The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Yet we continue to provide safety training in the same way and wonder why we aren't seeing changes in behavior. Safety training, to most, is considered a dry, boring topic, which leads us to present uninspired training to an uninspired audience. This paper is intended to help you identify ways to reach, entertain and motivate your audience to effect positive change in their work habits.
The most critical factor in providing effective training (and the one factor frequently overlooked) is planning. If you are looking for training that produces results, expect to spend 4–8 hours on planning for every hour of training. The key to inspiring your audience is being enthusiastic and well prepared on your topic. Good preparation demonstrates to your audience that the topic is important and so are they. In preparing for your training, you need to identify your objective, methods and assessment process.
Defining your objective provides clear direction for the training. Your focus should be on motivating the participants to act on the information you provide. Don't assume that learning is an automatic result of sharing information with another person. Learning involves comprehension and retention.
Your objective should identify the action you want your audience to take when they leave. For example, if you are conducting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training, you will want the participants to:
Always use the appropriate PPE for the hazard
Understand proper use and maintenance of PPE
Historically, safety training has consisted of videos and handouts. How boring is that! This is what your audience will be expecting and this is what they will get if the appropriate time and effort has not been invested in the planning stage.
You need to identify the training tools you will utilize and how you will reach your audience. When considering what tools to use, realize that the participants have different ways of comprehending and retaining information.
Studies have shown that we remember 90% of what we see, hear, say and do.
Figure (available in full paper)
Keeping this in mind, it is necessary to utilize methods that will allow participants to see, hear, say and do.
Table (available in full paper)
You must determine how you will assess the effectiveness of the training. There are various tools that can be used such as hands-on demonstration, participant feedback, observations, third-party training, results of class exercises, written tests, etc.
Your assessment should evaluate whether or not the participants have successfully transferred the information from the classroom to the workplace. Assessment should be ongoing to insure that old habits and short cuts don't creep back into the job. Research shows that we retain only 10–15% of training after one year, therefore timing of the assessment is critical.
