can leverageits strengths and avoid its weaknesses. The major strength of CBT is that it’s self-paced; learners can move quickly through material they already know, but can alsogo back over information that is unfamiliar or difficult without affecting the paceof an entire group. This attribute of CBT is particularly useful for integrating a newhire into a group of more experienced employees because it can provide a foun-dation of basic knowledge to build on later through more advanced training andactual experience.

Recognize CBT’s limitations and plan accordingly. CBT can’t offer face-to-face interaction, hands-on demonstrations, answers for questions outside its pro-gram, or insights into a company’s unique “safety culture.” For this reason, youwouldn’t want to tell new hires to review a computerized training program andthink that you’ve provided all the training they need. You also shouldn’t assumethey will understand and be able to use the information—you need a way tomeasure their comprehension. Look for CBT programs that have built-in quizzes, orfollow up with separate quizzes related to the material that has been covered.

Make the most of what CBT offers for new hires. Some guidelines and sugges-tions to keep in mind include:

Why it matters … � A Hudson Institute study showed that “multimedia” CBT that

combines text, graphics, sound, and video/animationimproves retention by 40 percent.

� The same study showed that CBT also can save as much as30 percent of training time.

� Good CBT programs can help you meet OSHA trainingrequirements for both new and experienced employeesmore efficiently.



� Review CBT programs before assigning them, decide if some of the informa-tion they contain is incomplete or unclear, and provide supplemental informa-tion and training as necessary.

� Make CBT a starting point for training, but not necessarily the end point. Follow up a CBT course with some form of “live” training, such as Q&A ordemonstrations.

� If possible, have new hires and more experienced employees review CBT mate-rial together. For example, some CBT programs may be suitable both for begin-ner training and for refresher training, allowing newcomers and veterans tointeract while all get the training they need.

� Measure, verify, confirm. Using quizzes or other means, do whatever it takes tomake sure new hires actually understand the information you provide.

� Don’t forget to keep complete records of CBT training for each employee.

Fresh approachesFreshening stale topics and materials

If your training materials put YOU to sleep, think how your audience feels.Let’s face it—there are probably one or more safety talks you’ve given so many timesthat you dream about them at night. So for the sake of both your audience and yourown sanity, maybe it’s time to give a makeover to these topics and their associatedmaterials. It can be done without a major investment of either time or money.

Begin with an objective “audit” of your materials.Try to view them as thoughyou have never seen them before, or ask a colleague for a brutally honest assessment.Two main areas to look at are:

� Content and relevance: Does the content of your handouts and other trainingmaterials, including visual aids, match your oral presentation? Is the informa-tion accurate and up to date? Or perhaps the information is technically correctbut really doesn’t address the actual safety issues in your own workplace.Revise or replace anything that misses the mark.

� Overall appearance: Visual appeal can do a lot. Your handouts, for example—do they look like copies of copies of copies, with washed-out, distorted print?Maybe it’s time to re-do them to make them more readable. While you’re at it,

Why it matters … � Periodically reviewing your training materials helps make

sure the information stays timely and accurate.

� Approaching a familiar topic in a different way can revealimportant safety points that may have been overlooked inthe past.

� Trainers must be engaged with their topics before they canexpect their audiences to pay close attention or retain keyinformation.

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maybe you can add a little color or graphics to your handouts, as well as youroverhead slides, to make them more eye-catching and heighten interest.

Change for the sake of change can be a good thing. Try experimenting, andeven having a little fun, with presentations that have gone stale, so long as youdon’t leave out important information. Some possible ideas for shaking off the cobwebs:

� Rearrange the outline of your presentation so that the main points are made ina different order than the one you typically use.

� Give a brief quiz at the BEGINNING of the session—this helps reveal what theaudience already knows and doesn’t know about the topic, so you can tailoryour presentation accordingly.

� Similarly, ask for questions from the audience BEFORE the session starts; for exam-ple, ask them to tell you the three things they really want to know about the topic,and use this information as the main focus of the presentation.

GamesAre training games a good idea?

Know the types of games that might be useful.There is a broad spectrum ofactivities that fall into the category of “training games.” Perhaps the most common arequiz show–type games, set up along the lines of Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Mil-lionaire?, that are designed to test knowledge of particular topic areas. Another typeare “icebreakers,” structured exercises often used primarily for team-building that mayhave little or no direct relationship to the training topic. And “scenario”-type gamesgive participants a set of circumstances or conditions, and ask them to interact cre-atively to solve a problem or achieve a particular result.

Understand the real purpose of training games. Studies show that traininggames by themselves do NOT provide comprehensive training and should not beused as substitutes for more formal instruction. (That suggests that you shouldn’tdevote an entire session to a training game, unless you’re holding multiple sessionson the same topic.) But games CAN be a useful supplement to formal training by:

� Helping trainers maintain participants’ interest and involvement

� Reinforcing key concepts

Why it matters … � Used appropriately, training games support your main mes-

sage and help keep your audience engaged and attentive.

� If not used appropriately, games distract from your messageand can undermine efforts to take important safety topics seriously.

� Generally, games and other devices to encourage group par-ticipation are a good way to help employees understand andretain key information.



� Supporting different learning styles

� Providing immediate feedback to both participants and trainers

� Making training more enjoyable and, yes, fun

Tips for using training games effectively. If you’re thinking of incorporatingtraining games into your sessions, keep in mind some tips to make sure theyaccomplish your objectives:

� Games should reinforce the main ideas of your training, rather than wastingtime on trivial points that are not essential.

� Games should provide opportunities for everyone in your session to partici-pate, rather than involving only a handful of people while the rest of yourtrainees simply sit and watch.

� If the games are prepackaged or accessible online, screen them first to make surethey are relevant to your workplace and compatible with your main message.

� Schedule games strategically to help reenergize and reengage the group; forexample, right after lunch or other long break.

HandoutsMake them worth keeping

If your handouts are “throwaways,” you’re doing something wrong. Presen-tation expert Marie Wallace says, “Too many presenters treat handouts like an after-thought, justifying their action with ‘They will just get trashed anyway.’ That kind ofthinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When handouts are not designed well,they do get trashed.” But when done correctly, handouts can serve a number of use-ful purposes. They:

� Support and reinforce your basic message.

� Provide supplemental information not included in your verbal presentation.

� Keep your audience’s attention on the subject matter.

� Create an overall positive impression of you and your mastery of the topic.

Choose the type of handout that fits your goals. Plan your handouts just as youwould plan your presentation, and determine what you want them to achieve. Forinstance, if you want to reinforce your main presentation points, the handout should

Why it matters … � Up to 90 percent of spoken information is forgotten within

24 hours, so written handouts are an important way to keepkey information available to your audience.

� Handouts help an audience understand the message morequickly, since people process written information two tothree times faster than spoken information.

� The quality of your handouts sends a message to your audi-ence about your credibility and professionalism.

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include a simple, bold summary of your message. On the other hand, you may wantto convey additional detailed information about the topic that can’t be given in yourverbal presentation; in that case, the handout might be a reprint of an article on thesubject or a listing and short description of resources the audience can explore forfurther information. As a third example, you may want to provide handouts that illus-trate your message, such as a copy of an actual SDS if you are covering SDSs in gen-eral or a hazardous chemical in particular. The point is to make sure that yourhandouts complement and supplement your presentation so that your audiencecomes away with a better, clearer understanding of your points.

Make handouts easy on your audience. Handouts need to be well designed if youwant them to be kept, read, and used—they should make it easy for the reader tocomprehend the information. Design tips from presentation experts include:

� Use plenty of white space so that the message appears clearly—don’t clutterup a handout with a wall of fine print.

� Use a large, bold typeface that is easy to read.

� Bullets are preferable to long narrative sentences.

� Use illustrations, photos, graphs, and charts whenever they support your message.

� Use color—it increases the willingness to read—but don’t go overboard withtoo many colors or elaborate graphics, as these can be distracting.

� Don’t use photocopies that are faded, smudged, or distorted—people don’twant to make the effort to read them.

HumorUsing ‘ho ho’ to fight ‘ho hum’

Humor can actually help make serious points about safety. Training expertsagree that using humor in a presentation can make an audience more relaxed,attentive, open to new ideas, and willing to participate. If this is how you want youraudience to be, don’t be afraid to use appropriate jokes, cartoons, or ad-libs as partof your presentation. The key word here is “appropriate.” If you run across a funnyidea, saying, or picture that makes you smile and think, “That would be good to usein a safety talk,” chances are you’re right. So go for it!

Humor can be planned—but it can’t be forced. Humor has to be natural, or asone training expert puts it, “Don’t try to be funny—try to have fun.” Keep in mindsome important things to avoid if you plan to add humor to your presentation:

Why it matters … � Studies show that laughter reduces stress and can actually

improve physical and mental well-being.

� Public speakers know that a well-placed joke or humorousgraphic can wake up a tired, bored, or inattentive audience.

� There are no OSHA regulations that prohibit smiling orlaughter.



� Don’t feel obligated to start the session with a joke. Lots of speakers do it, but fewdo it well. It can make your audience immediately roll their eyes and tune you out.

� Don’t use humor that you yourself don’t think is especially funny.

� Don’t use humor for its own sake—use it to grab attention or emphasize yourpoints.

� Never use humor that could be interpreted as ridiculing specific persons orgroups of people.

Look for opportunities to inject humor into your talks. In addition to usinghumorous stories, thoughts, and graphics, here are some other ways to employhumor:

� Self-deprecating humor—If you’re illustrating a safety point with a story about ahypothetical employee who is acting carelessly, give the employee your ownname. Or if you make a mistake during your presentation, acknowledge it with ajoke. Making fun of yourself “humanizes” you and helps build trust.

� Exaggeration and zaniness—Ask your audience to answer a multiple-choicequestion, with one of the choices being obviously silly or bizarre.

� Gimmicks—Give cheap prizes (such as lollipops) or made-up “awards” to people who participate actively in your training sessions. Examples mightinclude the “Best Question Award,” or a prize for “giving the best answer thatisn’t actually correct.”

Note: If you haven’t been using humor in your presentations and now decide todo so, your audience may not react the way you want them to the first time you useit. They may not have seen your “lighter side” before, so give them some time toadjust to it.

IcebreakersHot tips for breaking the ice

Icebreakers—who needs them?“Icebreakers” are devices used to build feelingsof trust and teamwork within a group and encourage participation and interaction.They can range from simple self-introductions by each group member to muchmore elaborate and structured games and even physical exercises. Icebreakers area good idea for safety training sessions if:

Why it matters … � Icebreakers set the tone for the main part of the session.

� Training experts agree that icebreakers are a good way tostimulate creative thinking and build group energy.

� An engaged, energized audience is more likely to pay attention and contribute useful ideas.

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� Members of the group don’t know one another very well.

� The session will be lengthy or will be held in multiple segments over 2 or moredays (you can use more than one icebreaker, or use one in the middle of a longsession to reenergize the group).

� Your main objectives include teambuilding or solving specific problems.

� You want to encourage the group to interact freely with you and one another.

Icebreakers should help you achieve your main goals. Don’t have an ice-breaker for its own sake—instead, decide what you want the icebreaker to accom-plish and design it accordingly. For example, if you’re assembling a safety team toidentify hazards and reduce accidents, the icebreaker should be designed toencourage working together and bringing different perspectives to issues. Ideally,you should be able to refer to the lessons, insights, or key information gained dur-ing the icebreaker to reinforce the points that are made later in the session.

Effective icebreakers help focus the session and encourage participation.Specific ideas include:

� Have participants introduce themselves and describe something they alreadyknow about the topic; post the answers on a flip chart.

� Divide the group into teams, with each team identifying the challenges in thetopic and what they hope to get out of the session; again, post the results andrefer to them at the end.

� Use an open-ended quiz at the beginning of the session (for example, namethe hazards of a particular job, or name reasons to wear a respirator), thenrepeat the quiz at the end of the session to see if the answers are different.

Note: How long should an icebreaker take? One training expert says that it shouldbe about 1/16th of the total length of the training session.

Interactive trainingHow to keep sessions interactive

Your sessions should be as safe as your workplace. Everyone agrees that train-ing sessions are better when the audience participates actively, but it’s often difficult to“break the ice” and get people to speak up. That’s usually because trainees aren’t surethat it’s “safe” to do so. They may be afraid that asking questions or voicing opinionswill make them look ignorant, or they may believe that you won’t really welcome their

Why it matters … � Interactive sessions keep audience members more attentive

and focused on the topic you are presenting.

� Proving that it’s “safe” for the audience to participate helpsbuild their trust in you and your knowledge of the topic.

� Trainees who are given responsibility for their own learningare likely to take the subject matter more seriously and putinto practice what they learn.



participation if it disrupts the flow of your presentation. From their point of view, it’smuch safer to stay silent and avoid the possibility of displeasure or embarrassment. Sopart of your job as a trainer is to demonstrate that it’s just as safe to participate—and alot more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Don’t just say it—show it. According to training consultant Robert Menard,speakers may not realize that the audience itself can be a source of energy. “If rec-ognized and directed within the first 10 minutes, this energy can propel a presenta-tion to success,” Menard says. It isn’t enough just to tell the group to ask questionsand get involved—that won’t make them believe that it’s really OK. Instead, showthem that you mean it by getting them involved from the very beginning. Somebasic introductory icebreakers include:

� Ask group members to introduce themselves—or as a twist, have them introduce another group member.

� Have each person state the most important thing he or she wants to learn fromthe session.

� Ask some basic questions about the topic you’re presenting—and insist on get-ting answers from the audience before continuing, rather than answering thequestions yourself.

Keep up the momentum. Once you’ve proved that you’re serious about gettingpeople to participate, find ways to keep the session interactive all the way throughto the end. Or as Menard says, “Keep the activity level high and put the responsibil-ity of learning in the hands of the audience.” As you plan your presentation, lookfor opportunities to keep the audience engaged and involved, using such tech-niques as:

� Asking questions of the group throughout the session, not just at the beginning

� Having audience members perform demonstrations, rather than doing thedemonstrations yourself

� For longer sessions, breaking into smaller groups to accomplish an objective orsolve a problem, then having the small groups report their ideas to the maingroup as a whole

LecturesHow to avoid ‘death by lecture’

Why it matters … � Audiences who become bored and inattentive do not

absorb the important safety messages being presented.

� Keeping your audience guessing “What is he/she going to donext?” is an effective way to hold their attention.

� Training effectively the first time means less time spent inretraining and going over information that has already beenpresented.

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Try the “7-minute solution.” Has this ever happened to you? You’re totally pre-pared … you know the material cold … your delivery is flawless … your slides arebrilliant … and yet you come to the end of your training session wondering if any-one actually heard anything you said. If you suspect that you may have lecturedthem to death, you probably didn’t realize that most adults can sit and listen tosomeone else talk for only about 7 minutes before their minds begin to drift off.The solution? Preprogram your presentation with ways to surprise your listenersinto engaging their minds every 5 to 7 minutes or so.

Plan to be unpredictable. According to Sharon Bowman, a corporate trainerand author of Preventing Death by Lecture, trainers should be willing to do what-ever it takes to keep their listeners on their mental toes. Bowman and other train-ing experts say there are many devices you can use, such as:

� Moving around the room, instead of staying rooted to one spot

� Asking questions of audience members

� Writing key messages on a blackboard or flip chart

� Varying your tone of voice from loud to soft or vice versa

� Telling a story, joke, or riddle

Whatever device you use, try to have fun and inject some humor. Find the types of“attention getters” that work best for you and build them into your script (yes—sometimes being spontaneous takes planning). Eventually, you’ll probably find iteasier to be unpredictable, and you’ll develop a keener sense of when your audi-ence is starting to zone out and what you can do to prevent it.

Slides can be fatal, too. It’s tempting to think that using PowerPoint® or overheadslides can overcome the narcotic effect of a standard lecture—but that’s often notthe case. Use slides by all means, but remember that the 7-minute rule still applies.There’s no reason you can’t turn the projector off at an appropriate stopping point,turn up the lights, do something different to reclaim your audience’s attention, andthen go back to the next part of your slides.

Multilingual trainingHabla safety? Training a multilingual audience

Why it matters … � The number of foreign-born people in the United States has

jumped more than 50 percent since 1990—from 20 millionto more than 30 million.

� The percentage of immigrants in the workforce is estimatedat 14 percent—that’s 1 in 7—and higher in some regions ofthe United States, such as the West and Southwest.

� Nearly half of immigrants in the United States are consideredto have limited proficiency in English.



Trainers need to find ways to hurdle language barriers. While English is a sec-ond language for an increasing percentage of the workforce, companies are still obli-gated to make sure employees understand safety training. It’s not enough to make apresentation if you know that members of your audience may not be able to under-stand or use the information effectively. OSHA is keenly aware of this, noting, forexample, that workplace fatalities among Hispanics in the construction industryhave increased at the same time that the total number of fatalities has declined.

Look for resources that might be available to help. With the growing aware-ness of the need for multilingual communication and training, there are more andmore programs and other resources that address this issue.

� Check with OSHA—There may be OSHA-funded programs or other forms ofassistance in your area that focused on English as a second language (ESL).Search the OSHA website for “bilingual training,” or call your regional OSHAoffice.

� Identify ESL programs in your local area—These are commonly available throughcommunity colleges and adult education programs. Then find ways to encourageESL employees to take the courses they need to improve their English.

� Find bilingual coworkers who can help make sure your safety is message is get-ting through—and let you know if it’s not.

Tips for better communication with multilingual audiences:

� Acknowledge that the language barrier exists. Many people who are not fluent inEnglish are reluctant to admit it, leading them to pretend they understand whatyou say. Let them know that your goal is to teach safety, not English, and that it’sOK for them to keep asking questions until they really understand your message.

� Speak slowly and clearly—this makes it much easier for people who knowbasic English but are not truly fluent. Try to avoid using jargon or jokes, whichcan be incomprehensible or confusing.

� Learn some key words and phrases in other languages. You don’t have tobecome bilingual yourself, but you can help break down barriers by showingyour own willingness to make an effort to improve communications.

Online trainingMake the most of Web-based training (WBT)

Why it matters … � OSHA encourages using WBT as part of an effective safety

training program.

� Since different people have different learning styles, using ablended learning approach helps make sure your messagegets through.

� Studies show that the use of an effective training programcan increase an organization’s overall revenues and profitability.

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Understand what online training is … and isn’t. Online training—also calledWeb-based training (WBT)—provides information via the Internet in the form ofwritten materials, slide presentations, or videos. It may or may not be interactive. Itsadvantages include:

� Flexibility—trainees can study the materials at times that are most convenientfor them.

� Self-pacing—trainees can go back and review the material as often as need toin order to understand it.

� Standardization—all employees view the same materials each time.

But WBT also has disadvantages, such as:

� It’s impersonal—even an interactive program can’t compare to a free-rangingdiscussion of important safety points with a “live” trainer and coworkers.

� It offers limited opportunities for actual “hands on” demonstrations.

� The trainee’s actual comprehension of the material can be difficult to measure.

By itself, WBT probably isn’t enough. It can be a highly effective part of a“blended” safety training program that might also include in-person presentations,demonstrations, and training videos.

Five tips for making the most of WBT:

� Review online programs in advance, determine their strengths and weak-nesses, and make sure they complement, rather than conflict with, the rest ofyour program.

� Don’t assume everyone is comfortable with computers and the Internet. Holdan orientation before starting an online training session to make sure everyoneunderstands what to do and what is expected.

� Find ways to test for comprehension. Viewing material online does not guaran-tee understanding. Use short quizzes to make sure the message has gottenthrough.

� After employees have finished their WBT session, review the same material dur-ing an in-person session.

� Don’t forget to document online training; have employees sign a statement tothe effect that they have viewed the assigned online material, or use an effec-tive electronic training tracker.



PowerPoint trainingHow to make your (power) points effectively

It’s your presentation—don’t let the slides take over. PowerPoint is here tostay—by allowing users to create and present their own slide presentations, it’sbecome a powerful tool in the safety training arena.

It’s important to remember that PowerPoint slides should enhance your overallpresentation, but they shouldn’t be the presentation. Presentation experts agreethat one of the worst things you can do is to present a long series of slides andread from them word for word. On the other hand, using slides to emphasize andreinforce your main points will keep your audience engaged and attentive.

Are you using “prepackaged” slides or creating your own? Either way, thesame basic rules for effective presentations apply:

� Don’t just read from the slides—elaborate in your verbal presentation.

� Give your employees time to absorb each slide. A good rule of thumb is at least30 seconds per slide—more if you need to explain the points more thoroughly.

� Rehearse the presentation before you give it—don’t let yourself be “surprised”by a slide that you yourself don’t really understand.

� Make sure the hardware works—fumbling around with the computer or theprojector before you can actually begin the presentation is a sure way toundermine your effectiveness and authority.

If you’re creating your own slides …

� Keep the message on each slide simple and clear. Slides that are crammedwith text are difficult to read and understand. Six short bullets per slide shouldbe the maximum.

� Don’t get “graphics-happy”—graphics, colors, and animation are OK in modera-tion, but too many can be a distraction.

Why it matters … � It takes about 40 hours of work to prepare a 1-hour presenta-

tion from start to finish—consider purchasing a prewrittenPowerPoint presentation and customizing it to your com-pany’s needs to save time.

� According to adult learning experts, people absorb informa-tion in different ways—some through seeing it, some throughhearing it. So a combination of visual information and yourverbal presentation is an ideal way to reach learners.

� Keeping copies of your PowerPoint safety presentations is anideal way to document your safety training program, in caseOSHA ever asks to see it.

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Finally, it’s a good idea to reproduce the slides as handouts, especially in a formatthat allows the listener to take notes alongside each slide (use the “Handouts” format inside the “Print” menu to do this). Encourage your audience to keep thehandouts for future reference and follow-up.

PreparationThe power of training preparation

Even experienced presenters need to prepare carefully. If you’ve been mak-ing training presentations for a while, you may think you can “do it in my sleep” anddon’t need to prepare very much, if at all. But even if that were true, would youreally be satisfied giving second-rate presentations—particularly on such criticaltopics as health and safety? Presentation experts all agree: The difference betweena first-rate, effective presentation and a second-rate, “ho hum” presentation is in thepreparation. The good news is that preparation doesn’t have to take hours andhours of your time. But it does mean, at a minimum, going through a mental check-list of bases that need to be covered.

Focus on your goals. The first section of your mental checklist is to decide themain purposes and objectives of the presentation:

� Who is your audience? Are they new employees,experienced veterans, or amixed group? Knowing your audience helps determine the approach you take,the type of presentation to make, and the points to emphasize.

� What is the main goal? Is your presentation a general introduction to be fol-lowed by more specific training later, or are you giving more in-depth trainingabout a particular work practice or item of equipment? Don’t stop at generali-ties if your real goal is to achieve in-depth understanding of the topic.

� What’s the “takeaway”? What is one thing you want your audience to rememberfrom the presentation, even if they were to forget everything else? Decide on asuccinct message or “punch line,” and make sure you include it in your presen-tation more than once.

