Optimizing Safety Training in the Workplace with Echo360

Without an effective workplace safety training program, your employees may not have the tools to deal with a crisis. This could negatively affect your employees — and your bottom line. Obviously, your workforce is your biggest asset. But did you know that training your team can do more than just prevent accidents? When your workplace has efficient safety training protocols, you can cut down on turnover and you’ll see productivity and morale increase. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.

Workplace safety is a process aimed at providing your employees with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their work in a way that is safe for them and their coworkers. This is essential in any type of business, not just obvious sectors like manufacturing and construction. Unfortunately, workers aren’t always eager to enroll in training courses on dry topics such as waste management and OSHA regulations. Some neglect training entirely, while others play videos online while focusing on something else. Neither is a good approach to safety training. Both can lead to workers viewing safety as something to scratch off of a checklist rather than something demanding their full attention.

A successful safety program therefore requires complete employee buy-in, meaning you need to find the right software to deliver it. Echo360 provides a suite of online learning tools based on the e3 philosophy of evidence, engagement, and equity to transform run-of-the-mill safety training into something special. We call this package the Echosystem because it’s comprised of multiple solutions that facilitate training in tandem. Keep reading to learn more about the value of safety courses and how Echo360 elevates them to the next level!

What is the purpose of safety training?

Most would agree that employers have a moral obligation to provide training to workers who face hazards on the job. Furthermore, employees must be trained on safe working procedures when they are first hired since they may put themselves or others at risk otherwise. The best safety training will also cover topics you might not immediately expect, such as strategies for workplace violence prevention and how to report safety violations.

Formal safety training encompasses all of these topics and more, equipping workers with the knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely without creating any extra hazards. Training also empowers employees with an understanding of common workplace hazards, including how to identify, report, and control them in an emergency.

Many organizations rely on their training program for compliance as well. For example, OSHA training is a surefire way for employers to make sure that workers are up-to-date with the latest updates from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Similarly, continuing education courses may be required to earn or maintain industry-specific certifications and licensure even after initial employee training is completed.

Most importantly, safety training improves company morale by showing workers that the organization cares about their well-being. If something goes awry at the workplace, workers on the factory floor or in the field are far more likely to be adversely affected than the executives who put workplace safety training materials together. Investing in great safety and health training shows that management cares about their employees.

What are the advantages of a workplace safety training program?

You might be thinking that workplace safety is a luxury only the largest organizations can afford, but in truth, it’s a must-have for companies of all sizes. In addition to the obvious reasons of following regulations and taking moral responsibility for your workers’ safety, there are many advantages to having a well-thought-out safety training program. Here are five:

#1 Improved safety leads to lower insurance premiums

Successful health and safety programs reduce injury and illness costs by up to 40 percent annually according to OSHA, a fact that insurance companies take into consideration when determining the premium an organization pays. If your company hasn’t reported a significant workplace accident in the last 3-5 years (and you have the documentation to prove it), you may be able to negotiate better premiums from your insurer as well.

#2 Training courses limit productivity loss

It may seem callous, but every employee who misses time due to an accident or preventable illness costs your organization productivity. Training other employees to fulfill the missing employee’s responsibilities could take weeks and force you to assign others to those employees’ duties. You may also need to hire replacements from outside the organization, adding onboarding training and a talent search to your costs.

#3 Effective employee training limits legal liability

Countless organizations have been successfully sued for workplace negligence because they failed to prioritize worker safety. If your business has a custom OSHA Safety Guide or similar document highlighting potential workplace hazards and how to deal with them in writing, it will be much harder for any injured parties to blame you for any accidents. Verifiable training courses on safety topics will reduce your potential liability even further.

#4 Training boosts employee satisfaction

Employees look for multiple types of training from their employers, and that includes safety training. If a worker fears for their safety at work, you can bet they’ll soon be sending their resume to other potential employers. Safety also improves employee productivity since workers can get more done if they don’t have to be concerned about their health and well-being at work.

#5 Safety courses reduce worker compensation claims

If an employee is injured at work, you can expect to pay worker’s compensation. This is a considerable expense providing no value to your organization, so it’s often better to invest in a comprehensive safety training plan instead. According to OSHA, businesses receive an average return of $4-6 for every $1 invested in health and safety. This benefit compounds with the training benefits mentioned above too.

How can Echo360 facilitate training throughout my organization?

Many organizations understand the benefits of safety training, but turning that into effective programs can prove more challenging than you might think. If your training materials are locked behind a clunky interface or buried beneath content your workers have no use for, they won’t be as effective as they could be. Fortunately, Echo360 offers all of the tools your organization needs to keep your workplace safe.

