Corporate safety training familiarizes workers with safety protocols and develops skills that prepare them in the event a safety incident occurs.
4 common corporate safety training topics include:
- Equipment Safety
- Workplace Violence
- Workplace Injuries
- Environmental Safety
Ultimately, safety training ensures that employees are working in a productive work environment where they can keep themselves and others safe.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), worker injuries and illnesses have declined from 10.9 incidents/100 workers in 1972 to 2.8/100 in 2019.
What’s responsible for this decline in injuries and illnesses?
In addition to general requirements and mandated codes, comprehensive safety training programs on protocols and equipment have also helped to reduce the number of incidents.
Every employee deserves to feel safe on the job, which is why at Roundtable Learning, we partner with organizations to ensure their training programs keep their workforce protected. Through the latest learning strategies and technology, we help organizations develop hands-on, engaging safety training programs that boost employee confidence on the job.
This article will define corporate safety training, explore why corporate safety training is important, and break down 4 common safety training topics.
What Is Corporate Safety Training?
Corporate safety training familiarizes workers with safety protocols and develops skills that prepare them in the event a safety incident occurs. This type of training creates a workforce of safety advocates who look out for one another and ensure protocols are followed every day.
Regardless of the number of employees and industry an organization is in, safety training ensures employees are aware of a variety of safety-related issues, including:
- Identifying potential hazards and protocols
- Completing correct procedures to ensure compliance
- Operating equipment safely to avoid malfunctioning and injury
- Knowing how to respond properly if a safety incident were to occur
Why Is Corporate Safety Training Important?
Ensuring safe operations at any organization is critical to the safety and productivity of employees, as well as the smooth operation of complex equipment. A corporate safety training program tailored to an organization’s industry and workforce is important for the following 3 reasons:
- Reduces costs — Minimizes costs associated with on-the-job mistakes and safety incidents.
- Teaches employees how to respond properly — Equips employees with the skills needed to respond correctly to worksite incidents.
- Develops prevention skills — Helps employees develop skills to identify safety incidents and prevent them from actually happening.
Ultimately, safety training ensures that employees are working in a productive work environment where they can keep themselves and others safe.
4 Common Corporate Safety Training Topics
Equipment Safety
From basic equipment operations to correctly wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment safety ensures that employees are properly operating machinery and keeping themselves and others safe. Equipment safety training is one of the best ways to prevent injuries, fatalities, and other accidents caused by improper use of equipment.
An effective method to train employees on equipment safety is the use of video learning and augmented reality (AR). Prior to completing an AR activity, learners access a video learning activity where an expert identifies several key pieces of equipment, along with their critical parts.
As a follow up to the video learning activity, learners complete an interactive AR training activity where they perform the following actions:
- Place a life-sized 3D model of equipment in front of them
- Manipulate the object by breaking it apart and exploring each piece
- Practice completing intricate processes and safely operating the equipment
This activity allows learners to make and learn from mistakes without risk to themselves and the equipment itself. In addition, as long as learners have the proper device, they can access this activity from any location at any time.
Workplace Violence
Workplace violence training prepares employees to stay safe during any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other dangerous behavior that occurs at work. Examples of workplace violence include:
- Verbal or written threats between coworkers
- Irate customers
- An armed robbery or active shooter
- Targeted sexual harassment or racial discrimination amongst employees
As part of a blended learning program, learners first complete an eLearning module where they learn how to identify and properly report incidents of employee harassment. Next, learners complete a 360° virtual reality (VR) activity where they develop the soft skills needed to address situations of employee harassment.
In the VR activity, learners put these concepts into practice by watching a real-life situation of employee harassment occur between colleagues. Through a first-person perspective, learners must make the correct selections on how to handle the situation and act as an ally for their coworker.
Read More: How To Increase Supply Chain Safety And Efficiency With Blended Learning
Workplace Injuries
Workplace injuries can happen at any time to anyone, but can be prevented with proactive training. By training employees in the following topics, you can ensure they’re as protected from workplace injuries as possible:
- Proper body movements
- Vehicle-related procedures
- Slips, trips, and falls prevention
As a way to train employees on workplace injuries, learners can complete a full VR activity where they’re placed in a multi-sensory warehouse environment. Within this space, learners practice safely operating complex machinery (e.g. forklifts, pallet jacks, and dock equipment) through hands-on, interactive training.
To follow up this activity, learners are given a job aid that identifies different equipment and serves as an on-demand handout that learners can refer to post-training.
Read More: How Is Virtual Reality Driving Innovation In Supply Chain Training? 4 Examples
Environmental Safety
Environmental safety training teaches employees critical practices, policies, and procedures that keep employees safe from risks (e.g. equipment malfunctions, hazardous chemicals) in their immediate area. While environmental safety training will vary depending on the industry, this topic generally covers environmental factors in the workplace, including:
Environmental safety training teaches employees critical practices, policies, and procedures that keep employees safe from risks (e.g. equipment malfunctions, hazardous chemicals) in their immediate area. While environmental safety training will vary depending on the industry, this topic generally covers environmental factors in the workplace, including:
- Material storage
- Electrical safety
- General office safety
- Hazardous waste detection
In order to train learners in this topic, AR could be used to teach learners the critical skills needed to detect hazardous waste flow in the event of an emergency. During this AR activity, learners use a tablet to locate manholes near them. Once located, learners walk over to the manhole and tap their screen to place a pipe specific to that location.
After the pipe is placed, learners explore what kind of pipe it is, see the connection type, and see a 3D visualization of the pipe underground. By completing this activity, learners will be able to determine the waste flow and figure out how to shut off the flow sooner rather than later.
Accomplish Your Corporate Safety Training Goals Today!
This article has covered all you need to know about corporate safety training, from its definition to 4 common corporate safety training topics. By reading this article, we hope that your organization understands the importance of corporate safety training and is well equipped to prepare your employees with the training they need to work safely.
Looking for new ways to train your employees on safety topics? Book a meeting with one of our experts or check out our resource center on all things technology and L&D.