Put yourself in the audience’s place.Your audience expects you to be knowl-edgeable and authoritative, while also being easy to listen to and understand. Socontinue your mental checklist with these points:

� Do I understand the material myself? You can’t expect to achieve your goals ifyou’re not sure what you’re talking about. Are there points you need to refresh

Why it matters … � As one expert puts it, “Without preparation, a presentation is

likely to be unfocused, boring, and uninformative.”

� Information in a well-planned and focused presentation ismore likely to be remembered and used.

� Since the ultimate purpose of safety training is to protect thehealth and well-being of employees, each presentationdeserves your best effort.



yourself on? Is there new information about the topic that you need toresearch and incorporate into the material?

� What questions am I likely to get? Anticipate the areas that your audience mayfind unclear or difficult to grasp, and know how to handle their questions.

� Am I physically prepared? Do you plan to use audiovisual (AV) equipment orphysical props? How do you want the room or training area to be set up? Makesure everything is set up and works correctly and that you know how to usekey equipment. Fumbling around with equipment is the surest way to under-mine a presentation from the start.

Presentation jittersHow to handle them

Having the “jitters” isn’t necessarily a bad thing.According to The Total Com-municator, an online publication of the Executive Communications Group, “the pre-pre-sentation jitters remain the number one challenge listed by most presenters.” But itgoes on to say, “If you don’t get a little nervous before giving a speech or presentation,you should really be worried.” That’s because the right amount of stress and extraadrenaline is actually beneficial to making a good presentation. It makes you a littlesharper and gives you more energy that can flow out toward your audience. So ifyou’re a veteran presenter who still gets nervous before a presentation, remember that(1) you’re not alone, and (2) you’re probably a better presenter because of it.

Don’t forget “the power of preparation.” One key to keeping the presentationjitters under control is to master the material you’re going to present. Being pre-pared gives you confidence that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes yourway. If possible, rehearse the presentation ahead of time; if that’s not possible, atleast review the material several times in advance. Think about, and write down,the answers to questions that might come up. And don’t neglect the physical partof good preparation: Make sure the room is arranged the way you want it, knowhow to use the AV equipment, and account for other essential items (projectionscreen, extension cord, etc.).

Psyche yourself out of the jitters. Dianna Booher, a communication trainer andauthor, offers several useful tips for overcoming excessive nervousness and anxietybefore and during your presentation. They include:

Why it matters … � Communication isn’t just words—your message is also

expressed in body language and the energy you project.

� If you have confidence in yourself and your material, youraudience is more likely to have confidence in you as aknowledgeable expert.

� Safety talks shouldn’t be dull and mechanical—channelnervous energy into ways that grab and hold attention.

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� “What’s the worst?”—remind yourself that the worst thing that could happen during your presentation probably isn’t all that bad, and be preparedto deal with it if it does.

� Focus on the “friendlies”—some audience members will be supportive andresponsive, while others may seem inattentive or even hostile. Try to build onthe positive energy from the former group, and ignore the latter group.

� Stay in motion—a good way to work off nervous energy is to move aroundduring your presentation; this also helps keep your audience engaged andattentive.

� Take some risks—if you don’t want to be an average, boring presenter, don’tbe one. Find ways to inject passion, humor, and audience participation intoyour session. Keep trying to innovate, and you’ll eventually hit your stride.

Toolbox talksHow to do them effectively

There’s a world of difference between a “toolbox talk” and a formal train-ing session. A toolbox talk (sometimes known as a “tailgate talk”) is a no-frills wayto get your safety message down to the bare essentials—no notes, no slides, justgetting your points across as directly and effectively as possible to a small group of employees. Done correctly, a toolbox talk quickly grabs the listeners’ attention,keeps it with a handful of clear points, and concludes with a summary messagethat they will remember.

Being informal and spontaneous takes preparation. Don’t launch into a tool-box talk without a clear idea of the points you want to make and what you wantthe listeners to remember. Preparing for your toolbox talks might include:

� Observing and making notes of conditions in the workplace that could be asafety issue: a potential hazard, a careless or unsafe act, or simply an opportu-nity to make a point about safety

� Jotting down an outline of three to five main points you want to get across

� Coming up with a “punch line”—a short sentence or phrase that sums up yourtalk and is easy to remember

Effective toolbox talks are practical and “hands-on.” Here are some tips tohelp make them memorable:

Why it matters … � The “toolbox talk” format helps to quickly focus the attention

of your listeners and keep their attention.

� Toolbox talks are a good way to cover “micro” topics, such ashow to do a specialized job or use a particular tool safely.

� Giving instruction “up close” and in small groups is one ofthe most effective training techniques.



� Keep them short—the whole session should be no more than 10–15 minutes,including time for Q&A.

� Make them a habit—they don’t have to be strictly scheduled, but do them frequently and regularly enough that employees come to expect them.

� Demonstrate your points—toolbox talks should be held as close to the actualwork as possible, so you (or members of the group) can actually demonstratethe correct and safe way to do things.

� Encourage participation—toolbox talks are an opportunity to look employeesin the eye and maximize interaction.

� Don’t focus only on the negative—potential hazards and unsafe acts are goodexcuses for toolbox talks, but so are times when work is being done safely andcorrectly.

Finally, remember that toolbox talks qualify as safety training every bit as much asmore formal training sessions. Keep a record of your talks, including date, time,place, subject, and employees in attendance.

Section #3: Special event and awareness training tips

February—Workplace Eye Safety MonthHow to prevent eye injuries29 CFR 1910.133

February is Workplace Eye Safety Month, so it’s a good time for a refresher courseon eye injuries, hazards, and protective measures.

Most eye injuries should never happen. According to the American Academyof Ophthalmology, workplace eye injuries are a leading cause of eye trauma, visionloss, and blindness. The Academy also estimates that 90 percent of all eye injuriescould have been prevented by using the right kind of protective eyewear. So it’s

Why it matters … � An estimated 2,000 eye injuries occur in the workplace

every day.

� 10 percent to 20 percent of eye injuries are disabling.

� In one recent year, OSHA gave out nearly 600 citations forviolations of its eye and face protection standard.

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critically important that employees take eye safety seriously by understanding thepotential causes of eye injuries and how to protect themselves.

A hazard assessment is a good place to start. For all kinds of personal protec-tive equipment, OSHA recommends conducting detailed hazard assessments ofthe workplace to determine the types of PPE employees should be required to use.Apply this approach to your eye safety training sessions by asking the group toname all the eye hazards in the workplace. They may realize that some eye hazardsare obvious, while others are not. The list includes:

� Impact—from flying chips, particles, sand, dirt, etc.

� Burns—from sparks, molten metal, or chemical splashes

� Heat—extremely high temperature can cause eye damage

� Irritation—from chemical vapors or dust

� Light radiation—from welding and similar operations

� Glare—may not cause eye injury, but affects ability to see well and work safely

Make sure employees use the right protection. There should be no uncertaintyabout the kind of eyewear to use to protect against impact and splashes: It must con-form to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1. Train employees tomake sure this designation is marked on the lens or frame. Beyond that, make surethey understand other key “eye safety basics”:

� Protective eyewear should include side protection unless there is no possiblerisk of injury from side impact, splashes, or sparks.

� Always put on protective eyewear before entering an area where hazards mightbe present.

� Eye protection must fit properly and comfortably, including when worn overprescription glasses.

� Eyewear should always be checked for damage and replaced if there is anydefect.

� If there is any doubt whether eye hazards are present, assume that they are.

May—National Electrical Safety MonthTraining saves lives29 CFR 1910, Subpart S

Why it matters … � There were more than 6,000 citations for violating various

parts of OSHA’s electrical safety standard in one recent year.

� Penalties for these violations amounted to approximately $3 million.

� A NIOSH study showed electrocution to be the Number 5cause of workplace death, with more than 400 such deathseach year.



Since May is National Electrical Safety Month, it may be time to provide somebasic training that benefits all employees—and protects them from tragedies.

You would be shocked at how careless people are with electricity. Histori-cally, electrocution has been a leading cause of death in the workplace. While thenumber of fatalities has decreased over the past several years—coinciding withOSHA’s increased focus on electrical safety—there are plenty of ways that the aver-age employee can be killed or seriously injured by electricity, through carelessnessor lack of knowledge. In addition to death by electrocution, serious injuries can bethe result of:

� Electric shock—nonfatal incidents that still can be painful and often causeinjuries that require a recovery period;

� Burns, which sometimes can be quite painful and serious;

� Falls—even a mild shock can knock people down or cause them to fall fromstepstools or ladders.

Leave electrical work to the experts. According to OSHA’s Electrical SafetyStandard, only “qualified persons” are permitted to work with or near exposed andenergized electrical equipment. These are persons who are familiar with how theequipment works, its hazards, and how to use it safely. By contrast, “unqualified”persons are those who may be exposed to electrical hazards but don’t have therequired expertise to work with electrical equipment—and they must, at a mini-mum, be trained in work practices needed to avoid hazards. Although the stan-dard does not say it in so many words, it’s reasonable to assume that the NumberOne safety rule for unqualified persons is to stay as far away from exposed electri-cal equipment as possible. Employees who are not specifically trained in electricalwork should never attempt to repair or otherwise work on electrical equipment,even if a task seems too simple to bother calling an expert.

Every employee should know basic electrical safety practices. Even in a set-ting that does not have any obvious electrical hazards, it’s well worth it to reviewwith employees some basic, commonsense rules for avoiding electrical accidentsand injuries. These rules include:

� Don’t overload circuits, such as by running multiple appliances from a singleoutlet.

� Never plug in an appliance with a damaged electrical cord or use an extensioncord that has damaged insulation.

� Electrical equipment, including cords, should never be touched or handled inwet conditions.

� Never use a power tool, an appliance, or other item of electrical equipment if itis sparking, smoking, or otherwise seems to be malfunctioning.

� Keep metal objects, large and small, away from electrical equipment.

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June—National Safety MonthMake sure employees know safety basics

According to the National Safety Council, June is National Safety Month.

Take time to remind employees about safety basics. If most of your safety train-ing sessions focus on the details of specific hazards and work practices, you can eas-ily forget to step back and remind employees about the “big picture.” Fundamentally,that means developing an all-around “safety attitude”—keeping safety in mind at alltimes and in all situations—not just at work, but also at home and on vacation. Infact, practicing safety at work is only part of the picture: Nearly 90 percent of fatalinjuries and two-thirds of nonfatal but disabling injuries to American workersoccur away from the job.

Be alert to the most hazardous situations. Part of safety basics is knowing themost common causes of death and serious injury so that you can stay particularlyalert to these possible hazards. As a training exercise, ask your employees to namewhat they think are the five leading causes of accidental death, then compare theirlist with these statistics for one recent year:

� Motor vehicles—which accounted for more than 40% of fatal accidents bothoverall and in the workplace

� Falls (16%); falls were also the leading cause of serious nonfatal injuries

� Poisoning (13%)

� Choking (4%)

� Drowning and fires (tied at about 3% each)

Emphasize the “secret weapon” against accidents.Actually, the secret weaponisn’t really all that secret … it’s common sense! Remind employees that most acci-dents can be prevented simply by paying attention to hazards and engaging theirbrains before they act in a potentially unsafe manner. Ask your groups to nameexamples of using common sense to enhance safety; these might include:

� Reading the label on a chemical container before using it

� Wearing all required PPE whenever known hazards are present

� Removing or avoiding any possible slipping, tripping, and falling hazards

� Making sure flammable and combustible materials are kept away from sourcesof ignition

� Never disabling or circumventing safety devices, such as machine guards

Why it matters … � There are more than 100,000 accidental deaths per year in

the United States, including close to 5,000 in the workplace.

� More than 3 million Americans suffer disabling injuries eachyear on the job.

� Work injuries cost Americans more than $150 billion peryear, or more than $1,000 per worker.



� Staying away from power lines or any type of energized electrical equipment

� Asking a supervisor for help and guidance if they are not sure how to do a jobsafely

July—Ultraviolet (UV) Safety MonthSkin and eye protection

July is “Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month,” and its hot and sunny weather should be agood reason to remind employees about the possible hazards of working outdoors.

Ultraviolet rays can permanently harm both skin and eyes. There’s nothingwrong with enjoying a warm, sunny day, but employees should know that whetherthey’re working or playing, too much exposure to sunlight can have serious healtheffects. Many employees probably know that too much sun can cause skin cancerand premature aging of the skin. But they may not realize that sunlight also cancause eye damage; it has been linked to cataracts and other eye ailments. It’s alsopossible for eyes to become “sunburned”—not necessarily a serious condition initself, but one that could contribute to eye problems later on in life.

Remind employees to take proper precautions.Virtually all sources of informa-tion about skin and eye health agree on basic precautions that everyone shouldtake when he or she is out in the sun:

� Wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses that filter out UV rays.

� Apply sunscreen rated 15 sun protection factor (SPF) or higher.

� Try to avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when UV rays arestrongest.

� Recognize that even on a cloudy day, UV rays still get through and pose skinand eye hazards.

� Protect against glare from sunlight reflecting off water—“wraparound”-typesunglasses provide the best protection.

Don’t forget other risks of outdoor exposure. Strenuous physical activity on a hot, sunny day creates other hazards besides sun exposure. Most of these fallinto the category of “heat stress” and include dehydration, fainting, nausea, and (in

Why it matters … � More than 50,000 people in the United States are diagnosed

each year with malignant melanoma, the most serious formof skin cancer.

� More than 1 million people in the United States are diag-nosed each year with less serious forms of skin cancer.

� According to OSHA, the General Duty Clause of the OSH Acthas been used to cite employers that expose employees toexcessively hot work conditions.

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extreme cases) heatstroke, which can be fatal. Commonsense tips for avoiding heatstress include:

� Wear light-colored clothing—light colors reflect heat away, while dark colorsabsorb the heat.

� Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids—water is best, juice and soda areOK, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.

� If you feel too hot and start to get woozy, don’t try to “tough it out”—get into theshade or go indoors.

August—National Hearing Aid Awareness MonthNoise protection29 CFR 1910.095

August is National Hearing Aid Awareness Month—a good time to discuss effectiveways to train employees on proper hearing protection on the job.

Find ways to make your employees take hearing loss seriously. Manyemployees exposed to loud noise don’t really believe the issue applies to them.That’s because hearing loss due to noise is a problem that can start early in life,worsen gradually, and become noticeable only later, when it’s too late. Try these sta-tistics to get their attention:

� Noise exposure accounts for 20 percent of all hearing loss.

� One out of three persons exposed to loud noise will develop hearing loss.

� Most workers who are exposed to noise and don’t use hearing protection willdevelop tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears—how would you like to liveyour life with that?

The top four reasons employees don’t wear ear protection. The first is cost—hopefully, that’s not an issue if your company provides ear protection. Second iscomfort—admittedly a problem, but one that can be addressed by, for example,substituting custom-molded earplugs for the standard foam version. The third isconvenience—employees simply don’t make wearing earplugs a routine habit, likewearing shoes. The fourth, perhaps surprising, is safety—employees are concernedthat they might not hear warnings and alarms if their ears are covered or plugged.If this last point concerns your employees, make sure you address it in your train-ing. Point out that ear protection doesn’t eliminate sounds, it merely reduces them

Why it matters … � Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common occupational

illness.

� In one recent year, OSHA gave out 848 citations for violationsof its Noise Standard in manufacturing industries, with penal-ties totaling more than $700,000.

� Violation of the Noise Standard was one of the top 20 mostfrequently cited violations in the manufacturing sector.



to a safe level. If appropriate, review hand signals that should be used when noiselevels are high, and remind employees to use both their eyes and their ears to stayalert for danger.

How much is too much (and what’s a decibel, anyway)? OSHA’s noise stan-dard (29 CFR 1910.095) requires hearing protection when employees are exposedto 85 decibels (dB) or higher averaged over 8 hours. A “decibel” is simply a unit ofsound measurement, like an inch or an ounce, and 85 of them are roughly equal torunning a lawn mower or hair dryer. Ask your employees to imagine standing nextto a running lawn mower or hair dryer all day, and they’ll probably agree that pro-tecting their ears against that kind of noise is a good thing. By reviewing the typesof work and areas of the workplace that generate this noise level or greater,employees should understand that getting into the habit of wearing ear protectionis a lot more important than they thought.

September—National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery MonthDrug-Free Workplace Act

To acknowledge National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, brush upyour approach to keeping drugs and alcohol out of the workplace.

How compelling is your antidrug message?Your presentation doesn’t have tosound like a high school “drug education” class. Instead, keep the focus on safety: thefact that people under the influence of drugs or alcohol are likely to have impairedjudgment, which endangers themselves and their coworkers. Avoid a debate—orworse, having the audience tune you out—by emphasizing what everyone can agreeon: Drugs and alcohol in the workplace lead to accidents and injuries.

Policies and consequences should be crystal clear. It’s impossible to be tooclear about your company’s drug and alcohol policy—and what can happen to any-one who violates it. If a violation occurs, the offender should not be able to claim thathe or she was not adequately informed. Don’t generalize about consequences:

� Too general: “Violation of our drug policy is subject to disciplinary action.”

� Better: “Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol on the job is grounds fortermination.”

Why it matters … � In a recent federal study, 1 in 14 workers admitted to illegal

drug use (suggesting that the percentage may in fact behigher).

� NIOSH reports that drug- and alcohol-related workplacefatalities occur regularly in the United States.

� Companies covered by the Drug-Free Workplace Act canlose their federal contracts for noncompliance—and mustwait 5 years to regain eligibility for new contracts.

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The Drug-Free Workplace Act is a helpful model. Most companies thatreceive federal contracts or grants are covered by this federal law (some stateshave similar laws for companies receiving state funds). Under the law, employersmust notify employees in writing that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dis-pensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the work-place. The company must also establish a “drug-free awareness program” thatinforms employees about:

� The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace

� The company’s drug-free workplace policy

� Any available antidrug counseling or assistance programs

� Penalties on employees for drug abuse violations

Even if your company is not covered by federal or state “drug-free workplace” laws,their requirements are a good outline for developing antidrug policies and trainingprograms.

October—National Fire Prevention WeekMake fire prevention a hot issue29 CFR 1910.39

In honor of National Fire Prevention Week, here are some ideas for effective train-ing in preventing fires in your workplace.

Follow the plan. OSHA regulations require many companies to have written FirePrevention Plans. The basic requirements for such plans are clearly spelled out in therules (29 CFR 1910.39) and can be used as a fire prevention training session outline:

� A list of all major fire hazards

� Proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials

� Potential sources of ignition and how to control them

� Controlling accumulations of flammable and combustible materials, such asoily rags, piles of waste paper and cardboard, etc.

� Proper maintenance of safety devices on heat-producing equipment designedto prevent fires

Why it matters … � Fire departments responded to 1.6 million fires in one

recent year, which caused nearly 4,000 civilian deaths.

� These fires caused more than $12 billion in property damage, more than three times the amount of damagecaused by hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

� In the same year, OSHA cited more than 250 violations ofrules related to fire prevention and emergencies, with penalties totaling nearly $100,000.



� Identification of the people responsible for maintenance of fire-preventionequipment and control of flammable fuel sources

Hazard information is key. OSHA also requires employers to inform employeesabout potential fire hazards of their jobs at the time they are assigned to these jobsand to review aspects of the Fire Prevention Plan that apply to them. In otherwords, it may not be enough to simply review all the possible fire hazards in theworkplace and how to avoid them; the training should be specific to each job area.Examples might include:

� Reviewing the hazards of flammable chemicals and training employees to readthe SDSs and labels for these chemicals

� Knowing how to safely handle and store flammable substances such as chemi-cal compounds and flammable gases

� Identifying specific sources of heat or ignition in the work area and how tocontrol them

� Housekeeping measures needed to reduce hazards

Consider a “Fire Risk Assessment.” Training sessions are usually most effectivewhen the audience is directly involved and participating. Conduct an exercise inwhich the group names all the possible fire hazards in their work areas and rankseach hazard as Low, Medium, or High Risk. This will help employees understandthe most critical fire hazards and what they need to do to prevent a disaster.

November—Lung Cancer Awareness MonthLung safety

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month—an appropriate setting for remindingemployees about protecting their lungs both on and off the job.

Occupational lung disease can be a killer. Many serious—even fatal—lung diseases can be traced to workplace hazards, including:

� Lung cancer, from inhaling carcinogenic chemicals, asbestos, and certain typesof carbons

� Asbestosis, a progressive lung disease that results from inhaling asbestos fibers

� Silicosis, from inhaling silica dust found in stone, clay, and glass manufacturing,as well as blasting operations

Why it matters … � Lung disease is the number one work-related illness in the

United States in terms of severity, frequency, and preventability.

� Occupational lung cancer is estimated to kill between15,000 and 20,000 people each year.

� Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for bothmen and women in the United States.

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� Occupational asthma, from exposure to any number of vapors, gases, fumes, ordusts that can trigger an asthma attack

� Certain industry-specific diseases such as black lung (coal) and brown lung(textiles)

In addition, studies clearly show that smokers are more susceptible than nonsmok-ers to developing occupational lung diseases.

Employees should recognize the key risk factors. Hot, closed-in work areasand poor ventilation magnify the potential for developing lung problems if disease-causing substances are present. Remind employees that they should knowboth the hazards of the substances they work with AND the conditions that mightincrease the risk. They should make it a habit to always:

� Read the labels and SDSs of hazardous substances to understand the dangersof inhaling the substance—and do it BEFORE using the substance.

� Avoid or minimize breathing in any sort of dust, vapors, fumes, or gases.

� Make sure that engineering controls, such as ventilation and exhaust systems,are in place and functioning properly.

Of course, anyone who works in an area with high levels of hazardous substancesin the air must wear an appropriate respirator and know how to use it properly.

Early detection is key to treating lung diseases. The success of medical treat-ment for lung diseases usually depends on how early the disease is detected.(Even lung cancer can be treated successfully if found at an early stage.) Encour-age employees to get a medical examination if they develop symptoms, such a per-sistent cough, and they have reason to believe the problem may be work related.But most important, emphasize that occupational lung diseases can be preventedin the first place with the right combination of hazard awareness, engineering con-trols, PPE, and common sense.

December—Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention MonthRemind employees that safe driving is no accident

December is Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, and with the onset ofthe holidays and winter weather, it’s a good opportunity to remind employeesabout driving safely both on and off the job.

Why it matters … � More than 13,000 people died in work-related roadway

accidents in the United States between 1992 and 2001.

� In 2002 alone, more than 17,000 people in the United Statesdied in alcohol-related roadway accidents.

� Accidents involving drugs and alcohol will affect one inthree Americans during their lifetime.



Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of work-related deaths.Roadway accidents not only kill employees such as truck drivers, who spend all of their time on the road, but also employees who simply are using their own or a company vehicle for job-related purposes.

A NIOSH study of 3,000 work-related driving fatalities showed that a highwaytragedy can happen to any employee under any circumstances. The study found:

� Nearly half of all accidents involve something other than another motor vehicle—in fact, 14 percent of the workers killed were pedestrians.

� More than two-thirds of accidents occur among workers aged 25 to 54.

� 85 percent of accidents occur during normal weather conditions.