Here is how our e3 philosophy proactively addresses some of the most common problems organizations encounter when designing safety and health training content:

Engagement

Safety can be a dry topic, so courses need to proactively engage learners to improve information retention. Many workers also feel a disconnect between safety training and their workplace responsibilities, potentially making the training feel like a waste of time. Online training can feel especially disconnected from work if it isn’t directly connected to practical applications.

EchoEngage has many features to help engage safety trainees. Content creators love the ability to create dynamic multimedia presentations. EchoEngage’s gamification features like completion badges and a leaderboard allow for friendly competition between safety trainees. This gives additional motivation for employees to complete their training and do well — they want their names at the top of the leaderboard, after all. This also helps employees build a friendly rapport and contributes to a company culture prioritizing safety and training.

Interactivity is an essential component of safety training as well. Course creators can embed questions at intervals throughout presentations to keep trainees on their toes, making sure they are absorbing course content and allowing them to review a segment if they didn’t understand the pertinent information the first time around. Instructors can write items themselves or take advantage of EchoExam’s extensive question bank. Live online classes offer collaboration tools such as virtual breakout rooms and communal whiteboards so trainees can exchange ideas, and real-time polling with PointSolutions allows for quiz-style review games. Any asynchronous learners can use threaded message boards to feel connected with their colleagues. If you’re concerned about how interesting your safety topic is on its own, encouraging communication between coworkers is a fantastic way to liven things up.

Equity

Safety training only works if everyone enjoys equal access to it, making equity a vital part of workplace safety. Whether it’s a remote employee training from home, an in-house employee traveling to a dedicated training center, or an employee undergoing training at work, they must have an equitable learning experience. That doesn’t always mean they must learn the same information — different job roles might require them to explore different topics. But it means they have equal access to instructors and the ability to access their training materials and modules from wherever they are at any time. At Echo360, equity is built into the design.

For example, EchoVideo includes Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology so transcriptions of video training content can be created. If an instructor chooses to make transcripts available, learners can read along with a trainer’s lecture to promote info retention, engaging multiple senses in the training process. Transcribed material is also added to a searchable database so trainees don’t have to waste valuable time trying to find a specific portion of a video. Instructors can also search for specific elements of training materials to add them to other courses or address any misunderstandings.

Furthermore, EchoVideo can automatically record live classes so asynchronous learners and attendees alike can revisit them whenever they wish. Training content looks great on the smaller screens of mobile devices, facilitating just-in-time learning to bridge the gap between training and work. Additional features such as high-contrast visuals and the ability to access everything with nothing more than a keyboard further promote equity in safety training. If even one employee isn’t a safe worker, all of your workers are at risk.

Evidence

Stakeholders love quantifying the benefits of any initiative they launch, and that includes safety training. Evidence is necessary so that instructors know where each employee is in their training. Most organizations rely on assessments to measure worker progress, but this approach frequently fails to identify struggling employees quickly enough. Signs that learners are having trouble may also be missed when in-person trainers are responsible for dozens of trainees simultaneously.

With the reports and analysis built into EchoEngage, instructors, management, and HR employees can keep track of each worker and verify they are engaging with the training material in the required timeframe. Instructors can access every assessment question and answer to find out if an employee needs a bit of extra attention on a certain concept or skill.

Of course, evidence isn’t exclusively tied to assessments. PointSolutions allows instructors to ask learners what they know in real-time without disrupting training. If the entire group grasps OSHA regulations or how to report potential safety issues in the workplace, the instructor can adjust accordingly. If students are too shy to proactively ask for safety training assistance, PointSolutions allows them to discreetly send confusion alerts. And with EchoExam, your organization can publish study guides and practice tests online to give employees more control over their safety training. For instance, taking a practice test on OSHA rules from the comfort of home may help workers relax during actual assessments.

Explore our training and safety tools today

Workplace safety training programs are important no matter what kind of environment your employees work in. A great program will not only promote safety but also show your staff how much you care about their health. Better yet, safety training will save your company money through lower insurance premiums, reduced worker’s compensation claims, and fewer legal liabilities related to the workplace. Most importantly, great safety training has a strong correlation with employee retention rates and productivity.

Echo360 is the best way to take your training online because our products are designed to facilitate learning everywhere. Online courses are cataloged for future reference, making it easy to prove that your training includes any particular topic. Content is available to everyone on a myriad of devices for maximal flexibility. Training progress can be monitored efficiently, and workers have access to the support they need to pursue their goals. Employees can even communicate with each other to deepen their understanding of safety training principles.

We’re sure you’d like to learn more about how to implement the best possible workplace safety training program at your organization today. If so, request information to learn more about what makes the Echosystem such a powerful training tool.

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