The following features the best articles on employee health & safety training while highlighting key takeaways for each. These include the effectiveness of peer coaching for safety training and the unexpected safety hazards of wild animals. ACUTE provides effective and OHSA and MLITSD compliant training. Click here to see our upcoming training. These articles offer resources that can be of significant benefit to employers or health and safety representatives.
Employee Health & Safety Training Articles
Here is the short list (and honourable mentions) of the most insightful and creative articles on employee health and safety training, all from North America.
1)Safety Alert! Cougar Attack Catches Workers by Surprise – Get Wildlife Safety Awareness Training
Why it makes the list: With many of our clients working outdoors, in addition to our focus on equipment and people, we need to be reminded of the importance of training for dealing with wildlife. Ensuring your team is aware of the local animal life and able to detect when nature’s residents may be nearby will help ensure a safe dispatch or maintenance routine.
Takeaway: Don’t rely on animals to cooperate. Pursue wildlife training awareness.
Key Quote: “Anyone working in remote areas should know that it’s important to start with wildlife training and awareness.”
Length of article: Short
About the source: Enform – Brought to you by the Safety Association for Canada’s Upstream Oil and Gas Industry, offering quality Canadian content around health and safety. The writers offer helpful data about relevant topics and robust perspectives to addressing common health and safety issues.
Relevant Courses: Worker safety awareness training, Supervisor safety awareness training
2)Guide for Chemical Spill Response Planning in Laboratories – Each Spill is Different Be Prepared
Why it makes the list: The American Chemical Society (ACS) offers not only a framework for planning for and responding to spills, but also provides tips for responding to different types of spills like dust, vapour, acids, and bases. The list provided is comprehensive but not overwhelming for readers who want to get up to speed quickly. The article showcases the depth of knowledge the ACS has in working with and managing hazardous chemicals.
Takeaway: All spills are different and a tailored procedure and plan are crucial to ensuring the safety of workers.
Key Quote:“All spills are different; … . One thing is clear, however, a professional response to spills, from planning to properly using cleanup equipment, will reduce the eventual costs (in injury, pollution, dollars, pride, and job security).”
Length of article: Long
About the source: ACS – The vision and mission of the ACS is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.”
Relevant courses: 40-hour HAZWOPER, 8-hour HAZWOPER Refresher
3)Confining Risks – Gas Leak Detection Should be a Focus
Why it makes the list: HSI Magazine offers an in-depth look at the perils of confined spaces along with numerous factors that may cause these risks to escalate. This article offers a balance between strategic (framework and planning) guidance along with specific tactical measures that can be taken to help manage confined space risks.
Takeaway: Gas leak detection is a key element in ensuring a safe system of work.
Key Quote: “A number of people are killed or seriously injured in confined spaces each year in the UK. Most of these tragic cases are well documented, and in particular an incident in May 2014 highlighted the need for effective gas detection.”
Length of article: Long
About the source: HSI Magazine is an online and magazine publisher for the health and safety industry. The team focuses on quality content and digital design to help organizations stay focused on safety.
Relevant courses: Confined Space Awareness, Confined Space Entry Rescue
4)Health and Safety Training: A Brief Guide – Know the Needs of Your Team
Why it makes the list: Health and Safety Executive offers a comprehensive guide to help organizations design a training program to meet the needs of their workplace. This article features a step-by-step guide with considerations for self-employed and contract employees.
Takeaway: Have a comprehensive training program designed for the needs of your workplace.
Key Quote: “Identify the skills and knowledge needed for people to do their job in a safe and healthy way. Compare these against people’s current skills and knowledge and identify the gaps.”
Length of article: Medium
About the source: Health and Safety Executive – The UK’s authority on best practices and legislation regarding occupational health and safety. They offer many useful resources so be sure to take a look at their site.
Relevant courses: Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification Part 1 and Part 2
5)Fire Extinguisher Training: Best Practices -Hands on training is pivotal
Why it makes the list: OHS Online addresses an ever-present workplace hazard: the risk of facility or project site fire. The writer at OHS emphasizes that training and programming should be tailored to the workplace while also educating employees on how to identify sources of fire risk. Yet the best tip here is that hands-on training is crucial. Going further, they recommend simulated fire situations and small class sizes to optimize learning.
Takeaway: Hands-on training is most effective.
Key Quote: “Every successful program should combine classroom and hands-on instructional elements. Many of the basics can and should be covered before allowing trainees to cement their theoretical knowledge with hands-on application.”
Length of article: Long
About the source: OHS Online – This blog offers commentary about developments in workplace safety and health from the editors of OHS as well as experts from the safety and health community. Stay up to speed with the latest developments courtesy of our southern neighbors.
Relevant Courses: Hazardous Materials, Worker safety awareness training, Supervisor safety awareness training,
6)Peer Coaching on Patient Lifts Lowers Injury, but at a Small Cost – Coaching Uplifts Patient and Worker Safety
Why it makes the list: The Institute for Work and Health provides a brief case study on how the BC healthcare system used a coaching model to help workers prevent injuries. The article demonstrates the power of great training that empowers others to be champions of safety. The post features statistics and quotes from those who participated in the initiative.
Takeaway: Having an experienced employee coach another has a positive impact on worker health and safety.
Key Quote: “To reduce the physical demands of patient handling, many jurisdictions in Canada have introduced patient lifts, often along with policies eliminating manual lifting of patients. However, some studies suggest that the purchase of lifting equipment alone is not enough, and that training and coaching are key to program effectiveness.”
Length of article: Medium
About the source: Institute for Work and Health – A not-for-profit organization that focuses on research excellence and employee health advancement. Their mission is to “promote, protect, and improve the safety and health of working people by conducting actionable research that is valued by employers, workers, and policy-makers.”
Relevant Courses:Worker safety awareness training, Supervisor safety awareness training
7)The Top 10 Tips for More Effective EHS Training – Focus on Training Attitudes
Why it makes the list: EHS Today offers 10 great tips on how to enhance a training program. What stood out was that this article addressed an elephant in the room – attitude – and how workplace health and safety may not always be taken seriously. Effective training begins with addressing pre-existing notions around safety and effectively training those who are managing the health and safety programs.
Takeaway: Attitude is key to the success of health and safety training programs.
Key Quote: “We learn attitudes, and so we as instructors can have some impact on it,” she points out. “I’m not going to say we can change attitudes in 10 hours, but we can move them along that continuum a little bit to a more positive attitude toward employing the safe work practices that you’re teaching.”
Length of article: Medium
About the source: EHS Today – EHS Today offers insights into different topics around environmental health and safety. They run a reputable blog and is a great resource for both employees and supervisors.
Here is what a recent customer had to say about their experience engaging ACUTE as their training provider:
“Very professional approach to consulting. I am not surprised about the success ACUTE has achieved over the last 15 years that I have worked with them. ACUTE delivers with great customer service (creative solutions, flexible accommodations, professional conduct). ACUTE is recognized and respected as a people organization and they have been doing it right for a long time.“
–Konstantinos
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- Our trainers have firsthand experience with their training material
We have combined 150 years of experience serving healthcare, construction, and government industries. - Training programs are tailored to your specific applications and your company’s policies and procedures
ACUTE prepares your staff by developing training material and hands-on components relevant to your workplace and team. - Our training sessions can be operated on-site at your workplace, or at our first-class Training Centre
Make use of ACUTE’s facilities free of charge when you take at least one of our courses. - We work to provide the best customer service in the industry to our clients
ACUTE has been described as creative, customer-oriented, and flexible in meeting the needs of our partners.
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