Drinking, drugs, and driving are a fatal combination.More than 40 percent ofall traffic-related deaths in the United States involve alcohol, and drugs such ascocaine and marijuana are involved in approximately 20 percent of fatalities. Mosttragic of all, these accidents often involve children under the legal driving age whoare passengers riding with drivers under the influence. Only 20 percent of the chil-dren killed in alcohol-related accidents were wearing proper safety restraints (seatbelts or car seats).

Remind employees to take safe driving seriously. Use facts and figures, suchas those presented here, to reinforce the message that fatal highway accidents canhave a tragic impact on their own and their families’ lives. Other points to empha-size include:

� Your company’s policies on being under the influence of drugs or alcohol onthe job.

� Mandatory seat belt use for job-related driving—note that 62 percent of the victims in the NIOSH study were NOT wearing any sort of restraints.

� The importance of proper vehicle maintenance—employees should always, ata minimum, check such basic items as tires, front and rear lights, wipers, andwasher fluid before starting out.

� Take it easy in bad weather such as snow and ice—it’s better to arrive late thannot at all.

57

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50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training: Volume 2

©BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 10105000 iii

Table of contents

Section 1: Specific operations safety training tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Chemical hazards: Pesticides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Chemical hazards: Poison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Compressed gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Confined spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Electrical safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Foot safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Forklifts and seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Forklifts and tipovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Hazard Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Hot work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Ladder safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Lifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Machine safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Safety data sheets (SDSs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Process safety management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Scaffold safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Shiftwork safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Slips, trips, and falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Substance abuse in the workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Weather emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Welding safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Section 2: Train the trainer tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Adult learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Audio conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Behavior change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Follow-up training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Multiple locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Posttraining testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

PowerPoint® sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

iv50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training: Volume 2

Refresher training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Repetition in safety training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Self-paced training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Trainer training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Web-based training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Section 3: Special event and awareness training tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58January—National Eye Care Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

January—New Year’s Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

March—National Poison Prevention Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

May—Better Hearing and Speech Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

May—National Electrical Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

July—National Fireworks Safety Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

September—National Preparedness Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

October—Eye Injury Prevention Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

October—National Fire Prevention Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

November—Holiday Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

December—National Drunk and Drugged Driving Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Section 1: Specific operations safetytraining tips

Chemical hazards: PesticidesBoot camp for pesticide workers

Because pesticides are so commonly used, it’s easy for workers to forget that theseproducts contain some very hazardous chemicals—substances that can injure oreven kill those who fail to take the proper precautions. Proper training to preventdangerous exposures is essential.

Begin with the basics. Basic training for pesticide workers begins with the following information:

� Where and in what form pesticides may be encountered during work activities

� Hazards of pesticides resulting from toxicity and exposure, including acute andchronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization

� Routes through which pesticides can enter the body

� Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning

� Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings

� How to obtain emergency medical care

� Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergencyeye-flushing techniques

What the well-dressed worker is wearing. When you’ve covered the basics, it’stime to move on to personal protective equipment (PPE). Employees who handleand use pesticides must wear the PPE specified on the pesticide container label.More information about protection can be found in the SDS for the product. Minimum protection when working with pesticides includes long sleeves, longpants, shoes, socks, rubber gloves, and splashproof eye protection. Respirators maybe required when there is the risk of inhaling mist, dust, or fumes.

Why it matters …� EPA estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 workers are diagnosed

with pesticide poisoning every year.

� EPA regulations, as specified in 40 CFR 170.130, requireemployers to train employees who use pesticides on thejob.

� OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)also requires worker training, as well as warning labels andaccess to safety data sheets (SDSs) when employees handleor work around pesticides on the job.


Make sure workers don’t get mixed up when mixing. Unless proper precau-tions are taken, harmful exposures can easily occur when employees are preparingpesticides for use. For example, employees should always:

� Read the label and/or SDS before mixing chemicals.

� Don proper protective equipment, including coveralls, gloves, boots, goggles,hat, and respirator if required.

� Mix pesticides in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors.

� Follow instructions for mixing on the label, measuring carefully and using onlythe amount specified on the label.

� Keep mixing containers below eye level to prevent splash-ups.

� If pesticides splash or spill on skin or clothing, remove contaminated clothesimmediately and wash thoroughly with soap and water.

� Clean up any spills promptly, following instructions on the label or SDS.

Review the rules for safe application. Of course, workers also need to take precautions when applying pesticides. For example, they need to:

� Inspect equipment before use to make sure it is in good condition, checkingfor loose connections, leaking hoses, dirty filters, or plugged or worn nozzles.

� Make sure there are no people or animals in the area or downwind of application areas.

� Apply only the amount specified on the label at the recommended rate.

� Make sure pesticides don’t contaminate ponds, streams, or other bodies of water.

� Use precautions to prevent contamination.

Teach them how to avoid contamination. To prevent personal contamination,employees who work with pesticides should always follow these basic precautions:

� Read labels and SDSs before using any pesticide.

� Wear required PPE and protective clothing.

� Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with contaminated hands.

� Wash thoroughly before eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or using thetoilet.

� Wash immediately in the event of direct skin exposure to pesticide.

� Shower after work and put on clean clothes.

� Wash work clothes separately from other laundry.

� Get medical attention if pesticides are inhaled or swallowed.

And don’t forget about safe storage. Pesticides should be stored in a labeledcontainer—preferably the original container. Containers should be tightly sealedand checked regularly for leaks or deterioration. Storage areas should be markedwith pesticide warning signs. And pesticides should be protected from tempera-ture extremes.


Chemical hazards: PoisonDanger! Poison! Identify hazards at work and at home

Keep alert to poisoning hazards on the job. Most workplaces contain toxicchemicals, and those substances can poison unprepared and unprotected employ-ees in minutes or slowly over time. There are plenty of ways toxic chemicals canget into the body. For example, they can be inadvertently swallowed if a worker haschemicals on his hands when he wipes his mouth. Or, if after working with a toxicchemical, an employee eats, drinks, or smokes without first washing his or herhands. Even more likely, chemicals can enter the body through the skin, or theycan be inhaled. To prevent poisoning on the job, train employees to take thesebasic precautions:

� Always wear assigned PPE and make sure it fits properly.

� Keep food, coffee mugs, soda cans, and other personal items out of the workarea.

� When working around chemicals, wash thoroughly before eating, drinking,smoking, applying makeup, putting in contact lenses, or using the toilet.

� Wash immediately after any potential exposure to a toxic chemical.

� Change out of work clothing that may have been contaminated by toxic sub-stances and shower or wash thoroughly before going home.

� Launder potentially contaminated work clothes separately from family laundry.

� Store street clothes separate from work clothes and away from any possiblepoisonous substances.

Prevent poisoning at home. Most poisonings happen in the home, and most inci-dents involve young children. Make sure your employees know how to poison-prooftheir homes by recommending the following simple but effective precautions:

� Keep all household cleaning products, medicines, and chemical products inhome workshops and garages out of reach of the children—preferably inlocked cabinets above waist height.

Why it matters …� OSHA estimates that as many as 60,000 deaths and 860,000

occupational illnesses annually can be attributed to expo-sure to toxic chemicals in the workplace.

� Studies indicate that absorption of chemicals through theskin is the most common means of poisoning (more thantwice as common as exposure through inhalation) and canoccur without being noticed by an unprotected worker.

� Every 7 minutes a child under the age of 5 ends up in theemergency room because of unintentional poisoning in the home.

� Most home poisonings were caused by the misuse of commonhousehold products, says the U.S. Consumer Product SafetyCommission.


� Store cleaning products in their original, labeled containers, and keep themseparate from food and beverages.

� When working with products that contain hazardous ingredients, never letthem out of your sight if children are in the house.

� Follow instructions for use on the label (e.g., adequate ventilation), and userecommended protective equipment (e.g., gloves).

� Close tamperproof tops on medicine containers carefully after use.

� If you take medication at night, turn on the light to make sure you reach for theright bottle.

� Keep the number for the Poison Control Center by your phone.

Compressed gasesWorking with compressed gases29 CFR 1910.101-105

Compressed gas cylinders must be manufactured to meet various safety standardsand they come equipped with a variety of safety features. Even so, compressedgases cause numerous workplace accidents every year—some of them fatal.

OSHA has specific storage requirements. Although there is some variationdepending on the gas, all cylinders must be stored:

� In a dry, well-ventilated area

� At least 20 feet from combustible materials, heat sources, or electrical wiring

� Away from stairs and elevators

� In locations where they are unlikely to be knocked over or banged

� Upright, secured by a chain or cable

� At least 20 feet from oxygen cylinders

� With valves closed and valve protection caps screwed down

� With the oldest cylinders placed so that they will be used first

Why it matters …� Compressed gas is often flammable and can explode like a

bomb.

� When ignited, cylinders can also be as destructive as a missile, flying through the air, spinning, ricocheting, andcrashing through anything in their path.

� Some compressed gases are toxic and can make workerssick—or kill them.

� All too often workers don’t recognize, or sufficiently appreciate, these serious hazards and, as a result, fail to take appropriate precautions.



Accident potential increases when cylinders are moved. Train your employ-ees to be very careful and to follow these handling precautions:

� Move cylinders secured upright to a hand truck or other appropriate device.

� Keep valve protection caps on when moving them.

� Don’t try to carry cylinders by hand, roll, or drag them.

� Make sure not to bump, bang, or drop cylinders.

� Keep them away from sparks, heat, fire, and electrical circuits while moving them.

� Avoid handling cylinders with oily or greasy hands.

� Be careful of fingers and avoid pinch points.

Compressed gases can be deadly if not used safely. Any employee who workswith compressed gases needs to know about these key safety precautions:

� Use cylinders only in well-ventilated areas.

� Keep them away from heat and ignition sources.

� Never smoke around compressed gas cylinders.

� Make sure they are secured upright when in use.

� Open valves slowly, making sure they are pointed away from co-workers.

� Don’t try to force valves that won’t open. Report the problem.

� Don’t tamper with safety devices.

� Make sure that equipment is compatible with the cylinder pressure and contents.

� Check all connections before use and periodically during use to make surethey are not leaking.

� Keep valves closed when cylinders are not in use.

� When a cylinder is empty, close the valve, disassemble equipment properly,replace the valve protection cap, mark the cylinder “empty,” and store it sepa-rately from full cylinders.

Confined spacesWhere training can make the difference between life and death29 CFR 1910.146

Confined spaces are dangerous places. They often contain numerous hazards—some potentially fatal. That’s why everyone associated with a confined space entryhas to be properly trained and work together to make sure the workers who go income out safely.

Bring them back alive. Authorized entrants are the ones at risk from themoment they step inside a confined space until they exit. They must be trained to:

� Identify confined space hazards and the potential consequences of those haz-ards to their safety and health.

� Recognize the signs and symptoms of dangerous exposures.

� Operate any equipment necessary to test, monitor, and ventilate the atmos-phere in a confined space; communicate with others working inside and out-side the space; and protect themselves from exposure to hazards.

� Wear a harness attached to a retrieval line (or when appropriate, wristlets) to allowfor a speedy rescue in an emergency. (Of course, entrants generally also need towear other PPE, such as a hard hat, eye protection, and protective clothing.)

� Remain in contact with the attendant outside the space, alerting the attendantimmediately to any signs of exposure or other danger in the space.

� Know how to leave the space quickly and safely after identifying a problem orgetting a signal or order from the attendant or entry supervisor to evacuate.

Why it matters …Your confined space entrants could face life-threatening hazards such as:

� Flammable gas, vapor, mist, or dust at levels high enough tocause a fire or explosion

� Toxic, gas, vapor, mist, or dust at levels high enough to causeillness or death if inhaled

� Oxygen levels below what you need to breathe, causing suffocation

� Liquids or flowing solids (e.g., sand) that could cover, bury,or smother

� Entrapping design (e.g., walls that curve in, floors that slopeand taper down)

� Heat high enough to cause exhaustion or heatstroke

� Falls caused by damp floors, slippery handholds, or entrapping spaces

� Noise that could damage hearing or make it hard to heardirections or warnings

� Energy and/or equipment that could cause electrocution,fire, or explosion


Make sure they understand their job is serious. Attendants must remain justoutside a confined space during the entire entry operation to monitor and protectthe entrant. Attendants must be trained to:

� Identify the hazards of the space, the consequences of exposure, and the signsand symptoms of exposure.

� Maintain an accurate count of authorized entrants and know who is in thespace.

� Remain in constant contact with workers in the space.

� Monitor activities that could affect the safety of entrants inside and outside thespace.

� Order entrants to evacuate immediately if conditions inside or outside thespace could endanger entrants, if a worker in the space shows signs of danger-ous exposure, or if the attendant can’t safely and effectively perform his or herduties.

� Summon rescue services when necessary or perform nonentry rescues whenauthorized and practical. (Nonentry rescue might, for example, involve using aretrieval line and winch to pull out entrants in trouble.)

� Keep unauthorized people away from the space and alert the entry supervisorif any such people enter the permit area.

Attendants should never:

� Leave their post even for a moment (if they need a break, another trainedattendant must take their place).

� Enter the space for any reason (including an attempt to rescue entrants).

Select and train them very carefully! Entry supervisors are responsible for theoverall entry operation. They must be trained to:

� Understand and be able to identify confined space hazards and communicatethese to entrants and attendants.

� Recognize the signs and consequences of dangerous exposures and describethese to entrants and attendants.

� Make sure the entry permit is complete and that listed tests and hazardremoval controls have been completed; listed procedures are followed; listedsafety, communications, and rescue equipment is in place; and rescue servicesare available.

� Sign, date, and post the permit outside the confined space.

� Make sure no one enters the space until the supervisor has determined it to be safe and has posted the permit.

� Remove unauthorized people from the permit area when alerted by an attendant.

� Cancel the entry and the permit when operations are complete and allentrants are accounted for. (A permit should also be canceled if a dangerouscondition arises and entrants have to be evacuated.)


Electrical safetyCan’t touch this! Plug in to these electrical safety tips29 CFR 1910 Subpart S

In training, be sure to emphasize basic electrical safety with your “unqualified”workers (those who haven’t been trained to work with live electrical parts accord-ing to the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.332). After all, employees don’t have to beelectricians or do electrical repair work to come in contact with dangerous elec-tricity. Just working with electrical equipment could put them at risk. Here aresome key training points you can use to help keep all your workers safe.

Don’t use ...

� Cords or wires with damaged or worn insulation.

� Electrical equipment that smokes, sparks, shocks, smells, blows a fuse, or trips acircuit.

� Any non-ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet in a wet area.

� Cords or electrical equipment in areas with explosive or flammable materialsthat are not approved for this specific use.

� A cord with a bent or missing grounding plug.

� A metal ladder or hard hat when working near electricity.

� Metal tools to work on electrical equipment.

� Electrical cords to raise or lower equipment.

� Extension cords unless necessary, and then only use a cord that is rated highenough for the job.

Don’t touch ...

� Anything electric when your hands are wet, when you’re standing on a wetfloor, or when you’re in contact with a wet surface.

� An electrical fire or an electrical shock victim.

Don’t place ...

� Cords where they can be stepped on, run over by material-handling equip-ment, or damaged in any other way.

� Cords near heat or water.

� Sharp fasteners or nails on electrical cords.

Why it matters …� The human body is a good conductor of electricity. Given

enough voltage, electrical current can stop a heart in sec-onds, and in fact, electrocution is among the main causes of workplace deaths.

� Electricity can also be converted into heat by the body andliterally cook a victim. This can happen even at a fairly lowvoltage as long as the power is high enough to heat thebody faster than it can get rid of the generated heat.


Don’t permit ...

� Overloaded outlets or circuits

� Loose electrical connections

� Dust or dirt buildup on machinery

� Blind reaches into any areas that may contain energized parts

� Combustible trash on or around electrical equipment or circuits

� Anyone who isn’t trained and qualified to repair electrical equipment

� Attempts to use or start locked or tagged out electrical equipment

� Unauthorized removal of a lockout device or tag

� Any hesitation in calling trained emergency responders for electrical fires,shock, or serious burns

Foot safetyToe-tapping tips for better foot protection29 CFR 1910.136

Most of your employees probably don’t think much about their feet—until a foot isinjured or begins to hurt. Damage to even one bone, ligament, or muscle in the footcan be very painful and make it difficult or impossible for workers to keep on theirfeet and do their jobs.

There are all kinds of hazards waiting for unprotected feet. Foot injuries onthe job can result from:

� Broken bones caused by heavy falling or rolling objects

� Bruises and stubbed toes caused by bumps

� Puncture wounds from sharp objects

� Sprains from slips, trips, and falls

� Amputations caused by machinery and tools

� Burns from hot or hazardous substances

Why it matters …� Foot-related injuries are more common than most people

think—about 500 a day in U.S. workplaces.

� The majority of those injuries occur when workers aren’twearing the right foot protection.

� The two major categories of work-related foot injuries areinjuries from punctures, crushing, and lacerations; andinjuries resulting from slips, trips, and falls, including sprainsand broken bones.

� A single foot injury can cost your company thousands ofdollars in medical bills and lost work time.


OSHA says make them wear the right protection for the job. The regulations(Section 1910.136) require foot protection when there is a danger of foot injuries.Depending on the specific hazards, employees may need to wear special foot pro-tection such as:

� Rubber or wooden-soled shoes for wet or slippery surfaces

� Reinforced impact-resistant work shoes or boots to protect feet and toes frombeing bruised or crushed

� Rubber or neoprene boots to protect against chemical hazards

� Metal insoles or reinforced soles to protect against punctures

� Nonconducting shoes, with no metal or nails, for working around electricity

Foot-safe footwear prevents the agony of the feet. Even when special protec-tive footwear isn’t needed, work shoes or boots should:

� Fit comfortably, without slipping or pinching the foot or toes.

� Be solidly constructed of sturdy materials that can resist wear and tear.

� Provide good foot support.

� Have low heels and nonskid soles for good traction.

� Be in good condition, with no rips or holes.

� Fasten securely; laces shouldn’t drag on the floor.

Put your best foot forward to prevent foot injuries. Teach employees thesegeneral foot safety rules as well:

� Identify foot hazards for your job and select the proper foot protection.

� Always wear appropriate foot protection whenever there is a risk of foot injury.

� Keep alert to foot hazards and avoid careless or risky behavior that couldresult in a foot injury.

� Watch where you’re going and walk, don’t run, from place to place.

� Always pay attention to where you place both your feet.

Forklifts and seat beltsFasten those seat belts29 CFR 1910.178

Why it matters …� As with any other kind of vehicle accident, wearing a seat

belt while operating a forklift can minimize injuries andsave lives.

� The safest place for a forklift operator to be in the event ofa rollover is strapped into his or her seat, protected by theROP.

� In case after case, investigators of forklift fatalities almostalways list, “Ensure that all workers wear seat belts on fork-lifts” as one of the recommendations for preventing futureaccidents.


Forklift operators should wear seat belts. Why? Analysis of forklift accidentsreveals that the operators who were injured or killed were often not wearing seatbelts. While seat belts can’t prevent accidents, they can prevent serious injuries andsave lives. Here are three real accident reports that tell the story:

1. An employee was using a forklift to move waste material into a large, drive-inwaste Dumpster on the company’s outdoor loading dock. He’d just dumped aload and was backing out of the Dumpster when he backed off the side of theloading dock, falling just under 4 feet to the pavement below. Since he wasn’twearing a seat belt, he was thrown from the forklift and was crushed under thetruck’s rollover cage. He died 9 days later.

2. An employee was driving an unloaded forklift down a ramp with a 13 percentslope when the forklift started to tip over. The operator attempted to jump clear,and the rollover protective structure (ROP) landed on him and killed him. Theemployee was not wearing the supplied seat belt.

3. A forklift operator drove his truck down a ramp rapidly and appeared to beattempting to make a sharp left turn. The forklift overturned. Apparently, theemployee was unaccustomed to the quickness and sharp turning radius of thenew forklift. He was also not wearing the provided seat belt, and when he fellfrom the seat, his head was caught under the overhead protective cage.

What OSHA says about forklifts and seat belts. Here’s a direct quote:

“OSHA’s enforcement policy on the use of seat belts on powered industrial trucksis that employers are obligated to require operators of powered industrial trucksthat are equipped with operator restraint devices, including seat belts, to use thedevices. CSHOs [Compliance Safety and Health Officers] will enforce the use ofsuch devices under Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act.”

Getting operators to wear their seat belts—easier said than done! Some com-mon complaints from operators are that the seat belts are restricting and that it’seasy to forget to put the belt on when they have to get in and out of a truck a lot.Keep in mind that you are likely to hear the same kinds of excuses you get fromemployees who fail to use other kinds of required PPE. So use the same type ofapproach when combating those objections. For example:

� Tell forklift operators that they’re required to use seat belts, and enforce your pol-icy the way you do all your other safety rules. (Lax enforcement of seat belt rulesis frequently cited as an important reason so many operators fail to use them.)

� Recount stories like the ones above, and if you can, use pictures of one of theseaccidents. Some employees may scoff, but that ugly picture is going to stickwith them somewhere in the back of their minds—and it might just make themsnap on the belt.

� Remind them that no matter how much a nuisance wearing a seat belt mightbe, it’s worth it to ensure that they can go home to their families and friendssafely.

Of course, another option is to refit your forklifts with seat belts that won’t allow theoperator to start up the forklift unless the belt is buckled. For a modest per-truckcost, you can improve compliance. But you still have to monitor, because operatorscan just buckle the belt and sit on it. So you still have to get them to see the impor-tance of wearing a seat belt. And then you’ve got to keep a sharp eye on them tomake sure they always do.


Forklifts and tipoversTips about tipovers29 CFR 1910.178

What causes tipovers? Common causes of forklift tipovers include:

� Exceeding the load capacity of the forklift

� Excessive speed when turning

� Turning on an inclined or uneven surface

� Getting too close to an edge

� Traveling with the load raised too high

� Turning or braking suddenly with a raised load

� Tilting a raised load too far forward

The two types of tipovers to watch out for. Forklifts can tip forward (longitudi-nal tip) or sideways (lateral tip). For example:

1. An operator drives a loaded forklift down a ramp. Because he is traveling withthe load in front and raised too high, the forklift tips forward as he goes downthe ramp (longitudinal tip).

2. A forklift operator transports a pallet from a warehouse to an outside storageyard. As he turns from an asphalt-paved alley onto the gravel-surfaced storageyard, the forklift tips to the outside of the turn (lateral tip).

Take steps to prevent tipovers. The best way to avoid forklift tipovers is to make sure operators are properly trained and tested to prove their proficiency.OSHA requirements for operator training can be found in 29 CFR 1910.178. Here are some other tips for avoiding tipovers:

� Never exceed the load capacity of a forklift.

� Take turns slowly.

� Never turn on a ramp.

� Make sure the load is always facing uphill when going up or down inclines.

� Keep forks low when traveling (no more than 4 to 6 inches above the ground).

� Watch out for dips, potholes, and edges.

� Keep the load tilted back while traveling.

� Tilt the mast forward only when picking up or dropping off a load.

