How to Maximize the Benefits of your Health and Safety Training
Training is an investment. As with any investment, you’ll want to see a return. However, when it comes to health and safety training, sometimes it seems the training is all but forgotten once workers are back on the job. To maximize the ROI (return on investment) of health and safety training, concepts and procedures need to be regularly reinforced.
How to Maximize ROI in Training To ensure that the training you’re providing has a positive ROI, it must be regularly reinforced in the workplace. To reinforce training, try to think beyond reminders. Reminders may seem helpful, but workers can become dependent on them. Reminders are passive, whereas reinforcement is active. |
Measuring Return on InvestmentTo measure the ROI of a training program, use this formula: ( (Monetary benefits – Training Costs) / Training Costs) x 100 As an example, an employee takes training that costs $250. Using what they learned, that worker can save the company $300 by working more safely and efficiently. (300 – 250) / 250 = 0.2 0.2 x 100 = 20% This employee’s training resulted in a positive ROI of 20%. |
If you notice an employee exhibiting signs of burnout, encourage them to speak to a healthcare provider.
Reinforcing Training
Practice: Adult learners need to practice what they’re taught. Most adults retain concepts best when they’ve had an opportunity to try them, get feedback, and continue to practice.
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Review Concepts: Training is not a “one and done” undertaking. Review the concepts learned in training frequently. Feature them in safety talks and company email blasts. Good safety communication directly contributes to a stronger safety culture.
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Provide Feedback Often: Employees need feedback to understand if they’re implementing training correctly, or if they need more practice. Additionally, feedback gives workers a chance to ask questions, seek clarification, or talk about how they feel the training is affecting their work. This is also a chance for workers to express any roadblocks to success they may be experiencing. This provides an opportunity to help them work through any issues.
Did you know recognition and appreciation build safer workplaces? Find out more! |
Debrief: Training reinforcement can happen at any time, anywhere. Use real-time scenarios to continue to help workers retain what they learned by debriefing with trainees. These debriefs could happen at regularly planned intervals or in the moment.
Provide the Why: Adult learners tend to embrace new concepts and processes if they understand the why that’s driving them. As well, they like to know how what they learned is directly related to the job they do. Providing this information will help drive retention and reinforce training.
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Be Positive: To continue to reinforce concepts learned during training, use errors and near misses as learning opportunities, rather than using them as opportunities to discipline. Treat all errors as opportunities to learn, and training concepts will be more readily embraced, practiced, and retained.
Curious about Behaviour-Based safety? Learn more today.
Curious about Behaviour-Based safety? Learn more today.
Trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting
MidSouthWest Training and Consulting offers consulting services and health and safety training. You can trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting to provide you with cost-effective training solutions tailored to meet your organization’s unique health and safety needs.
Check out courses coming soon in your area!
To learn more, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.
Check out courses coming soon in your area!
To learn more, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.
Last updated March 15, 2024