Shifting the Approach Towards Safety Training

Simply checking the compliance box isn’t enough. Ongoing safety training is essential for real-world readiness.

• By Malcom Hollins
• Oct 23, 2024

Imagine this scenario: A company has experienced significant turnover, and many seasoned employees have left. Suddenly, the supervisor considers one remaining employee as the most knowledgeable point of contact and assigns a task that they haven’t performed in nearly a year. The supervisor doesn't know when the employee was last trained on the task or completed it; he only knows the employee meets the company's training requirements and is the most tenured in the department. On paper, the employee is "qualified," but the real question is whether they are still competent to handle the task safely after such a long time.

This situation highlights a common issue observed in many organizations. Employees are asked to conduct tasks, yet they have knowledge deficiencies on the topics because of the long gaps between when they were trained and when they last applied the information or skill. However, in the event of an incident, the findings usually do not point to the system training flaw. instead, human error is the usual suspect. The conclusion is that the employee was trained on the topic and should have known better.

Many people have observed this issue in their careers. But how did it become common throughout most organizations? The situation is complex, but in a simple response, employers tend to assume that once their employees are trained on a safety topic, they have the knowledge to deal with it at any given time. There are several contributing factors as to why that assumption is there, including a lack of understanding of the topics of adult learning principles and human performance improvement strategies. Rather, it assumes a one-size-fits-all training method works for all training topics or overly relies on the instruction provided in the standards. 

The goal is to get organizations out of the old mind frame of believing that simply following the training requirements in the standards is sufficient to ensure competence. Too often, the focus is on ensuring workers are trained to meet minimum regulatory requirements, with little emphasis on continuous learning to keep knowledge and skills sharp. It is crucial to recognize that compliance does not equal competence. A compliant employee may have passed the necessary safety training courses but could present a hidden risk if they have not regularly used the knowledge or practiced their skills.

One of the biggest challenges with training in general is how quickly people forget what they've learned if they don't use it. Too often, an employee attends training and numerous topics are covered, but they still do not apply the knowledge or working skill weeks after the training concluded. Also, factor in the knowledge overload that employees are experiencing as they are expected to retain knowledge on craft or task-specific skills, company policies, software, equipment use and more, in addition to safety protocols. Employers must understand that expecting employees to recall everything from a single or every-so-often safety training session is unrealistic. Research shows that, without reinforcement, up to 90 percent of new information is forgotten within a month. This underscores the need for continuous learning, especially with safety training.

Continuous education and practice are vital for maintaining knowledge and skills. Whether working on a ship, coaching athletes or teaching students, constant practice leads to excellence. Regular training and drills ensure that our working knowledge and critical skills become second nature. Repetition ensures learning objectives stick and skills remain sharp. The same should apply to safety training, where refreshed knowledge can mean the difference between safe operations and incidents leading to serious injuries or fatalities. Some safety compliance training might require a refresher every two to five years or it may be a one-time event. These training gaps create risks, especially in complex work environments where employees must perform tasks they haven't practiced in a long time.

Organizations must rethink safety training, treating it as an ongoing learning process rather than a check-the-box exercise. Studies show that when employees rely solely on memory recall for complex tasks, their error rate can increase by as much as 50 percent, with dangerous consequences. Without ongoing learning, workers may struggle to recall essential details when it matters most. OSHA also recognizes this issue. For instance, under OSHA 1910.269, employers must provide initial training to workers and ensure that they are assessed or retrained at least annually to maintain safety competency. 

When organizations embrace continuous learning, they foster a culture of safety. A learning model with frequent training refreshers that incorporates a combination of instructor-led, computer-based, mini-module, practical applications, toolbox talks, on-the-job or task familiarization guidance, and real-time task feedback helps bridge knowledge gaps. This shift from compliance-driven to competence-driven training can make a difference in preventing accidents and ensuring a safer workplace.

In summary, we need to rethink safety training. Meeting compliance standards does not guarantee employees fully understand the safety practices they are dealing with, just as complying with OSHA standards does not necessarily mean workers are protected. Organizations should view safety training as a continuous improvement project where worker knowledge and skills are constantly gauged and not a one-time or occasional event. Just as a sports team cannot succeed by practicing once a year, we cannot expect employees to perform at their best based on one-time training or information they received years ago.