Why it matters …� It’s estimated that somewhere between 20 percent and

30 percent of forklift accidents involve tipovers.

� Many of these accidents result in fatalities, especially whenthe operator is not wearing a seat belt.

� Experience proves that operators who are properly trained,keep within the forklift’s load capacity, and follow rules ofsafe operation avoid tipovers.


� Don’t turn or brake suddenly with load raised.

� Be alert to the mast’s clearance when traveling through doorways or in areaswhere there are pipes or other overhead obstructions.

What to do in the event of a tipover. Forklift operators should be instructed tostay with the forklift if it starts to tip over. Intuition might tell operators that theywould be safer if they tried to jump clear, but experience proves that this is not true.When a forklift starts to roll, it might appear that there’s plenty of time to jump clearsafely. But as the forklift continues into a roll, it accelerates rapidly. An operator whoattempts to jump clear could be pinned by or crushed under the vehicle. The bestprotection in a tipover is to wear the seat belt and stay belted in until the forklifthas come to rest and help arrives.

Hazard CommunicationWhat your workers don’t know can hurt them29 CFR 1910.1200

Employees have the right and the need to know. Workers today are protectedagainst chemical hazards in part by the requirements of OSHA’s Hazard Communi-cation Standard (1910.1200)(HazCom). HazCom requires your organization tohave a written hazard communication program that covers everything from hazardidentification to preventive measures to employee training. Also known as theRight-to-Know law, HazCom is a long and detailed standard, but it’s based on ashort and simple concept—your employees have both a right and a need to knowabout the hazards of the chemicals they’re exposed to on the job.

Make sure HazCom training covers all the basics. OSHA stresses that thetraining provisions of 1910.1200 are not satisfied solely by giving employees an SDSto read or telling them to look on the label for hazard information and requiredprecautions. Specific training requirements in Paragraph 1910.1200(h) include:

� Information about the standard

� Operations in the work area where hazardous chemicals are present

� Location and availability of your written hazard communication program,including lists of hazardous chemicals and SDSs

� Methods used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in thework area (sampling and monitoring, for example)

� Physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area

Why it matters …� There are over 650,000 hazardous chemical products found

in over 3 million workplaces across America.

� More than 32 million American workers are exposed to hazardous substances in their workplaces.

� In one recent year, hazard communication violations hitOSHA’s most-often-cited violations list three times.


� Measures workers can take to protect themselves from these hazards, includingspecific procedures such as appropriate work practices, emergency proce-dures, and PPE

� Details of your hazard communication program, including an explanation ofyour labeling system, how to read and interpret an SDS, and how to use thisinformation to prevent exposure

That’s a lot to cover, but ... Remember that you don’t have to conduct a trainingsession on each specific chemical found in your facility. Training sessions can covercategories of hazards—for example, carcinogens, sensitizers, or acutely toxic agents.And while you will have to provide additional training whenever a new physical orhealth hazard is introduced into the work area, you don’t have to retrain every timeyou introduce a new chemical as long as it doesn’t pose new hazards. Of course,you still have to make sure that new employees know the specifics of your organiza-tion’s hazard communication program, such as where the SDSs are located, detailsof your in-plant labeling system, and the hazards of new chemicals to which theywill be exposed.

Don’t forget about temps and non-English-speaking employees. Temporaryworkers must also receive hazard communication training. Temporary agencies areonly responsible for providing generic hazard training and information concern-ing categories of chemicals temps may potentially encounter.You are responsiblefor providing site-specific hazard training. And if yours is a multilingual workplace,OSHA reminds you that hazard communication training must be “comprehensible”to all affected employees. So if you have employees who are not proficient in Eng-lish and who receive job instructions in a language other than English, hazardcommunication training and information to be conveyed under the HazCom willalso need to be conducted in a foreign language.

Hot workHot tips for working in the heat

Health risks rise along with the mercury. Those who must work outdoors in hightemperatures—or indoors where processes or inadequate air-conditioning create asteamy hot environment—see a different side of summertime than most. Becauseheat can cause a range of ailments from discomfort to death, it’s essential that yourworkers, and their supervisors, understand the risks and how to protect against them.

Why it matters …� The combination of heat, humidity, and human labor can

be deadly.

� Every year thousands of workers end up in the emergencyroom suffering from heat-related illness—and some of themend up dying.

� Training workers to understand heat hazards and how totake the proper precautions to prevent heat-related illnesswill not only protect their health, it will also keep them onthe job where you need them, even on the hottest days.


That means with summer on your doorstep and the temperatures already starting tosoar, this is the right time to arrange some “hot” safety training. You’ll want to explainthe possible health hazards of working in the heat, along with precautions for avoid-ing illness and basic first aid if a coworker is affected by the heat.

Heed these hot tips for keeping workers cool. To protect workers in hot envi-ronments, OSHA recommends that you take these essential actions:

� Consider a worker’s physical fitness to work in a hot environment.

� Have employees work in pairs to reduce stress and so that they can keep aneye on each other’s physical condition.

� Provide easy access to a supply of safe drinking water and encourage workersto drink plenty of water throughout their shift.

� Avoid scheduling the heaviest work on the hottest days or at the hottest time ofthe day.

� Alternate work and rest periods in very hot weather, making sure workers havea cool, shady place to take their breaks.

� Monitor temperatures and worker responses on a regular basis.

� Train workers to recognize and treat the signs of heat-related illness.

Stress the signs and treatment of heat-related illness. Include this basic infor-mation in your training on heat hazards and first aid:

� Heat stress is a common reaction to high temperatures, especially whenaccompanied by strenuous activity. Symptoms include thirst, fatigue, dizziness,and even difficulty seeing.

What to do: Take a break in a cool place and drink cool water or juice.

� Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms in arms, legs, or intestines that arecaused by losing salt while sweating.

What to do: Cool down and drink water or juice. Also make sure the diet includesfoods that will replace lost salt.

� Heat exhaustion can make a person feel weak and possibly dizzy and/ornauseous. Other symptoms include chills, clammy skin, and profuse sweating.

What to do: Rest in a cool spot (preferably with feet slightly elevated) and drinkplenty of fluids. If condition doesn’t soon improve, seek medical attention. Take iteasy for a few days following an incident, especially if excessive heat continues tobe a work factor, and reduce the pace of activity.

� Heatstroke is the most serious type of heat-related sickness and is, in fact, lifethreatening. Emergency medical attention is required. A victim of a heatstrokestops sweating, causing the body to overheat. Symptoms include hot andflushed skin, poor coordination, and confusion, possibly followed by loss ofconsciousness.

What to do: While waiting for the EMTs to arrive, move the person to a cool place,sponge with cold water, apply ice packs or cold drink cans, or immerse in coldwater. Offer drinking water only if the person is conscious.



Ladder safetyAlmost all adder accidents are preventable29 CFR 1910.25 Ladders, Wood/Fiberglass29 CFR 1910.26 Ladders, Metal

You can easily prevent ladder accidents because most of them are caused byeither risky behavior or faulty setup of ladders. Fortunately, both of these mistakescan be corrected with a simple training session.

Make sure employees understand the rules for safe ladder setup:

� Place the ladder on a firm, level surface, and check to make sure it’s stable. Usewide boards under a ladder if the ground is soft.

� Never set up a ladder in front of a door unless the door is locked or someoneis posted on the other side to keep people from opening it while you’re up onthe ladder.

� Never lean a ladder against a window or any other surface that isn’t strongenough to support the weight of a person.

� Never lean a ladder against a surface that might move.

� Fully extend the spreaders on a stepladder and lock them in place beforeclimbing.

� Secure locking devices on extension ladders before climbing.

Stress these special rules for setting up extension ladders:

� Secure the ladder top and bottom to make sure it doesn’t shift while you areon it. (This is one of the most common reasons for ladder accidents andinjuries.)

� Have at least 3 feet of extension above the support point.

� Make sure that the upper section of an extension ladder overlaps and rests onthe bottom section. The overlap should always be on the climbing side of theladder. For ladders of 36 feet or more, the overlap should be least 3 feet.

Train employees to follow these safety rules when climbing and working onladders:

� Check your shoes before you climb, and wipe off wet, muddy, or greasy soles.

� Allow only one person on a ladder at a time.

� Face the ladder when you go up or down, holding on to the side rails with bothhands as you climb.

Why it matters …� Falls from ladders kill hundreds of workers every year.

� Many thousands more suffer serious, sometimes disabling, injuries that can keep them out of work for a long time.

� Some workers might even be permanently disabled andnever able to return to their regular jobs.

� Don’t climb higher than the fourth rung from the top on a straight or extensionladder or the second step from the top on a stepladder.

� Carry tools up on a belt or shoulder strap, or hoist them up once you’re inplace atop the ladder. Then keep them in a hanger or holder while you work.

� Keep one hand on the ladder while you work.

� Move slowly and cautiously.

� Keep your body centered on the ladder as you work. A good rule of thumb is tokeep your belt buckle between the rails.

� Don’t overreach—take the time to get down and move the ladder instead.

� Never reposition a ladder while you’re on it.

� Be extra careful when using a ladder outdoors in very windy conditions.

� Never slide down a ladder.

� Never climb a ladder if you are very tired, feeling ill, taking medication thataffects alertness, or impaired by alcohol or drugs.

And don’t forget to remind your workers to always choose the right ladder for the job (right height and weight capacity) and inspect it carefullybefore use to make sure it’s in good, safe condition.

LiftingProper lifting techniques

Safe lifting is as easy as one, two, three. The secret to safe lifting is to:

1. Assume the safe lifting position. Stand close to the object and keep a widestance. Keep feet turned out and heels down. Then squat by bending at thehips and knees. Ears, shoulders, and hips should form a nearly straight, verticalline.

2. Prepare to lift. Pull the load close to the body (this reduces pressure on theback) and grasp the object firmly. Tighten stomach muscles.

3. Let your legs do the lifting. Maintain the natural curves of the spine and riseup from the squatting position using the legs to power the lift. Don’t bend overat the neck, shoulders, or waist while lifting.

Why it matters …� Nearly 1,000 American workers injure their backs on the job

every day.

� The majority of these injuries occur while an employee islifting, carrying, or unloading materials.

� Once injured, backs are more susceptible to reinjury.

� Back injuries contribute significantly to lost workdays andlost productivity.



When it’s time to unload, face the chosen spot and lower the load slowly—againby using the legs, not the back. Simply bend the knees and lower the body with theload, keeping the back comfortably straight.

All lifts are not created equal. Teach your employees these techniques for spe-cial lifting situations.

� Reaching overhead—Use a step stool or ladder. Slide the load close to thebody. Then let the legs and arms do all the work.

� Oversized or heavy loads—Use a two-person lift. Work as a team. Designateone person to direct the lift. Lift at the same time. Keep the load level whencarrying and move smoothly together. Unload at the same time.

� Long objects—Carry lumber, pipe, and other long objects over the shoulder,being careful the ends don’t hit anyone or anything.

� Bags and sacks—Assume the safe lifting position. Grasp the load at oppositetop and bottom corners. Power the body up with the legs and use the arms toraise the load to rest on the hip. Fully stand, and move the load to rest on theshoulder.

Don’t forget to reinforce safe behavior and to correct unsafe behavior. Toparaphrase an old saying, you can teach employees how to lift safely, but you can’tmake them lift safely—without regular reinforcement, that is. When you see anemployee lifting safely, take a moment to provide some positive feedback. Saysomething like, “Good to see you practicing those safe lifting techniques we talkedabout. Keep up the good work!” And when you see an employee lifting incorrectly,be sure to stop and correct the unsafe behavior on the spot. Say something like,“I’m concerned you’re going to hurt your back if you keep lifting that way. If youbend your knees like this [you demonstrate] and lift with your legs, you’re goingto save your back. Go ahead. Try it. I’m sure you’ll see the difference.”

Machine safetyEn ‘Guard’! Dueling with machine hazards29 CFR 1910.211-222

Why it matters …� It’s been estimated that every year workers who operate and

maintain machinery suffer approximately 18,000 amputa-tions, and more than 800 die as a result of machine-relatedaccidents.

� Failure of machine safeguards or employee ignorance ofmachine guarding requirements are contributing factors inmany of these accidents.

� Workplace amputations are one of the most costly workers’compensation claims.

� One-third of nonfatal machine-related amputations result in31 days or more away from work, and some injured workersare permanently disabled and can never return to their regular jobs.

OSHA regulations require the use of machine guards to keep hands, feet, and otherbody parts away from machinery’s dangerous points of operation and power trains(29 CFR 1910.211-222). Here’s a brief rundown on machine safeguards to helpensure that your employees get the training they need to work safely withmachines and prevent amputations and other horrible, disabling accidents.

Machine guards ward off danger. Guards provide physical barriers that preventaccess to hazardous areas. They must be secure and strong, and workers shouldnot be able to bypass, remove, or tamper with them. Guards should not obstructthe operator’s view or prevent employees from working. There are basically fourkinds of guards:

� Fixed: Includes fences, gates, and protective covers for blades, presses, and allmoving parts.

� Interlocking: Disengages the machine’s power source when opened orremoved.

� Adjustable: Provides a barrier that can be adjusted to many different operations.

� Self-adjusting: These barriers move according to the size or position of theworkpiece.

Leave safety to your devices. In addition to machine guards, there are alsosafety devices that keep employees away from danger areas during machine oper-ation. Safety devices must allow safe lubrication and maintenance and not createhazards or interfere with normal machine operation. In addition, they have to besecure, tamper-resistant, and durable. Machine safety devices include:

� Presence-sensing devices, which cause a machine to stop working when abody part enters a certain danger field

� Safety trip controls, which stop a machine automatically if a worker fallsagainst a pressure-sensitive bar

� Restraints, which use cables attached to a worker’s hands and to a fixed pointbehind the worker to prevent hands from coming too close to the machinery’smoving parts

� Pullback devices, which pull the operator’s hands away during the dangerouspart of the operation (for example, when a slide or ram is descending)

Training in the danger zone. Safety training sessions should emphasize theneed to:

� Recognize machine hazards and the potential for serious injuries such asamputations.

� Understand the need for machine safeguards and how they protect employees.

� Check to see that guards are in place at all required points before turning on amachine.

� Realize that removing, bypassing, or tampering with machine guards exposesemployees to serious injuries, including amputations.

� Report any problems with the operation of machine guards to the supervisorright away.

� Refrain from using a machine without required safeguarding or when safe-guarding is not operating properly.


� Feed and operate machines correctly using hand tools when appropriate tokeep hands away from the danger zone during cycling.

� Clear jams or make running adjustments safely.

� Clean and maintain machinery properly, replacing guards and making surethey are in place before using machine.

� Follow lockout/tagout procedures when machine guards must be removed formaintenance or repairs.

And finally, remind them of the AUTO rule:

If you can reachAroundUnderThroughOver an existing machine guard ... STOP! You are in danger—the guard is noteffective!

Safety data sheets (SDSs)Not your grandfather’s SDS29 CFR 1910.1200

Safety data sheets (SDSs) are a critical component of OSHA’s Hazard Communica-tion Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). In fact, OSHA calls SDSs “a one-stop shoppingresource for everything you might need or want to know about a chemical.”

Your employees might be interested to know that rudimentary forms of datasheets have been available since the 19th century, and some trace their historymuch further back to hieroglyphics found inside the Egyptian pyramids regardingthe effects of various chemicals. Modern paper SDSs appeared in the 1940s and1950s, with the first regulatory requirements adopted by the former Bureau ofLabor Standards for the maritime industry before OSHA was created. Not surpris-ingly, in the 21st century the emphasis has shifted to electronic SDS systems.

Why it matters …� Over 30 million American workers are exposed to hazardous

chemicals on the job. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard covers some 650,000 chemical products found in over 3 million establishments.

� The SDS is the vital link between employees and the information they need to work safely with chemicals.

� Employees who don’t understand hazards and protectionsare more likely to have accidents and dangerous exposures.

� SDS violations make their way onto OSHA’s most-frequent-violations list nearly every year, with hundreds of companiescited for failing to make SDSs readily available or failing totrain their workers to interpret the safety and health infor-mation contained in the SDS.


Electronic access has many advantages, and many companies now recognizethe benefits of electronic SDS systems, such as fax-back, CD, customized database,or the Internet.

Case in point: A printing company in Maryland recently purchased a fax-on-demandservice for retrieving SDSs. The phones on the shop floor were all labeled with the800 number for contacting the service. All employees had to do was call the numberand obtain the current SDS on any chemical they needed. The company had theservice a short time when an employee got a rash from a solvent that had spilled onhis hand. His co-workers called the SDS service and took the employee to a hospitala few miles away. By the time they got there, the most up-to-date version of the chem-ical’s SDS had been faxed and forwarded to the hospital, and the fax service was onthe phone with the hospital staff providing them with information about the chemi-cal and its treatment. Thanks to the quick transmittal of information and treatment,the employee returned to work that day.

But does OSHA approve? The OSHA regulation says, “Electronic access, micro-fiche, and other alternatives to maintaining paper copies of [SDSs] are permittedas long as no barriers to immediate employee access in each workplace are cre-ated by such options.”

For example, in the case of a fax-back service, OSHA would consider a failure toprovide immediate employee access to a fax machine or failure to train employ-ees how to contact the service a barrier to access and subject to a citation. The keyissue for OSHA is access, not the type of SDS system you use:

� All employees must be able to access SDSs at all times, meaning the SDSaccess management system must always be functional; and

� All employees who need access to SDSs must be trained to use the systemeffectively to quickly find a specific SDS.

Make sure employees have unimpeded access. If you rely on one of the elec-tronic SDS systems, avoid OSHA violations by making sure to provide a backup sys-tem. If a fax-back service is your primary system, another electronic system mayserve as a backup as long as it is not subject to the same barriers as the primarysystem. If a power outage will render the fax machine and computer inoperable inan emergency, make sure other arrangements to contact the chemical manufac-turer, distributor, or other SDS provider by cell phone or other means have beenmade to obtain the SDS. Otherwise, an on-site paper filing system may be neces-sary as a backup. Either way, document the procedure. Also, periodically test yourprimary and backup systems. Run through an emergency access scenario withyour access provider and your employees. Record the results and put them withyour written Hazard Communication Plan.



Process safety managementHighly hazardous chemicals and the PSM Standard29 CFR 1910.119

The goal is to prevent a catastrophic release. The management of highly hazardous chemicals is regulated by OSHA in 29 CFR 1910.119, the Process SafetyManagement (PSM) Standard. The Standard is intended to prevent or minimize theconsequences of a catastrophic release of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive,highly hazardous chemicals from a process. A “process” is defined by OSHA as “anyactivity or combination of activities including any use, storage, manufacturing, han-dling, or the on-site movement of highly hazardous chemicals.” A process includes“any group of vessels that are interconnected and separate vessels that are locatedso that a highly hazardous chemical could be involved in a potential release.”

Which chemicals are highly hazardous? The Standard applies to any processthat contains a threshold quantity or greater amount of a large number of toxic orreactive hazardous chemicals, which are specified in Appendix A of the Standard.This list gives the chemical name, Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, andthreshold quantity (TQ) in pounds for each substance. The Standard also appliesto 10,000 pounds or greater amounts of flammable liquids and gases and to theprocess activity of manufacturing explosives and pyrotechnics.

Process safety management—the basics. OSHA recognizes that each company and process is different. Therefore, the Standard is performance oriented. However, all companies are required to follow certain basic steps. For example, the Standardrequires you to compile detailed information about the chemicals, technology, andequipment used in regulated processes and conduct a process hazard analysis foreach regulated process. Process hazard analyses must be updated and revalidated atleast every 5 years. In addition, you must develop a written plan for involving employ-ees (both your own and contractor employees) in the management of regulatedprocesses and provide clear written instructions for safely conducting activities involv-ing regulated processes. You also have to inspect and test process equipment regularly,conduct full compliance audits at least every 3 years, develop a written emergencyaction plan, and investigate within 48 hours any incidents that result or could reason-ably have resulted in catastrophic releases of highly hazardous chemicals.

Why it matters …� When 40 metric tons of toxic methyl isocyanate were

released from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal,India, in 1984, 3,000 people died; 100,000 were injured; and50,000 were left partially or totally disabled.

� In more than 20 years since, there have been nearly 200 seri-ous incidents involving highly hazardous chemicals in theUnited States, according to the Chemical Safety Board.

� On average, six of these incidents per year have resulted ininjuries, and there has been an average of five fatalitiesannually.

� Nearly 50 of these incidents affected the public.

Employees need to be well trained. Training for employees operating a processregulated by the Standard must include:

� Overview of the process

� Operating procedures

� Specific safety and health hazards

� Emergency operations

� Safe work practices

Refresher training is required at least every 3 years (and more often if necessary)to ensure that employees understand and follow the current operating proceduresof the process. Whenever there are changes in the process, employees must betrained in those changes before start-up of the new or modified process. Employ-ees responsible for maintaining process equipment must be trained in the processand its hazards. Although OSHA generally holds contractors responsible for train-ing their own employees, you are responsible for taking your contractors’ safetyperformance and programs into account when selecting a contractor. And you areresponsible for informing your contractors about worksite hazards as well as work-place safety rules and emergency procedures.

Scaffold safetyDo’s and don’ts29 CFR 1910.28-29

A lot of workers get hurt—and some get killed—every year in scaffold accidents.But the good news is, almost all scaffold accidents can be prevented by propertraining.

Have you identified the hazards? Scaffold safety training should begin withidentification of the hazards. Common hazards include:

� Falls from an elevation because of lack of fall protection

� Collapse of the scaffold because of instability or overloading

� Being struck by falling tools, work materials, or debris

� Electrocution, principally resulting from proximity of the scaffold to overheadpower lines

Why it matters …� It is estimated that more than 2 million construction workers

frequently work on scaffolds.

� OSHA estimates that protecting these workers from scaffold-related accidents would prevent 4,500 injuries and 50 deathsevery year.

� Improved safety performance can also translate into $90 million saved in lost workdays.


Is your training in line with OSHA requirements? OSHA says that eachemployee who works on a scaffold must be trained by a “qualified” person (i.e.,someone who is knowledgeable about scaffold safety) to recognize hazards asso-ciated with the type of scaffold being used and to understand the procedures necessary to control or minimize those hazards. Training should include:

� Nature of any electrical hazards, fall hazards, and falling object hazards in thework area

� Correct procedures for dealing with hazards and for using personal fall arrestsystems and falling object protection systems

� Proper use of scaffolds, and the proper handling of materials on scaffolds

� Maximum intended load and the load-carrying capacities of scaffolds used

In addition to these topics, employees who are involved in erecting, disassembling,moving, operating, repairing, maintaining, or inspecting scaffolds must be trained in:

� Correct procedures for erecting, disassembling, moving, etc., the type of scaf-fold in question

� Design criteria, maximum intended load-carrying capacity, and intended use ofthe scaffold

And under OSHA regulations, retraining is required whenever:

� Changes at the worksite create hazards about which employees have not beenpreviously trained.

� Changes in the types of scaffolds, fall protection, falling object protection, orother equipment create new hazards.

� Inadequacies in employee performance indicate that workers have notretained the essential safety information they were taught initially.

