Rethinking Training Delivery
Effective programs must focus on relevance, interactivity and reinforcement to drive long-term results.
- By Janalee McKnight
- Nov 20, 2025
Health and Safety training has a reputation problem. Most often, it’s repetitive and isn’t retained by the audience yet we continue doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting different results. Let’s flip the script. We need to rethink how we design and deliver training to improve long-term retention and change perceptions of safety bringing only a compliance-driven value.
The problem with traditional training is that it’s too often treated as a compliance-driven “check the box.” Compliance is essential, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Too many times I’ve sat through the same slides, the same photos — some of them dating back to the 80s and 90s, and felt my engagement drop immediately. Outdated content signals to the audience that the message is old and irrelevant.
When training turns into “death by PowerPoint,” it strips away ownership. Trainees don’t feel like they have any skin in the game, and without that, retention and application outside the classroom simply don’t happen. Throughout my career, I’ve seen plenty of workers “pass” a training, walk back onto the floor, and fall into the same unsafe habits we had just discussed. That is a clear signal: it’s not the workers failing the training — it’s the training failing the workers. We have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to deliver training that achieves sustainable results, not just a signed roster.
Repetition over Retention
We all have a library of health and safety training we’ve leaned on over the years. But when was the last time you really updated yours? Too often we recycle the same content year after year to meet requirements and “check the box,” just so everyone can get back on the floor. That may satisfy compliance, but it doesn’t drive retention — and it certainly doesn’t change behavior.
This is where we need to challenge ourselves to flip the script: make training more engaging, not more complicated. Several years ago, I renewed my fall protection competent person training alongside a group of PIT operators. The facility had a recurring problem: employees weren’t donning harnesses correctly, and harnesses were being left dangling from order pickers during breaks. The training explicitly covered these issues — yet it was so painfully dull that most people tuned out.
Everyone “passed” the training that day. But the very next morning, as I walked the floor, I saw the exact same unsafe practices. That moment reinforced for me that the issue wasn’t lack of knowledge — it was lack of retention. Training that doesn’t stick is training that fails.
Delivering Innovative Training
Training should be engaging, relevant, and memorable. That means adopting approaches that fit the times and the workforce we’re serving. The most impactful training solutions are never one-size-fits-all. They need to reflect the industry, the facility, and the audience. Over the years, I’ve found several methods that consistently deliver stronger results.
Short, digestible sessions in the form of micro-learnings are a great way to keep attention and reinforce key points. These quick hits work especially well for general awareness or refreshers. For example, a five-minute module on ladder safety or a quick reminder about hazard reporting before a shift can make a lasting impact. The key is that micro-learnings support retention, but they don’t replace the need for comprehensive, role-specific training.
For high-risk work, blended training has been a game-changer. This approach combines classroom instruction, where you build a strong knowledge foundation, with hands-on practice in the field. I’ve seen this model work best when trainees can immediately apply what they’ve learned. For instance, after classroom instruction on fall protection, moving directly into harness inspections, proper donning, and simulated rescues drives both confidence and competence. Blended training doesn’t just tell workers what safe looks like — it gives them the chance to practice it in real conditions.
Reinforcement
Training is not a one-and-done event; it should be a constant work in progress. A scheduled session on a specific topic may be the starting point, but it should never be the end. True retention comes from what happens after the classroom, and this is where we most often fall short.
Reinforcement is key to whether or not learning sticks or doesn’t, and it’s also where leadership support has the greatest impact. When leaders model the behaviors they expect, employees are far more likely to take ownership of safety themselves.
The most effective reinforcement strategies I’ve seen come through peer-to-peer mentoring, behavioral observations, and consistent recognition of positive behaviors. Something as simple as calling out a job well done for a properly tied-off harness, a team that paused to eliminate a trip hazard, or a worker who reported a near miss all reinforce the message that safety is valued. These daily moments of encouragement build a culture where training isn’t just remembered but lived.
Call to Action
Imagine the impact we could have if we all committed to training retention, not just training completion, which is the true goal of training. Instead of checking a box, training could become the catalyst for lasting behavior change. That shift alone would change the trajectory of risk prevention and strengthen a culture of safety ownership.
This isn’t a challenge for one company or one industry sector but rather a call to all of us in health and safety. If each of us updated one training this year, including the design and delivery, we would reinforce learning, and the collective impact would be great.
Training is one of the most powerful tools we have to influence safety culture. Let’s stop repeating what is ineffective and start creating learning experiences that truly stick. The future of safety depends on it.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.