Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), every employer is responsible for maintaining a safe, OSHA-compliant workplace. This involves following certain, industry-specific safety standards, in addition to providing safety training so employees have the skills and knowledge to safely do their work. The benefits of employee training cannot be overstated: Fewer workplace accidents, greater productivity, and less risk of potential OSHA violations and injury-related lawsuits.

As OSHA states: Workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses are preventable. Safe jobs happen because employers make the choice to fulfill their responsibilities and protect their workers.

Fortunately, it’s now easier than ever to uphold your responsibilities and promote a safe and healthy work environment. The Safety Training Smart App is a flexible and affordable online training solution to educate employees and reinforce sound safety practices. Rather than navigate the complexities of a learning management system (LMS), employers can provide succinct training on a handful of essential topics relevant to every industry, from office to warehouse.

Private industry employers reported approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2017, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a rate of 2.8 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers. In the same year, more than 5,100 fatal work injuries occurred in U.S. workplaces.

Rely on Convenient Training to Promote Workplace Safety and Health

Safety training is an important foundation for creating a healthy, productive and accident-free workplace. The Safety Training app is a simple and effective method that helps employers comply with OSHA requirements and administer essential safety training. In fact, much of what we learned from the success of the Harassment Training app guided the format for this particular app. For example, it offers:

  • Flexible delivery — Assign training to individual employees to complete at their own pace, or present the material in a group setting. (A more practical option, for example, for warehouse workers without access to a computer and/or the internet.)
  • Convenient recordkeeping — The app automatically tracks and documents employee completion for efficient, electronic recordkeeping.
  • Professional backing — For 10 years, HRdirect has met the safety training needs of more than 1,000 customers through top-selling CDs and DVDs. The web-based Safety Training app pulls from this professionally developed content, with the added advantage of easy delivery and in-app recordkeeping.
  • Robust, up-to-date content — Material for a handful of different topics is delivered via videos. Each module takes no more than 15-20 minutes to complete. Current topics include:

    • – Forklift Safety — Operating a forklift requires skill, training and experience. This module covers the basics of operation, driving concepts and loading procedures for maximum forklift safety.

    – Bloodborne Pathogens — Treating a cut, cleaning up spilled blood or disposing of used needles are all high-risk activities that pose the risk of infection. This module highlights proper precautions to reduce exposure and disease transmission.

    – GHS Hazard Communication — Knowledge about the risks associated with hazardous chemicals can save lives. This module teaches employees how to read chemical labels and Material Safety Data Sheets as required by OSHA HazCom standards.

    – Slips, Trips & Falls Safety — This module helps employers comply with OSHA’s walking/working surface standard by informing employees of potential slip, trip and fall hazards and the techniques to avoid them.

    – Lockout/Tagout — When machinery is idle or being serviced, an accidental startup or release of energy can cause serious harm to employees. This module outlines how to use OSHA-required lockout and tagout devices to prevent such accidents.

  • Acknowledgement and retention — After logging into the app and viewing the training, participants must complete five review questions to acknowledge completion. With this interactive feature, correct responses are confirmed right away, and incorrect ones include an explanation. A simple, at-a-glance grid shows the training status and completion date once all the review questions have been answered.

Support a Safer Workplace with Easy, Affordable Training

Properly training your employees goes a long way toward minimizing incidents and maximizing awareness. The new Safety Training app lets you move your training online for a more affordable, flexible approach. Like all Smart Apps, it features easy, electronic administration and recordkeeping to streamline your efforts and save you time.