Do they or don’t they? To make sure employees are safe when working on scaf-folds, teach them these life-saving tips:

DO

� Make sure a competent person has inspected the scaffold before you go up.

� Wear a hard hat whether you work on or under a scaffold.

� Wear sturdy shoes with nonslip soles as well.

� Use a personal fall arrest system whenever required.

� Watch out for coworkers on the scaffold as well as people below.

� Always use common sense when working on any scaffold, and move aroundslowly and carefully.

� Ask a supervisor if you’re not sure if a scaffold or working conditions are safe.

DON’T

� Take chances.

� Overload a scaffold.

� Keep debris or unnecessary materials on a scaffold where someone could tripover them or accidentally knock them off the platform.

� Hit a scaffold with anything heavy—a truck, a forklift, a load of lumber, etc.



� Leave materials and equipment on the platform at the end of the day.

� Use an outdoor scaffold in stormy or windy weather, or if it’s covered with iceor snow.

Shiftwork safetyTraining a 24-hour workforce

If you keep the lights burning 24/7 to provide round-the-clock service or pump upproduction, you know that providing adequate safety training for your shiftworkers isa challenge. The key to success in scheduling training for shiftworkers is accessibility.

Pull them off the line or pay them overtime? If you can afford to pull peopleoff the line or shut down an operation in order to train, that’s probably the bestoption—and the one shiftworkers will be happiest with. But if you can’t do this,another option is bringing workers in before their shift or keeping them after andpaying them overtime for training. The problem here, aside from the expense, isthat it’s often inconvenient for employees. And that means you might not find themat their most receptive, which can result in failure to learn what they need to know.

One solution to this problem is to break long training sessions into bite-sized bits,or modules. This way, you might be able to free up trainees during their shift forshort periods. Even if you can’t, this approach limits employee time commitmentand minimizes interference with personal after-hours plans, which will likelyenhance their commitment and attention.

Bring them in on their day off or staff up an extra crew? Of course, with 12-hour shifts, adding even an extra hour for training is difficult at best, and oftenjust plain impossible. If you train after the shift, workers will just sleep through thesession and be exhausted on their drive home. If you do it before, they lose primesleep time. Some companies solve the problem by bringing employees in for train-ing on their days off and paying them for their time. If you do this, be sure to sched-ule training sessions in the afternoon so that you don’t cut into shiftworkers’ sleeptime. Also be sure to provide trainees with the training schedule far enough aheadso that you don’t run into scheduling conflicts with employees’ personal plans.

Another solution is to add a fifth crew to the normal four-crew schedule. That waythe extra team is available on a rotating basis for training, relief coverage, and specialassignments. Of course, although this may be an ideal option, it’s a costly one. Manycompanies, however, find that the expense can be justified by the pressing need fortraining and team building to support today’s high-performance work systems.

Why it matters …� For training to be effective, you have to schedule sessions at

times when shiftworkers are available, alert, and receptive.

� Without an established shiftworker training strategy, its all too easy for essential safety training to fall through thecracks.

� Because so much safety training is mandated by OSHA, youcould face compliance problems if shiftworkers fail to getrequired training.

Let them schedule their own training?Why not? With today’s tech-poweredtraining options such as online training and self-directed CD, DVD, and PowerPoint®

training programs, letting shiftworkers schedule their own training time may providea simple, efficient, and cost-effective solution. Although this approach may not besuitable for all types of training or all training content, it can be an answer to toughscheduling problems when other options aren’t practical or available. Shiftworkerscan set aside small blocks of time, either during their shift, if possible, or before orafter, to get through a module or two of training material. They can even take train-ing materials home if they want. The upside is that by being able to choose theirown training time, shiftworkers may be more receptive and learn more. The down-side is that you have to set up some kind of monitoring system to make sure theyactually complete required training within an established period of time.

Slips, trips, and fallsDon’t fall behind in your training29 CFR 1910.25 Ladders, Wood/Fiberglass29 CFR 1910.26 Ladders, Metal

Take aim at slip and trip hazards. Slips and trips are major causes of work-place falls and injuries. And one of the biggest contributing factors to slips, trips,and resulting falls is improper housekeeping. Lighting can also be a factor, espe-cially when employees move from light to dark, or dark to light areas of the work-place. Slips, trips, and falls can also occur when workers are carrying large objectsthat obscure their vision. Other causes include:

� Not watching where you’re going

� Spills and wet floors

� Clutter on stairs or walkways

� Uneven, defective flooring, worn stairs, or worn spots in carpets

� Wearing sunglasses in low-light areas

� Failure to use handrails

� Failure to use common sense

Why it matters …� In one recent year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

reported 777 fatal falls in private industry and 255,600 non-fatal falls.

� Slips, trips, and falls are estimated to account for at least 15 percent of all job-related deaths.

� The average direct cost for a single disabling injury hovers near $30,000, with indirect costs significantly higher,according to research conducted at the University ofFlorida.

� Although construction workers accounted for a little morethan half of all workplace falls, that still leaves a large num-ber of fall-related accidents that occur in everyday work-place situations.


Train employees about slip, trip, and fall hazards and periodically refresh that training. In addition:

� Require all personnel to wear proper footwear.

� Instruct employees to clean up spills immediately.

� Create a simple reporting procedure for slip, trip, and fall hazards employeescan’t eliminate on their own—and correct problems right away.

� Investigate all incidents involving slips, trips, and falls to avoid future occurrences.

Focus on eliminating falls from ladders. NIOSH classifies ladder accidents inone of three broad categories:

(1) Accidents in which the wrong ladder is used,

(2) Accidents in which a ladder fails because it is in poor condition, and

(3) Accidents in which the ladder is used improperly.

Of 1,400 ladder accidents in a BLS study, it was found that:

� Fifty-seven percent of fall victims were holding objects with one or both handswhile climbing or descending the ladder.

� Thirty percent had wet, greasy, or oily shoes.

� Fifty-three percent of straight ladders had not been secured or braced at thebottom, and 61 percent had not been secured at the top.

� Sixty-six percent of the fall victims had never been trained in how to inspectladders for defects before using them.

� Seventy-three percent had not been provided written instructions on the safeuse of ladders.

Fortunately, your employees don’t have to become statistics like the workersinvolved in these accidents. You can protect them with a good understanding ofthe OSHA regulations (1910.25 for wood/fiberglass ladders and 1910.26 for metal),the right kind of training, and four simple safety rules:

1. Choose the right ladder for the job—the right height and the right material.

2. Inspect ladders before each use.

3. Set up ladders correctly, and climb and descend carefully.

4. Store ladders properly so that they are not damaged and cannot fall on anyone.

Make sure employees know when fall arrest equipment is required—andhow to use it correctly. OSHA’s fall protection standard identifies situations inwhich fall protection is required as those in which employees work 6 feet or moreabove the ground on:

� Walking ramps and runways

� Unprotected leading edges of floors, roofs, floor formworks, and other surfacesnot actively and continuously under construction

� Faces of formwork or reinforcing steel

� Hoist areas

� Areas above holes, including skylights

� Edges of excavations


� Roofs of various pitches

� Precast concrete structural members that are being put up

� Areas where overhand bricklaying and related work are performed

� Residential construction

� Wall openings

� Areas above equipment, such as machinery, electrical equipment, degreasingunits, or anything that could create a hazard if an employee fell in or on it

Although the fall protection standard was designed for the construction industry,many of its guidelines are useful in other industries for employers who haveemployees who may sometimes work in high places.

Substance abuse in the workplaceHow to spot it among your employees

Do you have substance abusers among your employees? According to theU.S. Department of Labor (DOL), you probably do. DOL reports that the chancesyour organization employs one or more of the millions of American workers whoabuse drugs or alcohol is greater today than ever. DOL also says that their studiesreveal that substance abuse has a tremendously negative impact in the workplace.Substance abusers are more likely to:

� Be absent and/or show up late.

� Make mistakes.

� Take risks.

� Be involved in workplace accidents.

� File workers’ compensation claims.

Getting a handle on this dangerous and costly problem begins with recognizingthe symptoms and identifying possible abusers.

Why it matters …� One in five American workers report that they have been

put in danger or injured as a result of a fellow employee’ssubstance abuse.

� Over 70 percent of substance abusers are employed.

� Up to 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent ofindustrial injuries can be linked to substance abuse, andsubstance abusers are more than three times as likely tohave an accident on the job.

� Alcohol and drug abuse has been estimated to cost American businesses billions of dollars every year in lostproductivity, healthcare costs, and workers’ compensationclaims.


How can you tell if an employee is abusing drugs or alcohol? DOL says thatthe following performance and behavior problems are common to manyemployed individuals who abuse alcohol and/or other drugs:

Performance problems include:

� Inconsistent work quality

� Poor concentration

� Reduced productivity

� Increased absenteeism and lateness

� Unexplained disappearances from the jobsite

� Carelessness, mistakes

� Errors in judgment

� Risk-taking

� Disregard for safety

� Extended lunch periods and early departures

Behavior problems include:

� Frequent financial problems

� Avoidance of friends and colleagues

� Overreacting to criticism

� Blaming others for own problems and shortcomings

� Complaints about problems at home

� Deterioration in personal appearance

� Complaints and excuses of vaguely defined illnesses

Please note, however, that an employee who displays any of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily have a substance abuse problem. There could be other reasons,such as health or emotional problems, or family problems.

What else should you look for? In addition to looking at an employee’s per-formance and behavior, you should also look at what’s going on around thatemployee. For example, when there’s a substance abuse problem, there might alsobe an increase in:

� Complaints from other workers (about mistakes, the employee not doinghis/her share of the work, coming in late and leaving early, or risk-taking behavior)

� Near misses and accidents either involving the worker or taking place aroundthe worker

� Disputes with or aggressive behavior toward other workers and supervisors

� Theft from the company and co-workers

Over time you may also notice deterioration in morale among employees whowork with or around substance abusers.



Weather emergenciesTraining workers for these events

If a devastating weather emergency such as a Hurricane Katrina, a killer tornado, ora deadly blizzard were to strike in your area, would your employees be prepared tocope with such a difficult, stressful, and dangerous situation?

Do they know the plan? If you’ve not done so recently, be sure to review yourorganization’s emergency plan with all your employees. Explain how you willnotify employees about plant closings and provide other critical informationbefore, during, and after an emergency. Give trainees the opportunity to ask ques-tions about anything that is unclear about the plan or any emergency proceduresthey don’t understand. Remind them that it is the time to ask questions and resolveuncertainties. There won’t be time to find out when a real emergency strikes. Alsobe sure all trainees understand their emergency duties. Carefully explain any unfa-miliar duties they will be expected to assume in a crisis.

Are they prepared for the worst? Be sure to cover the worst-case scenario, notto scare trainees, but to prepare them for the potential devastation. They need to beready to deal with crisis-related difficulties such as:

� Power outages

� Downed phone lines resulting in the loss of land-based communication

� Lack of safe drinking water

� Impassable roads

� Gasoline shortages

� Food shortages

� Gas main breaks and resulting fires

� Sewer line breaks creating the risk of disease

� Structural damage to the facility

� Damage to or destruction of homes and personal property

Do they know when to go and when to stay? You also need to review evacua-tion and other emergency action procedures. In some weather emergencies, theremay be very little advance warning, and minutes will count. Employees need toknow how to act swiftly, calmly, and purposefully. Make sure your trainees know:

Why it matters …� Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and other weather emergen-

cies can strike with incredible force and sometimes very lit-tle warning.

� Proper training and preparation saves lives and minimizesdestruction of property.

� The better prepared your employees are for a weather emer-gency, the sooner your organization can be back up andrunning after the weather clears.

� Emergency evacuation routes from their work areas and other parts of thefacility

� Evacuation duties, including shutting down equipment, securing the facility,assisting in the evacuation of coworkers, etc.

� Where to evacuate during a weather emergency

� Procedures for sheltering in place if conditions outside the facility make evac-uation impossible

Have they stocked up on emergency supplies?Whether trainees are at workor at home when a weather emergency strikes your area, they need to have neces-sary emergency supplies on hand to see them through the crisis. Critical emer-gency supplies include:

� Emergency food and water

� Adequate supplies of medicines and first-aid materials

� Hygienic supplies; soap, clean clothes and towels, disinfectants, etc.

� Cell phones and rechargers

� Flashlights with extra batteries

� Portable battery-operated radios

� Blankets

Welding safetyRefresher29 CFR 1910.251-255 (Subpart Q)

OSHA requires special training for welders. OSHA says that employeesinvolved in welding operations must receive detailed training in the safe operationof their equipment and the safe use of the process.

� Welders must be suitably trained in the safe operation of equipment and theselection of appropriate PPE. Only trained and qualified personnel are allowedto use welding equipment.

� Firewatchers must be trained in the use of fire extinguishing equipment andknow how to sound the alarm in the event of a fire.

� Workers who handle oxygen and fuel-gas supply equipment must be trained torecognize the hazards and take necessary safety precautions to prevent firesand explosions.

Why it matters …� Welding is a hazardous activity that poses a unique combi-

nation of both safety and health risks to more than 500,000workers in a wide variety of industries.

� Because it is a common operation in many workplaces, itshazards are often underappreciated.

� OSHA reports that more than four deaths per thousandworkers are attributed to welding accidents.



The specific requirements for different types of welding operations and trainingare contained in 29 CFR 1910.251–255 (Subpart Q).

Remind welders of the “Three Fs.” The three main hazards of welding opera-tions are:

� Fire (from flame, sparks, and slag). Welders should always remove com-bustible materials from the operation area and clean all flammable substancesfrom the work surface. Wooden floors should be covered if possible. Firescreens should be used to keep sparks contained. A firewatcher with an extin-guisher should always be on hand.

� Fumes (from heated metal). To protect workers from fumes, the area shouldbe well ventilated. Care should be taken to make sure fire screens and barriersdo not block ventilation. Outdoor welding operations should be set up so thatthe welder works upwind of fumes. An approved respirator should be used ifrequired (e.g., when fumes are toxic). And welders should be reminded to stopworking and get to fresh air if they start to feel ill.

� Face injuries. PPE to protect the face and eyes against hazards, such assparks, slag, heat, light, and electricity, includes impact and heat-resistant gog-gles, face shields, and helmets. The specific type of required face and eye pro-tection (including lens shade) depends on the type of welding operation.

And don’t forget to discuss other hazards. Depending on the type of weldingequipment used by trainees, you’ll need to discuss other hazards, such as:

� Electric shock. Arc welders must inspect equipment to make sure it is ingood condition and properly grounded. They should avoid working in wetareas and wearing metal items, such as belt buckles, wedding rings, and watchbands. They also need to wear insulated gloves.

� Explosions. Gas welders should always check the SDS for the gas they areusing, handle compressed gas cylinders carefully, and be sure to turn off thegas when equipment is not in use.


Section 2: Train the trainer tips

Adult learnersWhat types of learners are your employees and why does it matter?

Effective safety training complements three basic learning styles. Just asemployees have different working styles, they learn in different ways, too.

� Visual learners learn best by seeing. This type of employee generally learnsbest when it involves the written word. They like to read key points, handouts,computer-assisted training programs, and other written materials. They like towatch safety training films, see demonstrations, and look at charts, graphs, anddiagrams. And they probably take notes to remind themselves later about whatthey saw.

� Auditory learners like to listen. They generally learn best through lectures,group discussions, and self-directed training with an audio feature, such as aclick and train PowerPoint presentation.

� Hands-on learners learn best through practical instruction. They learn bydoing. For these folks, any kind of theory always needs to be backed up by ahealthy dose of practice. On-the-job training is usually the most important partof the learning process for these employees.

Of course, most training groups include all three kinds of learners. For safety train-ing to reach all employees, it’s best to use a mixture of training techniques toappeal to different learning styles. That way there’s always something in there foreverybody, and all trainees will be able to learn what they need to work safely.

Why it matters …� You invest a lot of resources in employee training, and if

they don’t learn, all the money, time, and effort go down thedrain.

� If employees don’t learn what they need to know to protectthemselves from job hazards, they are more likely to haveaccidents.

� Making sure safety training appeals to the needs of adultlearners, to individual learning styles, and to different per-sonality types is the best way to ensure employees learn theskills and information they need to keep safe and healthyon the job.

Individual learners vary in other ways, too. You should keep in mind that inaddition to different learning styles, your employees are different in other ways aswell. For example:

� Some trainees have confident personalities and thrive on challenges. Othersare unsure of themselves and may feel threatened if training is too challengingor if they don’t get enough support.

� Some are talkers and love to participate in discussions. Others prefer to sit inthe back and listen, only contributing if called on.

� Some are goal-oriented and readily relate to training goals. They probably settheir own learning goals as well. Others, however, may need help setting andachieving learning goals.

� Some trainees are independent and like to learn by themselves. Give them aclick and train PowerPoint session, computer-based training unit, or an instruc-tion manual and they are happy to learn on their own. All you have to do is fol-low up with an evaluation to make sure they’ve got it all right. Others may lackthe discipline or motivation to learn by themselves and need the interactionand support of a group to learn effectively.

And don’t forget that most adults are self-directed learners. They tend tolearn what they want, when they want, and how they want. They also tend toapproach learning in a task-oriented or problem-solving way, just as they approacheverything else in their lives. What’s more:

� They want to know why they’re being asked to learn something. In other words,training needs to be practical and immediately relevant to their work. They wantto know how it will make them safer, more efficient, or more successful on the job.

� They want to be able to draw on past experience (which many trainees havein abundance) and integrate new information and skills into what they alreadyknow and can already do.

� They want positive reinforcement and feedback from trainers to let them knowhow they’re doing and to keep them motivated.

� They want to be successful. So it’s up to you to make sure that they don’t failand that they come away understanding and are able to use everything theyneed to learn from training.

Audio conferencesA new option for supervisory training

Why it matters …� Audio conferences are a quick, easy, timely, and cost-effec-

tive way for managers to learn about important safetyissues.

� Participants learn what they need to know from expertswithout having to leave the workplace for training.

� Large groups of managers or supervisors can be trained in-house, at the same time, and in a variety of fields that are critical to the safe operation of your facility.



Do you have trouble finding the time to get up-to-speed with current train-ing topics? Need expert advice about critical safety issues? Don’t want to spendtime away from the office at conferences or distant specialized training sessions?

Try a safety audio conference. An audio conference is remarkably cost-effec-tive and convenient. You participate from your facility using a regular telephone.You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time. Plus, for one price you can getas many other trainers or managers in your group to participate as you can fitaround a speakerphone.

Here’s how it works. Audio conferences are generally 90-minute live training ses-sions about a particular topic. There are usually two or more speakers—experts intheir field—who discuss the topic with a conference host. Participants dial in via aspecial phone number and listen in over their own telephones or around a speak-erphone.

Along with the audio portion of the presentation, you may also receive a handoutthat supports the live discussion. The handout outlines the training points so youcan follow along as the conference progresses. Handouts also provide a takeaway,which serves as a permanent reminder of the key points learned in the trainingsession. After the speakers have thoroughly discussed the issues (about an hour),the conference usually wraps up with a question-and-answer period for theremaining 30 minutes or so. You can either e-mail questions or phone them in. CDsof the session are also available if you miss the live session or want to keep a per-manent recording.

Audio conferences offer many benefits. Aside from being cost-effective andconvenient, audio conferences are also a timely way to bring yourself up-to-speedon hot-button issues that have a big impact on the safe operation of your business.You get the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized experts in the field. Inaddition, the electronic hookup makes it possible to poll the audience to find outabout their specific needs and concerns so that the speakers can address thesedirectly during the conference.

Behavior changeThe key to training success

Why it matters …� Safety experts say that the overwhelming majority of work-

place accidents are the result of unsafe behavior rather thanunsafe conditions.

� Changing unsafe behavior depends on changing howemployees think about safety—they have to understandwhy as well as how.

� Behavior change is an ongoing process that requires long-term commitment and daily follow-up.

You’ve just completed an important safety training program. Trainees goback to their jobs and promptly forget most of what they just learned. What haveyou accomplished? Without actual behavior change at the job level, the time andmoney you spend on training is wasted.

To get the most from your training dollars, always start with the basics. Behaviorchange really begins before employees ever set foot in a training session. You haveto lay the groundwork for effective safety training by:

� Ensuring management commitment—Unless employees know management is100 percent behind your safety training programs, it’ll be hard to convincethem that they ought to be committed to changing their behavior.

� Getting employees involved in training needs assessment—Ask your workerswhat safety training they think they need and include their suggestions in yourtraining plans.

� Zeroing in on the behaviors that cause most accidents—If you can identifybehaviors that cause accidents and focus training efforts on changing thosebehaviors, you can prevent most workplace accidents.

� Setting a good example—Walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Never doubtthat your employees are watching their leaders and patterning their behaviorin part on what they see. Make sure managers and supervisors always followsafety rules and exhibit safe behavior.

Make training interesting and engaging. To change safety behavior, you alsohave to change the minds of employees who don’t think safety is that important orwho think it’s somebody else’s responsibility. To change their minds, your traininghas to engage them. It has to attract and maintain their attention. It has to stimulatethought and action. To accomplish these goals, your safety training should:

� Combine a variety of training techniques, including discussion, interactiveactivities, audiovisuals, and evaluations.

� Be relevant to the hazards trainees face on the job.

� Give them a lot of good reasons for changing their behavior.

� Provide the information they need to keep safe in a way they can understandand remember.

� Offer useful, simple solutions to common safety problems.

� Give them a chance to practice new skills and procedures, and ask questionsabout new information.

Follow up with lots of coaching. Safety training that stops at the classroom doorisn’t likely to achieve desired results. The skills and knowledge learned in trainingsessions have to get out into the workplace. In other words, you have to bridge thegap between theory and practice—and it’s a big gap sometimes with someemployees. To transfer learning to the job, you have to integrate training contentinto employees’ daily activities and monitor it to make sure trainees are actuallyapplying what they learned. Success here requires lots of coaching, lots of positivefeedback, and lots of interaction between supervisors and employees.



CustomizationDo I need to customize outside training materials?

Outside safety training materials offer many advantages. They provide:

� Well-organized lesson plans prepared by professionals who understand adultlearning and are experts in the particular field of knowledge covered by thetraining

� Cost-effective training for any number of employees with the purchase of a single training program

� Relief for overworked supervisors who don’t have to carry the added burden of creating training materials themselves

� Consistent and accurate safety training throughout the organization

But there’s one thing they can’t do. They can’t tell your employees about theunique safety information specific to your workplace—essential information thatemployees need to know in order to protect themselves on the job and complywith OSHA regulations.

Customizing greatly increases value. Customizing training materials allows youto focus on safety issues specific to your organization and certain groups oftrainees. For example, through customizing an off-the-shelf training program, youcan highlight:

� Specific hazards in your workplace

� Your safety policies and procedures

� Detailed procedures for safe operation of equipment and processes in yourfacility

� Proper handling of materials and substances used and stored in the workplace

� PPE employees are required to use and the circumstances in which they mustwear it

� Required written plans and programs, such as your emergency plan and hazard communication program

� Other safety programs, such as safety incentive programs and suggestion programs

Why it matters …� To capture and retain the attention of trainees, safety train-

ing has to be meaningful and teach specific, practical infor-mation that employees can actually use.

� For training to be transferred effectively from the classroomor computer to the job, it must relate to an employee’s experience in real-life work situations.

� OSHA regulations target specific hazards, operations, materi-als, procedures, etc., which means your safety training mustfocus on the specifics of your workplace as well.


� Special events recognized in your organization, such as designated safetyweeks and months, and special initiatives, such as safety and health awarenesscampaigns

� References to job aids and manuals where employees can find additionalinformation about safety rules and procedures

� Updates on regulatory or company rule changes, new safety information, etc.

Customizing doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming to be effective. Forexample, you can easily insert company-specific information into standard trainingmaterials through:

� Handouts

� Samples of materials, equipment, PPE, etc., used in your facility

� Pictures from around your facility illustrating specific safety issues

� Group discussions

� Demonstrations

� Hands-on practice

� Problem-solving

� Reviews of workplace accidents and near misses

� Guest speakers (company personnel or outside experts)

DiversityHow to adapt training for a diverse audience

The times they’ve been a changin’. The United States has long been thought ofas the world’s “melting pot,” a place where diverse cultures blend into a uniquelyAmerican way of life. But that’s been changing. The melting pot is fast becoming asmorgasbord of distinct cultures. Instead of shedding their backgrounds, new immi-grant groups are retaining their ethnicity, language, and traditions. We’ve become amulticultural society. And that’s had a significant impact in the workplace.

Workplace diversity can have a profound effect on job safety. Some of theworkers now entering the workforce come from countries where workplace safetyis not a high priority. They may be used to performing dangerous, risky work with-out PPE and the other protections that we take for granted. They may never have

Why it matters …� The American workforce is more diverse than ever before

and becoming more so every year.

� During the past 10 years, 51 percent of new entrants into theUnited States workforce have been minorities.

� Over the next 10 years, there will be a dramatic increase inminority workers, particularly ethnic minorities, some ofwhom may lack proficiency in spoken and/or written English and familiarity with common workplace safety precautions.


experienced any kind of safety training before. And they may come from cultureswhere a worker does not bother a boss except for extremely serious reasons. InAsian cultures, for example, employees are shown how to do their tasks and areexpected to perform them with few questions asked.

Case in point. A Thai worker, who spoke little English and read none, was employedat a hospital as a maintenance worker. Using a combination of pantomime and color-coding, his supervisor trained him to operate a carpet-cleaning machine. When theworker appeared to be adequately trained, he was assigned to the “graveyard” shift.He was on duty soon after a major snowstorm hit the area. The tracked-in snow andslush took a big toll on the hospital’s many carpeted areas. The Thai employee waseager to do a good job, but unfortunately, he had apparently failed to understand keypoints from his training. Instead of using warm water as he’d been trained, he usedhot water in the cleaning machine, believing that would work better on the unusuallydirty carpets. He also added three times the recommended amount of chemicalcleaner. Of course, the hotter the water and the more chemical, the more fumes wereproduced. As a result, an entire wing of the hospital had to be evacuated.

Adapt safety training strategies for a diverse workforce. Here are some help-ful training strategies that can help you adapt effectively to the needs of an increas-ingly diverse workforce—especially where language barriers are an issue:

� Speak slowly, explain fully, and repeat important points several times.

� Choose the simplest words and avoid technical jargon (or explain it in simpleterms).

� Use a translator with groups of employees who have only minimal Englishskills.

� Stress the importance of following safety regulations and policies.

� Show employees how to use safety protections, such as PPE, and explain whythey are important.

� Demonstrate while you speak and use pictures, diagrams, props, etc., to supple-ment your words.

� Have employees practice skills in training so that you can see if they’ve under-stood.

� Check to make sure that workers are able to understand written materials;don’t assume that they can read forms, signs, written directions, etc.

� Provide handouts in the language(s) trainees speak and read.

� Team up non-English-speaking employees with English-speaking employees.

� Follow up on the job to make sure employees properly apply what they’velearned in training.


FeedbackHow (and why) to get it

Training’s done, so your job’s done, too, right?Wrong! A successful trainingprogram isn’t complete without an evaluation of training effectiveness. It’s impor-tant to know whether trainees learned what they needed to learn in training towork safely on the job. And you won’t know that unless you ask them. Don’t forgetto ask trainers and supervisors (who might or might not be the same person) fortheir feedback as well. Without feedback from all angles about the effectiveness ofyour training programs, you could be wasting a lot of time and money.

What kind of information do you need? Feedback about safety training helpsyou assess future training needs and develop effective plans for meeting thoseneeds. That means the input you get about your training programs needs to answerquestions such as:

� Was training delivered as planned, on time, and to the appropriate employees?

� Which training methods worked well with which topic and trainees, and whichmethods failed to achieve desired objectives?

� Can you identify any specific problems that interfered with the overall effec-tiveness of a training session?

� How effective were trainers at engaging trainees and conveying information?

� How did training affect employee performance?

� Did it satisfy regulatory requirements?

� Were all stated goals achieved? If not, why?

How can you get the answers? One way to get the answers you need is to evalu-ate your training programs from four perspectives.

1. Ask for input. You need feedback from trainees on both content and presen-tation. This is easily accomplished by using uniform feedback forms to becompleted by trainees immediately following the session. Feedback forms usually ask questions about the program, such as:

� Were the objectives of the session clearly stated?

� Do you think the training achieved its objectives?

� How would you rate the content of the program?

Why it matters …� You spend a lot of time and money on safety training, so if it

isn’t meeting objectives, you’re wasting valuable resources.

� The best way to find out if training is working is to get inputfrom trainees, supervisors, and trainers.

� Feedback ensures that the information and skills taught during training sessions and required for regulatory compli-ance are getting back to the worksite and being used byemployees on the job.

� Feedback also helps you improve the quality and effective-ness of your training programs.


� How helpful do you think the training will be in performing your job safely andeffectively?

� How can we improve this training program?

Feedback forms should also ask about trainer effectiveness. For example: Was thetrainer well prepared? Did the trainer’s presentation hold your interest? Was thepresentation clear? Did the trainer answer all your questions?

You also want to talk to trainers and trainees’ supervisors following a session to gettheir thoughts about its effectiveness and to hear any suggestions they have forimproving the program next time around.

2. Measure learning. In order to know what trainees learned during a session,you need to use some kind of measurement tool such as a quiz or practicaltest that will tell you objectively whether trainees really learned the informa-tion and/or skills taught during the session.

3. Monitor on-the-job behavior. You need to observe trainees when they goback to work to find out if they’re actually using what they learned in training.Observations should continue for several months after a training session just tomake sure employees have made a permanent improvement in performancebased on training.

4. Look at the bottom line. Finally, you need to evaluate the success of safetytraining in terms of a variety of concerns that affect operating costs, such asreduction in accidents, lost workdays, turnover, and grievances, and improve-ment in quality, production, and morale.

Follow-up trainingThe crucial link between learning and job success

All too often trainers heave a sigh of relief when the training session is over andtrainees depart to go back to work. But the end of the training session doesn’t sig-nal the end of a trainer’s job. In fact, this is when a crucial stage in the trainingprocess is just beginning. If you don’t follow up to make sure trainees apply whatthey’ve learned when they go back to their jobs, you could be wasting all the timeand money you just spent on training.

Takeout isn’t just for fast food. Don’t let trainees leave a session without a concrete reminder of training points. Make sure they go out the door with a take-away—a checklist, step-by-step instructions, some key points to remember, or

Why it matters …� If employees don’t transfer the skills and knowledge from

training to their jobs, you’re wasting precious training timeand dollars.

� Follow-up helps sort out any application problems so thatyou can avoid costly mistakes on the job.

� It ensures that yours is a learning and growing organization,which is essential for dealing effectively and swiftly withchange in a competitive global economy.

something similar that they can take back to the job and refer to as needed. Hand-outs like these are especially helpful for new procedures or new steps in existingprocedures.

Sure you’ve trained them, but did they learn anything? A few weeks after atraining session, send trainees a note or e-mail, or give them a call. Ask questionslike these about how they are applying what they learned in training:

� How is what you learned affecting your work?

� Are you having any problems or concerns in transferring what you learned inthe training session to your job?

� Do you have any additional comments or suggestions about the training experience?

Emphasize that your door is always open so that employees know they can talk toyou at any point in the future about any issues that come up as they continue totransfer training to the job.

Everybody needs somebody to lean on. Sometimes you need to take an extrastep in following up. This is especially true when training content is particularly dif-ficult or complicated, such as when it involves the application of new technology.In those cases, an effective follow-up might include assigning trainees to small sup-port groups that meet regularly for a while after training. Support groups give mem-bers a sense of unity and security, as well as a source of assistance they can rely onwhen they run into problems. These groups can be informal and run by a coach—for example, a supervisor or a knowledgeable and experienced employee. Traineescan use the time to discuss common problems or concerns. They can talk abouthow they’re doing in applying new skills. And they can give one another adviceand encouragement, all of which helps to build that vital bridge between trainingand the job.

IncentivesRemember to reward for the right things

Everybody agrees that rewards work. It’s no secret that rewards and recogni-tion are powerful motivators of employee performance—and that includes safetyperformance. That’s why safety incentive programs have been around for a long timenow and have been popular with both management and employees. Most safetyexperts support the incentive concept and agree that good individual and/or group

Why it matters …� A safety incentive program that focuses on safe behavior

and safety-related activities can be an inexpensive yet effective way to improve safety performance in your organization.

� Even the best safety and health training programs alonecan’t ensure a safe workplace.

� Training must be reinforced through recognition andreward for good safety performance.


safety performance should be rewarded in some way. If it’s done right, a company’soverall safety performance should improve. The only area of disagreement—and it’sa big one—is how incentive programs should be structured to do the most good.

Rewarding only for results can backfire. In the past, most safety incentive pro-grams have been based on results. This type of program rewards individual employ-ees, teams, or work groups for not having accidents. Great idea. But there’s aproblem. Human nature being what it is, if you tell employees that they’ll get a tangi-ble reward or some kind of recognition if they don’t have an accident, but nothingif they do have an accident, what’s likely to happen? Some workers who have acci-dents or near misses aren’t going to report the incidents because they don’t want tolose their prize. Unreported accidents mean uncorrected hazards that will eventu-ally lead to future accidents. OSHA and many labor unions have been highly criti-cal of results-oriented incentive programs for this very reason. Another problemwith incentive programs based on results is that some workplace accidents are notcaused by unsafe acts. So an employee who gets in an accident through no fault ofhis or her own, and thereby loses a reward, is effectively penalized by the incentivesystem. That’s not fair and not a good way to encourage safe behavior.

How the most effective programs work. In recent years, in part because of crit-icism from OSHA and other organizations interested in workplace safety, and inpart because of failure of results-oriented programs to achieve desired results,many employers have been implementing a different type of safety incentive pro-gram. These newer programs shift the focus to safe behavior and safety-relatedactivities rather than results. For example, an employee might be recognized andrewarded for:

� Being observant and reporting safety problems

� Taking action to correct or eliminate safety hazards in their work areas and intheir jobs

� Making suggestions for improving workplace safety

� Participating in safety committees

Although some programs continue to include a zero-accident component in addi-tion to these other factors, even then, the emphasis is still on means rather thanends. Workers know they’ll get rewarded for being proactive and focusing on whatthey do to improve safety rather than on what they don’t do (have an accident).These means-oriented incentive programs work well for the companies that usethem. They are relatively inexpensive to implement and support, and easy to man-age. What’s more, they have a proven track record for improving safety perform-ance and motivating workers to be safety conscious and focus on hazardawareness and accident prevention, which, of course, is exactly what you want.



MotivationHow to add motivation and inspiration to your training

Start with a bang. Get trainees involved right away. Take a few minutes at thebeginning of the session to grab their attention and create a little excitement. Forexample, you could:

� Quickly divide the group into two teams and have a competition to see whichteam can answer the most questions about the topic in a few minutes.

� Tell a real story related to the topic about an employee who was injuredbecause he or she failed to recognize hazards or failed to take precautions. Orgo with a positive spin and tell a story about an employee who avoided anaccident because he or she took the precautions you’re going to talk about inthe session.

� Tell them what’s in it for them if they pay attention during the session. Will theylearn a new safety-related skill? A better way to protect themselves from a nastyhazardous substance that can burn their skin? A simple technique for avoidingpainful back injuries?

� Encourage participation by having employees take center stage and describesomething they already know about the topic, or give them the opportunity toask a question about the topic they’d like answered during the training session.

Focus their attention. You talking and trainees just listening is probably the leasteffective way to train. Experts tell us that in most cases hearing accounts for only10 percent of learning, whereas more than 80 percent comes via the sense of sight.There’s also this revealing breakdown on what trainees remember from a trainingsession:

� 10 percent of what they read

� 20 percent of what they hear

� 30 percent of what they see

� 50 percent of what they see and hear

� 70 percent of what they say—preferably in their own words

� 90 percent of what they say as they do

Why it matters …� Safety training is one of your best opportunities to protect

employees and prevent job-related injuries and illness.

� If trainees are bored, restless, inattentive, and uninterested intraining sessions, they’re not going to leave with the informa-tion they need to be safe on the job.

� The effort you spend on creating and delivering motivationalsafety training that inspires trainees to be alert to hazards and work more safely will be repaid many times over withimproved safety performance and fewer workplace accidents.

This means safety training activities should be heavily weighted in favor of hands-on practical experience, interactive discussion with the trainees doing most of thetalking, question and answer, and activities that have a visual impact (e.g., imagesto “find the hazards,” video presentations, and PowerPoint presentations). And justto keep things fun and lively—and provide a little relief from all the serious stuff—throw in a little humor every once in a while. Tell a joke or do something comicalto get a laugh. Then rapidly move on to the next training point while you’ve gottheir attention.

Make it real. Reality TV is really popular, so why not try some “reality” training?Have a speaker come in to give a short presentation about the topic. For example,you could have an employee who was injured on the job talk about his or herexperience and what he or she learned from the accident as it relates to yourtopic. Or you could invite a community firefighter to come in to talk briefly aboutfire safety. Another way to make it real is with a demonstration. For example, fortraining on a new piece of equipment, you can demonstrate its operation step bystep, pointing out safety features as you go along. Then, give trainees the opportu-nity to step up and operate the equipment themselves while you observe andadvise.

Send them away fired up. Although safety training sessions may seem like theend of a long road for you—a process of preparation, presentation, and evalua-tion—remember that for trainees, it’s only the beginning. The rest happens on thejob. If they don’t apply what they learned in the session to their work, you’ve wasteda lot of time, effort, and money. So send them back to the job fired up about safetyand eager to use what they’ve just learned. Have a good wrap-up session preparedfor the end of training. Make sure trainees leave with a sense of accomplishment toreinforce that they’ve learned something really important. Also be sure they don’tgo away empty-handed. Give trainees a handout or booklet to serve as safetyreminders and job aids. And be sure to tell them that your door’s always open anytime they have questions, problems, or suggestions related to the training session.

Multiple locationsOrganizing your training across multiple locations

Why it matters …� You need to be sure that all trainees in all locations receive

standard, up-to-date safety information.

� The cost and inconvenience of bringing employees to acentral location for training or sending trainers out to far-flung locations often make these impractical alternatives.

� By developing strategies that allow central planning andpreparation of training materials, but local scheduling andexecution, you can get the best return on your safety train-ing investment.


If your company has training groups spread all over the place, this tip’s for you.

Assemble training packs. Create training packs to send to each training location.Supervisors at each location can use the materials to train their employees. Thatway you’ll be sure all employees everywhere are getting the same accurate, com-plete, company-approved safety information, without having to bring workerstogether in a central location for training or to send trainers out to employees.Among the training materials you could include in a pack are:

� Training guides for supervisors

� Booklets and other handouts for employees

� Video/DVD

� PowerPoint presentations

� CD training programs

� Posters

� Policy statements

� OSHA regulations

Training packs are an inexpensive, convenient way to provide training at multiplelocations and at the same time be certain that the same important safety messageis reaching all your employees, no matter where they may be located.

Set up Web-based training. If your organization has a website, you can dissemi-nate training materials online, and let supervisors and employees access programsdirectly at their own locations. Or you can put training modules on the companyintranet or a section of an online training vendor’s website that is set up for yourcompany. Or you can purchase and disseminate off-the-shelf online training materi-als from a vendor. You can even create live webcasts and broadcast safety meetingsand training sessions from a central location to all your locations. The advantage toWeb-based training is that these courses provide a hands-on, interactive way foremployees to work through training programs on their own or in a group. Trainingmaterials are standardized and can be easily updated so that your safety training isalways current. Another benefit of this approach is that Web-based training pro-grams can be linked with software (a learning management system, or LMS) thatmakes it possible to track trainees’ progress, which makes recordkeeping easy forthe training administrator back at headquarters.

Consider using audio or videoconferencing. These methods allow a trainer orexpert in one location to interact with trainees in multiple locations. This is a greatway to bring in outside safety and health experts to train your employees. Confer-encing might also be just the right approach to update employees at all locationsabout regulatory or procedural changes, or to talk about the effect of new com-pany policies. Questions and answers can be handled by e-mail, and participantscan be polled to help the trainer focus on safety issues of particular concern totrainees. Audio and videoconferencing can be cost-effective and convenient waysto disseminate important safety information quickly and interactively.


PlanningHow (and why) to plan your safety training

Identify the three Ts. More successful, less stressful safety training begins with agood plan. And a good plan begins with three elements:

� Training needs—What topics do you need to cover? Start with OSHA-requiredtraining and move on to areas in which you’ve had recent accidents or nearmisses. These topics deserve top priority. Other topics might be suggested bysupervisors, safety committees, and employees.

� Training goals—What do you hope to achieve by training? Set realistic, measura-ble goals that are achievable—for example, 100 percent compliance with PPErules, greater awareness of chemical hazards, or significant reduction in equip-ment-related incidents.

� Trainee selection—Which workers need this training to do their jobs safely? Forexample, if you’re introducing new equipment or a new process, everyone con-nected with the equipment or process needs training, with supervisors andoperators at the top of the list.

Set up a training schedule. Without a reasonable, realistic schedule, trainingmight not get done. Busy supervisors often place training behind the day-to-daytasks that demand most of their time.

Here’s how to ensure that training actually takes place:

� Make a master schedule of all the training you want to conduct for the next 6 months to a year.

� Within your master schedule, set specific dates for each training session. Or ifyou’re using online training or some other form of self-directed training such asaudio PowerPoint sessions employees can complete on their own, set specificdates by which training must be completed.

� Include makeup dates for trainees who cannot attend scheduled group sessions.

� Use a logical progression for multipart training. Make sure sessions aren’t thatfar apart that trainees forget the first training or too close together that traineessuffer information overload.

Why it matters …� Safety training is too important to leave to chance—

failure to provide training when it’s needed could result in an accident or an OSHA violation.

� Without a plan, safety training becomes hit or miss (andmore often miss than hit!).

� A lot of the time, money, and other resources you pour intosafety training could be wasted if you don’t plan efficiently to ensure successful training results.


Choose the best approach. The best training method depends on the subject,your training goals, your budget and resources, and who you’re training. But theseare some general guidelines to keep in mind:

� Use a variety of methods to ensure that you reach all types of learners. Includevisuals, demonstrations, practice, and discussion in training sessions.

� List the methods, materials, equipment, and trainers you’ll need for each train-ing program in your plan.

� Keep your master plan flexible so that you can switch methods rather thanpostpone training if you run into technical or other problems.

Posttraining testingIs it really necessary?

Testing benefits everybody. Tests help you assess the effectiveness of yoursafety and health training, which benefits both you and your trainees. Tests helpyou:

� Measure comprehension and retention.

� Gauge competence of each trainee.

� Document compliance with training requirements.

� Indicate where more training is needed.

� Identify weaknesses in your training program.

A posttraining test provides employees with:

� Clear expectations about what they are supposed to get out of the training session

� Objective assessment of whether they have actually achieved training objectives

� Indication of gaps in understanding or skill levels that they need to addressthrough questions or a request for additional instruction

There’s no “best” test. Typically, true/false tests and other quizzes are used tomeasure understanding immediately following the training. These kinds of test areeasy to administer and correct and quickly reveal how well employees havelearned concepts, skills, and other information. Points missed on the test can belater reviewed to clear up misunderstandings and ensure that critical informationhas been understood. But paper-and-pencil tests are not the only possibility. Oral

Why it matters …� Successful safety and health training prevents accidents

and helps ensure compliance with OSHA requirements.

� Tests measure the safety competence of employees as wellas the effectiveness of your safety training program.

� Tests provide documentation that required training hastaken place and that employees have achieved requiredtraining objectives.

� Tests indicate when additional training is necessary.



exams, group discussions, case studies, quiz games, job simulations, or any otheractivity that directly reflects the training objectives can be equally effective—orsometimes more effective. It just depends on the training content and the group oftrainees you’re working with.

Tests tell whether training objectives have been met. Test items should bebased on the training objectives that were defined at the outset of the training session. For example, say one of the objectives for SDS training is: “Given an SDS,workers will be able to identify with 100 percent accuracy the location of the safe-handling precautions.” This objective should be turned into a test question: “Iden-tify the safe-handling information on this SDS.” When test results show that trainingobjectives have not been met, additional training is required until all trainingobjectives are achieved.

Tests also show where training needs improvement. A good test reveals morethan employee competence, however. It can also identify weak spots in your safetyand health training and show you exactly where your program needs to beimproved. If tests show that training objectives are consistently not being met, yourtraining content or methods need to be revised and improved until employees areable to meet objectives. Remember, if employees do poorly on a test following train-ing, it’s not so much the employees’ failure as the trainer’s or the program’s failure.When test results show that competence has not been achieved, the best approachis to talk with trainees. Sometimes you’ll be surprised by the feedback you get. Con-cepts that are basic to you, for example, might have been confusing to the trainees.Or perhaps training methods weren’t interactive enough, and employees becamebored and failed to pay attention.

PowerPoint sessionsBest practices

“First, do no harm.” That familiar admonition, often used in the medical context,should be made to apply to PowerPoint presentations as well. Many PowerPointusers—even those with lots of presentation experience—undermine their presen-tations by consistently making common mistakes. These include:

� Too much text—squeezing so many words onto a slide that they can’t be read

� Too many bells and whistles—using every available type of background, type-face, animation, and graphic in a single presentation, causing viewers tobecome confused and distracted

Why it matters …� Some people are more text oriented and some are more

visually oriented, so you are able to get your message acrossto all types of learners with slides that include both text andgraphics.

� A message that is easy to read and understand is alwaysmore effective than one that is complicated and difficult.

� Being a PowerPoint “pro” makes both you and your impor-tant safety message more credible.

� Poor use of graphics—graphics are good, unless they serve no obvious pur-pose, don’t support the main message on the slide, or are too complicated tobe understood

� “Patchworking”—welding together slides from several different presentationswithout making the appearance and style consistent

“Market” your PowerPoint presentation like a professional. The AmericanMarketing Association (AMA) passes along a number of suggestions for improvingyour PowerPoint presentations:

� Choose pictures carefully—They should be compelling, professional-looking,and add to the message.

� Keep text short—AMA suggests no more than five bullets per page and fivewords per bullet; others suggest a seven-line maximum, but whatever it is, keepit short. The reason for this is that you shouldn’t be reading your slides word forword but using them as support for your own oral presentation.

� Simplify each slide—The message in the text should be short and simple, andgraphs and charts must be easy to read and understand.

� Be careful with colors—Different colors “say” different things (for instance, blueis soothing, red is not), so they should be compatible with your message.

Words should be readable—AMA suggests at least a 28-point typeface for head-lines, 24-point for body text, and use a “sans serif” font that’s easier to read.

Do your handouts complement or duplicate your presentation? Many pre-senters reproduce full-sized or miniaturized versions of their PowerPoints for distri-bution as handouts. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if there is room tomake notes. However, the ideal handouts go beyond simply duplicating the infor-mation you’ve already provided in your presentation—they should provide moreinformation, in greater depth. If you have been faithful about minimizing theamount of text on your slides, use the details you left off the slides and put themon your handouts instead.

Refresher trainingHow to make the same topics new and interesting

Been there, done that? Periodic refresher training is required by many OSHAstandards. And even when it isn’t, it’s essential for keeping safety skills sharp andpreventing a dangerous sense of complacency. But once you’ve said it all, how doyou say it all again, year after year? And if employees come in to repeat training

Why it matters …� Once you lose a trainee’s attention it’s hard to get it back.

� Bored trainees don’t learn or remember what they need toknow.

� Employees who don’t apply what they learn in training onthe job are at risk.


sessions with the attitude that they’ve heard it all before, how are you going to keepthem from tuning out?

Assess how much trainees already know. One good way to begin a repeattraining session is with a pretest to find exactly how much trainees remember fromprevious training sessions. That way you can quickly review the stuff they alreadyknow and concentrate on new information and material that got by them last time.But instead of the same old paper and pencil test, why not turn it into a competi-tion? That always gets everybody involved and paying attention. Divide the groupinto two teams and ask a bunch of questions about the training topic. Whiletrainees are having fun playing the game, you can be zeroing in on knowledgedeficiencies that need to be addressed during the session.

Focus on new developments. To make refresher training new, interesting, andrelevant, emphasize what’s changed since the last training session. Are there anynew policies, work rules, or regulations that need to be discussed? Have new haz-ards been introduced into your facility? Have new work procedures been insti-tuted, or has new equipment been installed? Have new systems or processes beendeveloped and deployed? Have there been any accidents related to the subject ofyour training?

Don’t use the same old training techniques every time. If you gave a lecture lasttime, try a video this time, or use a computer-based product, such as a PowerPointpresentation, to liven up the session. Bring some drama to your repeat training withrecent real-life accident or near-miss stories. Or do a demonstration. For example,demonstrate the effectiveness of a steel-toed shoe by dropping a weight on it. See-ing is believing, and it enhances retention. Here are some other ideas to help makeold training fresh and new:

� Have trainees pair off and do an activity, such as a joint lift of a heavy object.

� Bring in slides of different work areas, equipment, and operations related toyour topic, and ask trainees to identify any hazards they see as the slides clickby. Called “safety scanning,” this technique encourages and trains employees tocontinuously look out for hazards in their work areas.

� Send trainees out into work areas on a scavenger hunt to look for and recordas many hazards as they can find.

� Bring in props that trainees can see and touch, such as a damaged tool that isunsafe, a hazardous chemical container that is missing a label, samples of PPEfor inspection, or a piece of equipment for a demonstration.

� Invite a guest speaker—someone from outside the company with expertise ina particular area of safety like a firefighter or a rep from your PPE supplier.

� Lead a discussion about safety problems, encouraging trainees to describe anyproblems they’ve had recently. Brainstorm with the group for solutions.



Repetition in safety trainingOnce is never enough

Repetition is essential to all kinds of learning, including workplace safety train-ing. There’s an old maxim in journalism: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them,tell them, and then tell them what you told them.” That works pretty well for safetytraining, too. You need to explain the important stuff several times in different waysto make sure it sinks in. So during training sessions, be sure to repeat trainingobjectives, important concepts and information, and key safety terms several times.Look at it this way: At any given moment during a training session, some traineesprobably aren’t going to be paying full attention. That means if you only say some-thing important once, those workers aren’t going to hear it. And if they don’t hear it,they’re not going to do it when they get back on the job. You also have to figure thatnot everyone is going to catch on to all the training points the first time around.Some people might need to hear, see, or experience things a couple of times—ormore—before they understand.

Practice makes perfect. Repetition is also important when it comes to practicalapplication of safety information. Whether employees learn new procedures, tech-niques, or other safety-related skills on the job or in a training session, they needthe opportunity to practice what they’ve learned a few times until it’s locked intotheir heads and their performance is flawless. So when there’s a practical aspect tosafety training, be sure to give a demonstration. Repeat the demonstration for com-plicated procedures a few times until everybody catches on. Then let them prac-tice while you coach and provide feedback on performance. Some employees aregoing to have to do it several times before they get it right. Some will pick it upright away. The quick ones can help you coach the ones who need more practice.

Be prepared to do some “reinforcement” training as well. Along with repetition duringsafety training, you may also need to use repetition of training to make sure employ-ees don’t forget what they’re supposed to have learned. According to training industryleader Bob Pike, trainees can remember 90 percent of what they’ve learned an hourafter training, 50 percent after a day, 25 percent after 2 days, and only 10 percent after30 days. That’s why Pike maintains that additional reinforcement training needs to bedone. Subject matter needs to be revisited six times before it’s truly learned, says Pike.That means plenty of follow-up and refresher training—especially for the more com-plicated safety information. Other training experts say that reinforcement training

Why it matters …� Employees who don’t learn the safe way to work in training

are accidents waiting to happen.

� Employees learn at different rates and in different ways,which means you need to repeat each safety message sev-eral times in different ways to make sure you get through toeverybody.

� When safety involves the application of a skill, technique, orprocedure, repeated practice is essential for most employees.

� Without reinforcement training, most of what employeeslearn in training will be lost in a very short period of time.


should be spaced to allow employees to practice new procedures and skills or usenew information on the job supported by coaching before they come back to theclassroom for review and additional training.

Self-paced trainingWhat is it and how does it work?

What is it? Self-paced training is individualized training in which the trainee con-trols the pace at which learning takes place. Slow learners can move slowly andcarefully to ensure comprehension and allay learning anxieties. The quick onescan get right to it instead of having to sit, bored and frustrated, in a group settingwhile others catch up. Self-paced training provides you with the capability to trainemployees anytime, anywhere, and at a pace that corresponds with their skills,knowledge, experience, and aptitude. Self-paced training materials are also usuallypresented in short modules that can be completed in one sitting. And self-pacedtraining is often an ideal way to go for refresher training or to provide a job aid,because employees can go back to it anytime they want or need to, to brush up onskills or review information.

Give me some examples. You can choose from several self-paced training for-mats. For example:

� Computer-based training, which includes interactive CD programs, self-pacedaudio PowerPoints, and other similar network drive or disc-based programs thatfeature quizzes and other evaluations to test learning.

� Online training, which includes a wide variety of interactive training programsdelivered via the Internet and can include such options as webcasts and web-seminars that may also allow for interaction between trainers and trainees.Online training can also be linked to learning management systems to simplifytracking progress and keep training records.

� Print materials, such as manuals, workbooks, and documentation that requiretrainees to read a body of job-related information and then complete exerciseson their own, which can later be checked by their supervisor or anothertrainer.

� Video, DVD, or audio programs that present information in a more stimulating,engaging way and usually feature handouts to supplement the presentationand quizzes to evaluate learning.

Why it matters …� Improves productivity

� Increases employee retention

� Enhances job satisfaction and prepares workers for promotion

� Assists in compliance with government regulations

� Improves safety performance

� Ensures successful integration of new technology

� Improves your products and services to give you the competitive edge


Does it work? On the whole, yes, self-paced training works very well. Advocatestout many benefits, declaring that self-paced training is:

� Convenient—It provides on-demand training 24/7, at any location.

� Cost-effective—You save on the cost of trainers and training materials as wellas the cost of pulling trainees off the line for training sessions or bringingtrainees in from remote locations to train.

� Effective—It enhances trainee attention and comprehension because every-body gets to learn at his or her own pace.

� Consistent—All trainees get the same information, in the same way.

� Specific—Because self-paced training is generally modular, employees canfocus on the information that applies to their particular job. They can alsomove quickly through what they already know and focus on what they don’tknow.

� Timely—Workers can learn skills when they need them and when they areready to apply them, making it less likely that they’ll forget important trainingpoints.

� Simple to evaluate—Most programs provide evaluations to help you measureresults.

� Easy to coordinate with other training—It can be used to enhance or followup on other kinds of training, such as classroom training, demonstrations, andon-the-job training.

OK, what’s the downside? Like all forms of training, self-paced learning canhave some limitations. For example:

� Some employees may lack the self-discipline or motivation to train on theirown.

� Others may be unfamiliar with this form of training and be uncomfortable withresponsibility for managing their own learning.

� Procrastinators and employees with poor time management skills may take for-ever to complete modules and need constant prodding.

� Employees with poor reading or English-language skills may have difficulty get-ting through the materials or may not comprehend important information, butthey may be afraid to ask questions about the things they don’t understand.

� Supervisors may be unfamiliar with the self-paced training and therefore fail toeffectively facilitate or evaluate the process.

Trainer trainingDon’t forget to train your trainers

Some people seem to be born with the qualities to be good trainers. They’re:

� Good communicators

� Knowledgeable

� Experienced

� Good with people

� Interested in learning

� Patient

� Open-minded

� Creative

� Well-prepared

� Flexible

� Well-organized

But most trainers weren’t born with all the necessary qualities and skills.They had to learn them. And your trainers will probably have to learn them, too, ininformative, skill-building sessions. Train-the-trainer training should start with under-standing how adults learn—because, after all, that’s who your trainers are going tobe training.

Adults don’t like being treated like kids. They don’t want to sit there beinglectured to like they were in high school. They want to:

� Know why they are learning (specifically how it benefits them and how it willbe useful)

� Link new skills and information to what they already know and can do

� Be actively involved in the learning process through participation, discussion,problem solving, etc.

� Have the opportunity to use multiple senses (the visual being the most important)

� See a direct relationship between what they are learning and their job

� Have a chance to practice what they have learned right there during the train-ing session

Why it matters …� Not everybody is born with the qualities and skills of a good

trainer—but anybody can learn to be a good trainer.

� Effective trainers ensure that employees learn the skills andare provided with the safety information they need to avoidaccidents.

� Well-trained trainers help your organization comply withsafety and health regulations and protect employees fromworkplace hazards.


Effective trainers need to be trained to include these essentials in their trainingprograms in order to capture and hold the attention of their adult learners.

Different people learn in different ways. Some people are more visual andlearn best by seeing something done—for example, a demonstration of a tech-nique, diagrams of a process, or a list of steps in a procedure. Other people aremore auditory and learn by listening and talking about what they are learning. Stillothers have a manual learning style.

They learn best when they have the opportunity to get their hands on somethingand actually see how it works. To learn, they need to be able to handle the equip-ment, run the operation, or practice the skill. Furthermore, some people prefergroup training sessions, while others like self-paced training modules that they canwork on individually and review as often as they need to. Effective trainers try toaccommodate all these different styles and preferences when they design trainingprograms. And they make sure to include elements of different styles in grouptraining sessions to meet the needs of all trainees. Some trainers may do this natu-rally. But most probably need to learn about learning styles and how to accommo-date them.

Taking the act on the road. All trainers—even the naturals—have to learn howto prepare and deliver effective training sessions. They need to know how to:

� Assess training needs effectively to deliver the right training to the rightemployees at the right time

� Create appropriate training outlines complete with attention-grabbing open-ings and closings that summarize all the key points

� Write measurable, observable, results-oriented training objectives

� Determine the most efficient training method for the topic (discussion, demon-stration, computer-based, etc.)

� Design engaging training activities, exercises, worksheets, and handouts

� Select appropriate training materials (CDs, DVDs and videos, self-paced Power-Point sessions, etc.)

� Present training content effectively (accomplished speaking skills, enthusiasmand confidence, good time management, etc.)

� Manage groups successfully, encouraging interaction, participation, and feed-back while discouraging cross talk, distractions, etc.

� Evaluate results and follow-up to make sure training has been successfullytransferred to the job



Web-based trainingHow to get started

Why should you consider WBT?WBT is a form of computer-based training that provides instruction over an Internet or intranet site. WBT enthusiasts like itbecause it allows employees to learn at their own pace, fit training more flexiblyinto their work schedules, and go back and review material until they understandit. It can also allow for real-time interaction with an instructor or other learners viachat rooms or discussion boards. Safety training with WBT may fit well into yourorganization if:

� A relatively large number of employees requires the same kind of training on an ongoing basis.

� Employees to be trained are spread out geographically and cannot conve-niently attend classroom training sessions.

� Your organization either has sufficient Information Technology (IT) resourcesto help create and maintain WBT programs in-house or has the budget to payfor an outside firm to set up and maintain them.

Go “low tech” to achieve “high tech.” So your organization seems ready toplunge into WBT ... now what? The good news is, you don’t have to be an IT genius(or even understand how websites work) to be a website developer. In fact, someWBT experts advocate a low-tech approach to program development—literally fig-uring it out with a pencil and sheets of paper. You can “storyboard” the training pro-gram you want to create by drawing boxes to represent Web pages and sketchingin the main ideas for each, showing the overall flow with lines and arrows. Whilethis approach might require a lot of effort, working out the program yourself meansyou can stay in control of the overall training message—and it will also help guidethe IT specialists who can translate your ideas into Web-based reality.

Know your goals ... and your limitations. WBT can be a great training tool, butonly if it’s focused on the needs and capabilities of the audience. Experts advisethat you keep these tips in mind if you’re developing a WBT program:

� Define your training goals and make sure the end result of your programachieves them.

� Keep each page of information simple; use pages as “building blocks” that support the overall concept you want to convey.

Why it matters …� Many companies have reported that using Web-based train-

ing (WBT) has resulted in lower training costs, sometimesby millions of dollars for large organizations.

� Surveys of trainees who used WBT show higher satisfactionwith training and better retention of material.

� The human brain needs to “rest” every 5 minutes or so whentaking in information. WBT accommodates this need byallowing self-paced learning.

� By all means use graphics and animation but don’t overdo it to the point of distraction.

� Having several miniquizzes interspersed throughout the program is generallybetter than having one long quiz at the end.

� Take into account the physical limitations of your users’ computers—if they areseveral years old, downloading complex pages may take too long and be frus-trating and annoying to users.

Section 3: Special event and awareness training tips

January—National Eye Care MonthTips for eye protection training

It doesn’t have to be National Eye Care Month to make eye safety a priority at yourfacility. However, when you do turn the spotlight on workplace eye safety, be pre-pared for what you may see or hear. For example, you might see employees work-ing without any eye protection at all or using the wrong kind. Or you might catchthem with safety glasses perched on top of their heads instead of over their eyes.You might hear excuses like, “This’ll just take a minute,” or “I was in a hurry and Iguess I forgot my safety glasses in my locker.” If this is what you find, it’s a prettygood indication that there’s a future eye injury out there waiting to happen. To prevent that, you’ll want to take three critical steps this month.

1. Get them to wear eye protection. OSHA regulations tell you when eye pro-tection is required, but they don’t tell you one of the most important (and leastobvious) parts: How do you get employees to use the eye protection you pro-vide? It isn’t easy. It takes a combination of persuasion, positive reinforcement,close supervision, and maybe a little discipline. Here are some other trainingtips that can help:

Why it matters …� Thousands of eye injuries occur in American workplaces

every day, and some of them result in permanent vision loss.

� The majority of injuries are caused by particles or objectsstriking the eye; chemical burns are also common.

� Government safety experts say that proper eye protectioncan prevent more than 90 percent of workplace eye injuries.



� Explain the need. Identify each eye hazard employees face on the job andexplain specifically how a particular type of safety eyewear protects themagainst this hazard.

� Point out that OSHA requires it. Make sure your employees understand that therequirement is mandated by law. The company could be cited and fined ifemployees don’t use eye protection required by OSHA regulations.

� Dramatize the consequences of failing to use required eye protection. Tellsome horror stories or miracle stories about how employees’ eyes have beeninjured because they weren’t wearing eye protection or their eyesight wassaved because they were. Show them a piece of damaged eye protection thatsaved a worker from an injury, if you can. Or show them a video that dramatizesthe importance of wearing eye protection. Gore is good here. It shocks employ-ees and shakes them out of complacency.

� Help employees recognize that eye protection gives them more control overtheir own safety. People like to feel that they’re in control of their own destiny.The simple act of donning appropriate PPE in the face of particular hazardsgives them that extra measure of control.

� Lead by example. Always use required eye protection yourself in the work areaand require visitors to use it, too—even if you’re just passing through an “EyeProtection Required” work area. The example you set for your employees isalways a powerful motivator.

2. Make sure they use the right kind. For example:

� Safety glasses to protect against impact

� Safety glasses with side shields to protect against flying particles

� Ventilated goggles to protect against chemical vapors and dust

� Goggles with a face shield to protect against chemical splashes, molten metals,or sparks

� Welding goggles with special lenses to filter out harmful light radiation

� Wearing the wrong kind of eye protection can be almost as bad as not wearingany eye protection. So make sure your workers are always equipped with theright kind for the hazards they face on the job.

3. Check for a good fit and good condition. Eye protection needs to fit rightor it can’t do the job it is intended to do. Loosely fitting goggles, for example,could let in harmful chemical vapors that could burn the eyes. Gaps betweenthe face and the side shields on safety glasses could allow a tiny particle to hitthe eye. And eye protection that’s damaged or worn out can’t do the job either.Scratched or pitted lenses make seeing hard and could lead to an accident.Stretched straps or bent frames mean the eyewear won’t fit right and couldexpose the eyes to hazards.


January—New Year’s ResolutionKeeping safety a top priority

As the new year approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on the success of your safetyprogram during the past year. Was safety a top priority for everyone in your organi-zation? Did you manage to meet objectives, or do you perhaps need to undertakesome new initiatives this year?

Hunt down and eliminate hazards. One initiative that you might consider is toturn the spotlight on workplace hazards. For example:

� Take a second look at the layout and condition of work areas.

� Examine tools and equipment to make sure they are safe for employees to use(and review maintenance schedules to make sure they stay that way).

� Observe the way employees work (you might be surprised at how many unsafebehaviors you observe).

� Check to make sure that appropriate PPE (in good condition) is readily available to all workers.

� Identify potential fire, chemical, electrical, and other hazards throughout yourfacility and take action to eliminate these risks.

Emphasize training. Employee training is probably the most important aspect ofany successful safety program.

� Check OSHA standards for training requirements (many regulations have veryspecific requirements).

� Make sure training sessions are interactive and provide plenty of opportunitiesfor questions and discussion.

� Take advantage of available technology to enhance and expand trainingoptions.

� Provide lots of demonstrations and hands-on experience during training sessions.

� Don’t forget to provide training for supervisors and managers, too (especiallywhen new regulations, policies, equipment, processes, etc., are introduced).

Encourage employee participation. If employees at all levels in the organiza-tion are actively involved in promoting workplace safety, your safety initiatives forthe year are much more likely to achieve objectives and improve overall safety.

Why it matters …� The BLS reports that there were more than 4 million non-

fatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in onerecent year.

� Almost 1.3 million of those cases involved days away fromwork.

� Also in one recent year, 5,702 employees died because ofwork-related injuries and illnesses.

� Encourage employees to make suggestions about how to improve workplacesafety (and then be sure to give their suggestions serious consideration!).

� Involve employees in problem-solving when challenging safety and healthissues arise.

� Rely on safety committees composed of employees from all levels and func-tions to identify hazards, investigate accidents, and promote safe work habitsamong your workforce.

Recognize and reward safe behavior. Finally, don’t forget to show your grati-tude for the efforts employees, supervisors, and managers are making to create asafer workplace. Use recognition and reward programs to reinforce safe behaviorand positive safety attitudes. Talk up safety at every opportunity. Let employeesknow that their safety is your top priority this year, and ask them to join you in making it their top priority as well.

March—National Poison Prevention WeekPointers for workplace poison prevention

Are your workers playing Russian roulette with poisons? Have you ever used aproduct containing chemicals without reading the health hazard information onthe label or in the SDS? According to the American Association of Poison ControlCenters, millions of Americans are exposed to potentially poisonous substances atwork and at home. Over 500,000 of those people end up in the hospital emergencyroom every year, usually as a result of their own or a family member’s carelessness.Some of the injured could be your employees (or members of their family) if theyaren’t aware of the risks and the precautions required to prevent poisoning. Andwhat better time to conduct poison prevention training than National Poison Pre-vention Week during the third week in March?

Focus on these training points for workplace poison prevention. Toxicchemicals are used as ingredients in many industrial products, and most work-places contain at least some poisonous substances—probably yours included.

There are lots of ways to have accidents with poisons. For example, a carelessworker might swallow poison in contaminated food or beverages if he or shekeeps or consumes these in work areas in which hazardous chemicals are present.An employee might forget about chemicals on his or her hands, rub the nose, or

Why it matters …� On average, poison centers handle one poison exposure

every 14 seconds.

� Most poisonings involve everyday household items such ascleaning supplies, medicines, cosmetics, and personal careitems.

� Over 60 percent of all poison fatalities occur in adults theages of 20 to 49.

� Ninety-two percent of exposures involve only one poison-ous substance.


put a contaminated hand over the mouth when coughing or sneezing. Poison canalso get into an employee’s body through inhalation of toxic vapors, or it can beabsorbed through the skin. To prevent poisoning on the job, teach employees to:

� Read labels and SDSs for information about chemical hazards before workingwith any substance.

� Talk to a supervisor about anything they don’t clearly understand about achemical’s hazards or the necessary precautions.

� Always wear assigned PPE and make sure it is in good condition so that it pro-tects against toxic chemicals.

� Follow required work procedures when handling, using, or storing chemicals.

� Be careful when removing contaminated work clothes and PPE—and removegloves last by peeling them off, touching only the inside of the glove as it’srolled down.

� Wash carefully after handling toxic chemicals—and always before going homeand before eating, drinking, smoking, using the toilet, or applying cosmetics.

Review this safety checklist to help prevent at-home poisonings. The mostcommon sites of accidental poisoning in the home are the kitchen, the bathroom,the garage, and the workshop. This checklist from the Consumer Product SafetyCommission can help your employees poison proof their homes:

� Are potentially harmful substances in the kitchen, such as cleaning products,furniture polishes, and drain cleaners, kept in their original containers?

� Are they stored away from food?

� Are they put up high and out of reach of children or kept in locked cabinets?

� Do you keep a close eye on young children when using cleaning solutions andother chemical products?

� Do medicines and other potentially harmful products stored in the bathroomhave child-resistant closures?

� Do you always turn on the light when taking or giving medicines?

� Have you thrown out all out-of-date prescriptions?

� Are all medicines in their original containers with the original labels?

� If your vitamin or mineral supplements contain iron, are they in child-resistantpackaging? (Why? A few iron pills can kill a child.)

� Do all harmful products in the garage or workshop, such as charcoal lighter,paint thinner, and antifreeze, have child-resistant caps? Are they stored in theiroriginal containers? Are they stored up high and out of reach of children orkept in locked cabinets?

� Do you make sure that no poisons in the garage or workshop (or kitchen) arestored in drinking glasses or pop bottles?



May—Better Hearing and Speech MonthWhat are your workers hearing about noise hazards?29 CFR 1910.95

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), almost 42 million Americanssuffer from a communication disorder—a problem with their speech, voice, lan-guage, or hearing. For your employees, the main issue is probably protecting theirhearing, especially if they’re exposed to high levels of noise on the job. Since Mayis Better Hearing and Speech Month, why not take advantage of this opportunity totalk to employees about noise hazards and hearing protection?

What’s too much noise?OSHA considers workplace noise to be “excessive” ifemployees are exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels or higher during an 8-hour workperiod. When workers are exposed to these high levels of noise, OSHA requires you to:

� Train employees in hearing conservation, including the effects of noise onhearing, the purpose of hearing protection, and the advantages and disadvan-tages of different types of protection, as well as how to select, fit, use, and carefor their hearing protection.

� Explain the purpose of hearing tests, test procedures, and testing schedules.

� Provide refresher training at least once a year.

� Update training to reflect changes in workplace noise levels or hearing protection.

What do your workers want to hear about workplace noise? Here are somekey FAQs from NIOSH about hearing protection. This information can help youanswer employees’ questions about noise and hearing conservation:

� How long can an employee be in a loud environment before it becomes hazardous? The degree of hearing hazard is related to both the level of thenoise and the duration of the exposure. But this question is like asking howlong can people look at the sun without damaging their eyes. The safest thingto do is to always protect your ears by wearing hearing protectors anytime youare around loud noise.

� How can a worker tell if a noise situation is too loud? There are two rules: First,if you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm’s length away,the noise is likely to be hazardous. Second, if your ears are ringing or soundsseem dull or flat after leaving a noisy place, you probably were exposed to hazardous noise.

Why it matters …� Noise above 90 decibels can damage some of the structures

in the ear, resulting in hearing loss.

� Approximately 30 million American workers are exposed tohigh noise levels on the job.

� There is no cure for hearing loss—once a worker suffers ahearing loss, it’s irreversible (although a hearing aid mightprovide some relief).

� Couldn’t hearing protection block out warning sounds, such as backup beeps?Using hearing protectors will bring both the noise and the warning sounddown equally. So if the warning sound is audible without the hearing protector,it will usually be audible when wearing the hearing protector. For the unusualsituations where this is not the case, the solution may be as simple as using adifferent hearing protector.

� If an employee already has hearing loss is there any point in wearing hearingprotection? If you have hearing loss, it’s important to protect the hearing thatyou have left. Loud noises can continue to damage your hearing, making iteven more difficult to communicate at work and with your family and friends.

� How often should hearing be tested? Anyone regularly exposed to hazardousnoise should have an annual hearing test. Also, if you notice a change in hear-ing or develop ringing in the ears, you should have your hearing checked. Peo-ple who have healthy ears and who are not exposed to hazardous noiseshould get a hearing test every 3 years.

What are the signs of hearing loss? Provide employees with this checklist fromNIH so they can use it to evaluate their own hearing health:

� Do you have a problem hearing on the telephone?

� Do you have trouble following a conversation when two or more people aretalking at the same time?

� Do people complain that you turn the TV, radio, or stereo volume up too high?

� Do you have to strain to understand conversation?

� Do you have trouble hearing when there’s a lot of noise in the background?

� Do you find yourself asking others to repeat themselves?

� Do many people seem to mumble or not speak clearly?

� Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?

� Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?

� Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

NIH says that employees who answer “yes” to three or more of these questionsshould talk to their doctor about getting a hearing evaluation.


May—National Electrical Safety MonthGet the buzz on electrical safety training29 CFR 1910, Subpart S

Are they “qualified”? Because of the potential for fatal accidents when electric-ity is concerned, OSHA says that only “qualified” workers can perform electricalmaintenance and repairs (29 CFR 1910.132). OSHA defines qualified workers asthose who have been fully trained to identify exposed live electrical parts andtheir voltage, and who have learned exactly what procedures to follow when theywork on exposed live parts or are close enough to be at risk. Everybody else is“unqualified,” and you don’t want any of them messing around with electricalwiring or trying to repair electrical equipment.

What do unqualified workers need to know? Although you don’t wantunqualified workers performing electrical work, those who have a job that mightexpose them to the risk of electrical shock need some electrical safety training, too.They have to know about:

� Electrical hazards and risks associated with using electrical equipment, includ-ing power tools

� Procedures to follow to protect themselves when they work around electricity

� Tasks that can only be performed by qualified workers, such as repairs andmaintenance of electrical equipment

Shed some light on electrical safety. Here are some everyday electrical safetytips that you can share with all employees:

� Inspect work areas daily for such hazards as flickering lights, warm cords orreceptacles, sticking switches, burning odors, loose connections, and damagedwires.

� Report any problems to a supervisor immediately.

� Leave repairs and adjustments to authorized personnel.

� Select proper cords and connectors for each job, and make sure portablecords are suitable in terms of gauge size, flexibility, strength, and ability to with-stand chemicals.

Why it matters …� NIOSH says 41 percent of workplace electrocution victims

are employees who have been on the job for less than ayear.

� More than 60 percent of electrocution victims were malesunder the age of 35.

� Even when it doesn’t kill, it can give a nasty shock, burn skin,damage nerves and internal organs, and break bones in theneck as a result of muscle contractions.

� Electricity can kill or injure indirectly, too. For example, anemployee on a ladder could be badly hurt from a fall whenhe receives a nonfatal shock.


� Make sure all electrical equipment is properly grounded.

� Plug in to a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in wet areas and outdoors.

� Disconnect energy sources before performing maintenance and repairs, andlock and tag out disconnected power.

� Don’t use a metal ladder or wear a metal hard hat around electricity.

� Don’t touch anything electric when your hands are wet, when you’re standingon a wet floor, or when you’re in contact with a wet surface.

� Don’t overload outlets or circuits.

� Use an ABC or CO2 fire extinguisher on electrical fires; never use water.

July—National Fireworks Safety MonthMake some noise about fireworks safety

July is National Fireworks Safety Month. Just in time for July 4th, here are someaccident-preventing tips you can share with your employees about fireworks safety.Why be concerned about employees using fireworks on their own time? Becauseevery year fireworks cause fires, injuries, and deaths, and you wouldn’t want anythinglike that to happen to any of your employees or their families—especially when youcould prevent it with just a few minutes of commonsense training.

Start with the mutilating accidents. Fireworks displays are a traditional way tomark celebrations during the summer months—especially in July. But when some-one is injured, a fun celebration quickly turns into a painful memory. Use thesetrue stories, reported by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, to drama-tize the hazards when you talk to employees:

� A 52-year-old man lit an artillery shell-type firework with a large fuse. Either hedidn’t move away from it in time, or he came back to check it after it was lit, andthe device exploded in his face. He was rushed to the hospital with first- and sec-ond-degree burns to about 40 percent of his body. He died 3 weeks later.

� A 19-year-old girl lit a firework that was supposed to shoot into the air. Instead, it exploded in her face, shattering the lens of her glasses and burning the skinaround her eye.

� A 15-year-old boy placed an aerial firework on the ground that was designed tobe launched from a tube, and lit the fuse. The device exploded, causing burns tohis hand, face, and chest.

Why it matters …� All fireworks are dangerous—even sparklers, which burn as

hot as 2,000 degrees and can cause severe burns.

� Thousands of people of all ages end up in hospital emer-gency rooms every year because of fireworks accidents.

� Almost half of those injured are children, and many othersare bystanders.

� Common fireworks injuries include burns to hands, arms,and face; loss of a finger or hand; and eye injuries thatsometimes result in blindness.



� A 27-year-old man picked up about 30 sparklers and began to light them for thekids in the neighborhood. Several of the sparklers exploded, resulting in seriousand extensive burns to his hand.

Remind employees who use fireworks to be very, very careful. Review theseimportant fireworks safety tips from the Hanford (Washington) Fire Department:

Before you light fireworks:

� Check the label. Legal fireworks have the name of the manufacturer, the words“Class C Common Fireworks,” and a warning on the label. Fireworks withoutthis label should not be used.

� Put pets indoors (they may become frightened by the noise).

� Keep a bucket of water nearby in which to place all used fireworks.

� Have a water hose or fire extinguisher nearby to put out stray sparks.

� Clear a level area away from things that can burn.

� Teach family members to “stop, drop, and roll” if their clothes catch on fire.

When lighting fireworks:

� Have a designated adult light all fireworks. Do not allow children to light fireworks!

� Wear safety goggles.

� Light one at a time, move away quickly, and keep at a safe distance until the display has finished.

� Only use fireworks (including sparklers) outdoors and away from anything thatcan burn.

� Never throw fireworks, and never hold them in your hand after lighting.

After you finish:

� Clean up all debris.

� Remember, duds can be dangerous, too. If a device doesn’t light or fire, an adultshould wait at least 5 minutes, approach it carefully, and place it in a bucket of water.

September—National Preparedness MonthGet ready for National Preparedness Month

Why it matters …� As an employer, you have a responsibility to make sure

your employees are prepared for all kinds of workplaceemergencies.

� Employees need to know how to evacuate the workplacesafely as well as carry out any emergency response dutieseffectively—both of which require some serious training.

� When employees are well prepared to act quickly and safelyin a crisis, they are more likely to survive without injury, anddamage to your facility can be minimized.


During National Preparedness Month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securityurges all Americans to become better prepared for emergencies—whether they’redangerous storms, terrorist acts, or other deadly disasters.

Do you have a preparedness training plan?You should—and it shouldinclude a review of your organization’s emergency action plan as well as:

Training in types of emergencies. For example:

� Types of emergencies that have occurred at your facility in the past

� Likely emergencies given your facility’s geographic location (floods, tornadoes,earthquakes, etc.)

� Incidents that might result from a particular process or system failure

� Emergencies that could be caused by employee error (one of the biggestcauses of workplace emergencies)

� Incidents that could result from the design or construction of your facility

� Emergencies you are required to deal with by regulation (for example, firesand hazardous chemical spills)

Training in emergency procedures. For example:

� How to report emergencies

� Location of alarms and emergency supplies

� Location and use of fire extinguishers

� Evacuation routes and procedures

� Procedures for accounting for personnel after evacuation

� Sheltering in place when evacuation is not possible

Training for specialized emergency roles. For example:

� Fire brigade personnel (fire-fighting techniques and equipment)

� Evacuation wardens (evacuation and communication procedures)

� Medical response team (CPR and first aid)

� Hazardous material spill containment and cleanup team (PPE, spill contain-ment equipment and procedures)

� Critical operations/shutdown personnel (emergency operations, equipmentand/or process shutdown procedures)

Are employees prepared at home, too? Homeland Security suggests that yourworkers and their families take four simple steps this month to prepare for emer-gencies in their communities:

� Get a kit of emergency supplies that will allow for survival for at least 3 daysin the event of a crisis in the area. You can get a complete list of recommendedsupplies to give as a handout to your workforce at www.ready.gov or www.red-cross.org/preparedness.

� Make a family emergency plan. You can get additional information andtemplates to help your employees get started at www.ready.gov or www.red-cross.org/preparedness.

� Be informed and learn more about different threats that could affect the com-munity and develop appropriate responses to all possibilities.

� Get involved and take the next step. For example, employees can get train-ing in first aid and emergency response or get involved in preparing their com-munity for a crisis. Visit www.citizencorps.gov or www.redcross.org/preparednessto find out about training and volunteer opportunities through your local CitizenCorps Council or American Red Cross Chapter.

October—Eye Injury Prevention MonthPrevent eye injuries and save your sight29 CFR 1910.133

How many people do you think would say, “I’ve got two eyes—I can afford to loseone”? Nobody in their right mind! And yet, how many of your employees right thisminute could be taking the risk of losing an eye in a job accident? Maybe morethan you’d like to think. To keep them safe from eye injuries, take advantage of thefact that October is Eye Injury Prevention Month to work in a little eye safety train-ing during the next few weeks.

The “Big Three” reasons for eye injuries on the job. The Department ofLabor says that the three most common reasons for workplace eye injuries are:

1. Not being aware of potential eye hazards;

2. Not using eye protection; and

3. Using the wrong type of eye protection for the hazard.

That means that your employees can avoid most eye injuries simply by:

� Watching out for eye hazards;

� Taking the right precautions while they work; and

� Always wearing the right kind of eye protection.

The right type of protection makes all the difference. It’s essential foremployees to select the right type of eyewear to protect their eyes against the maximum level of potential hazard. For example:

� Flying fragments, objects, chips, or particles—Safety glasses with side shields orgoggles with side shields, and for extra protection, a face shield over the safetyglasses or goggles

� Chemical splashes—Safety goggles and a face shield for extra protection

Why it matters …� It’s been estimated that 2,000 eye injuries occur in the work-

place every day.

� In 10 percent to 20 percent of those injuries, the personloses some or all sight in one or both eyes.

� Safety experts say that 90 percent of all eye injuries can beprevented.


� Dust, fumes, mists, gases, and vapors—Offset ventilated safety goggles wornwith a face shield

� Hot sparks or splashes—Goggles or safety glasses with side shields and a faceshield

� Radiant energy—Goggles with special lenses to filter out the harmful light

But don’t stop there! There’s more employees can do to prevent eye injuries.Make sure they take these other precautions as well:

� Obey all warning signs about required eye protection.

� Always put on protective eyewear before entering an area where hazards maybe present.

� When in doubt, assume that eye hazards are present.

� If you’re not sure about the correct type of eye protection to use in a particularsituation, ask your supervisor before you begin to work.

Making the most of your eye protection. To offer maximum protection safety,eyewear must fit well and be in good condition.

� Proper fit. Eye protection is only as good as it fits. Poor fit is not only uncom-fortable, but it also defeats the purpose of wearing the protection to keepobjects, vapors, splashes, etc., away from the eyes. Make sure eye protection fitssnugly enough to keep out hazards, but comfortably enough to see and movearound easily. To get a good fit with safety goggles, adjust the strap and place itlow on the back of the head. Goggles should fit comfortably on the bridge ofthe nose, and the center of the lens should be in front of the eye.

� Inspection. Inspect eye protection before each use, checking for bent or dam-aged frames, scratched or pitted lenses, and loose or damaged headbands.Replace any damaged equipment right away.

� Care and maintenance. After each wearing, wash eye protection gently inwarm soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and air-dry. After chemical exposure orbefore use by another employee, use a disinfectant to clean eye protection.Store eye protection in a clean dustproof case.

October—National Fire Prevention WeekHot training topics for fire safety

Why it matters …� According to OSHA, workplace fires and explosions kill

hundreds of American workers every year and injure thou-sands more.

� Fires cost businesses billions of dollars a year in propertydamage.

� Some facilities are destroyed by fire, putting employees outof work and severely impacting the company’s bottom line.



Not only do your employees need to know how to respond to workplace fires, theyalso have to understand how to help prevent them. That’s a lot of information tocommunicate about fire safety, and there’s no better time than the present.

Teach workers what to do if fire strikes. All employees should know theessentials for responding effectively in the event of a fire.

When you hear a fire alarm:

� Evacuate immediately using your assigned evacuation route. If that route isblocked, use your alternate.

� Close doors behind you as you leave.

� Help others evacuate if you can do so safely.

� If you encounter smoke, crawl low under the smoke.

� Outside the building, move away from exits. Go directly to your assignedassembly area and report to the person who is taking a head count.

� Remain outside until you are told it is safe to reenter the building.

If you discover a fire:

� Activate the nearest fire alarm.

� Call 911—don’t assume that someone else has already done this.

� Evacuate the building.

If you’re unable to get out of the building:

� Create an area of refuge in a room with windows. Use wet cloth to seal cracksunder doors and seal vents against smoke.

� Don’t break windows. Open the window just a crack if you need air.

� Stay low under smoke, and cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth.

� Signal for help by using a phone or hanging something in the window.

If you expect employees to use fire extinguishers,make sure they’re properlytrained. Make sure they know which extinguisher to use for the different types offires:

� A for fires involving combustibles like paper

� B for grease, gases, or flammable liquids like gasoline, oil, solvents, and paint

� C for electrical wiring and equipment

� D for combustible metals like magnesium or sodium

� K for kitchen fires that involve cooking oil or fat

Also train them to use a fire extinguisher properly by teaching them the PASS technique:

� Pull the pin on the extinguisher.

� Aim at the base of the fire.

� Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.

� Sweep back and forth until the fire goes out.

At the same time you teach employees how to use an extinguisher, make sure theyknow when to use one and when not to. Portable fire extinguishers are made for


small fires only. Employees should understand that if a fire is big or spreading, theyshould not try to fight it but instead call 911, activate the fire alarm, and evacuatethe building.

Remember that preventing workplace fires is always better than fightingthem. So don’t forget to teach your employees some basic fire prevention strate-gies this month, too. For example:

� Keep a clean work area, and don’t allow trash and other combustible materialsto collect.

� Take proper precautions with flammable substances, always using and storingthem safely.

� Use and maintain electrical equipment properly, and report any problemsimmediately.

� Avoid exposing flammable and combustible materials to ignition sources.

� Don’t mix chemicals that could react or store them near one another.

November—Holiday SafetyWish your workers a happy and safe holiday

The holidays are a joyous time, but to make sure they are also a safe time, take afew minutes to review some important safety information with your employees.

At work. Establish safety rules for holiday decorations and workplace parties—and enforce them.

� Limit holiday decorations to areas of the facility where they won’t create a firehazard.

� Make sure decorations are kept away from heat sources, including office equipment.

� If you use outdoor decorations such as holiday lights, make sure they’re prop-erly installed, using appropriate outdoor lights and cords.

� Forbid alcohol at workplace holiday parties—and monitor to make surenobody sneaks any in.

� If management hosts an off-site holiday party for employees at which alcoholis available, be sure to review the information below about holiday safety onthe road.

At home. To make sure that employees are safe at home during the holidays,review these seasonal safety tips from the New York City Fire Department:

Why it matters …According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in one recent year:

� More than 37 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities betweenThanksgiving and New Year’s were alcohol-related.

� On Christmas Day that figure jumped to 47.4 percent.

� On New Year’s Eve, 45.2 percent of motor vehicle fatalitieswere alcohol-related.

� Make sure you have a working smoke detector on every level of your home.

� Choose a freshly cut tree. Remember, live trees need water so be sure to refilloften.

� Cut a few inches off the trunk before placing in water.

� When your tree becomes dry, discard it promptly.

� Keep your tree away from heat sources, sparks, or flames.

� Don’t leave indoor tree lights on while unattended.

� Use wire or cord to secure your tree to the wall or ceiling to prevent it fromtoppling over on small children or pets.

� Examine all light sets before use. Don’t use damaged light sets or extensioncords.

� Avoid overloading circuits.

� Use only Underwriters Laboratories-approved lights on your tree, and no candles.

� Promptly remove all discarded packages and wrappings from the home.

� Do not burn wrappings in the fireplace or wood stove.

� If you use candles, make sure they are in stable holders on a flat, stable surface,and create a 1-foot circle of safety around them.

� Blow out lit candles when you go out.

� Do not leave children or pets unattended with a lit candle.

� Do not use candles near such combustible materials as curtains, drapes, bedding, and/or cabinets.

On the road. Remind employees that if they plan to drink at a holiday party, theyshould:

� Designate a driver ahead of time (a designated driver is a nondrinking driver).

� Consume food, sip their drinks, and alternate with nonalcoholic beverages.

� Take a cab or public transportation home, ask a friend (who hasn’t been drink-ing) for a ride, or spend the night.

If employees are planning to host a holiday party this season, remind them to beresponsible and follow this advice from the National Commission Against DrunkDriving:

� Encourage your guests to designate a driver ahead of time.

� Have a key basket and collect each guest’s keys upon arrival. Know the condi-tion of your guests before returning their keys at the end of the party.

� Plan activities so that the focus isn’t just on drinking.

� Serve a variety of foods and include nonalcoholic beverages alongside alco-holic beverages.

� If serving a punch containing alcohol, mix with a noncarbonated base like afruit juice. Carbonated bases speed up the absorption of alcohol into thebloodstream.

� Designate one person to be the bartender. This will help control the number ofdrinks and the amount of alcohol in each drink.


� Stop serving alcohol an hour (preferably 90 minutes) before the party’s over.Bring out dessert, coffee, and other nonalcoholic drinks.

� Arrange a ride home for guests who’ve overindulged or invite them to spendthe night.

December—National Drunk and Drugged Driving MonthDUI and worker safety

‘Tis the season to be jolly—but safe as well. While your employees are enjoy-ing holiday parties this season, they’d be wise to keep these important facts fromthe National Commission Against Drunk Driving in mind:

� The three most critical skills necessary for a good, safe driver are judgment,vision, and reflexes.

� Alcohol impairs a driver’s judgment, vision, and reflexes.

� An individual’s driving skills can become impaired well before reaching thelegal blood alcohol limit.

� Alcohol may have a different affect each time a driver drinks, depending onwhether the individual has eaten, what was eaten, mood, metabolism, fatiguelevel, and other factors.

� A 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 11/2-ounce shot of liquorall have about the same amount of alcohol.

� The body eliminates alcohol at a rate of about one drink per hour.

� If you drink and drive, you might kill or injure someone in a crash. You mightbe arrested for, and convicted of, drunk driving. You could lose your license.

Don’t play highway roulette over the holidays. Here are some tips for sensi-ble and safe holiday season driving that you can pass along to your workers:

� Decide who will be the designated driver before you go to a party.

� If you drink too much and don’t have someone to drive you home, take a taxior public transportation.

Why it matters …� It’s a sobering thought that someone dies in an alcohol-

related traffic crash every 30 minutes.

� Nearly 600,000 Americans are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes each year.

� Out of every 10 Americans, three face the possibility ofbeing directly involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash at some point in their lives.

� Close to 1.5 million people nationwide were arrested in one recent year for driving under the influence of alcoholand/or narcotics.


� Never ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking—call a taxi or ask afriend to drive you home.

� Remember that the combined effect of drugs and alcohol will impair muchquicker and more severely limit your ability to drive.

� Be a responsible host. Serve food and have nonalcoholic drinks available.Don’t let your guests drive after drinking alcohol, and never serve alcohol tosomeone under the age of 21.

� Wear your seat belt, and be sure children are properly secured in child safetyseats.

� Keep a safe distance from anyone driving erratically.

� Report drunk drivers immediately to area law enforcement and be prepared togive the license plate number, description of the vehicle, and the direction inwhich it was traveling.


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