Your employees are your business’s most valuable asset. These human resources help your enterprise reach its financial objectives as they perform their duties, but you need to ensure a safe and comfortable working environment for them.
Whether you are the business owner or manager, ensuring the proper safety training helps employees understand accepted practices and safety knowledge associated with their job to help prevent injury, illness, or death. Learn how to benefit your employees with workplace safety training!
Creating a Safer Workplace
Passed in 1978, the Occupational Health and Safety Act replaced all the laws covering various sectors. The act requires that companies have a written occupational health and safety policy that they review at least annually.
Besides reviewing it yearly, you must ensure that all your employees know all the required safety practices for your industry, and they must implement them. Employee safety leads to increased productivity, helps your business image, and saves your business money over time.
Therefore, the results of a safer workplace are fewer workplace accidents and illnesses, meaning your financial investment has a positive return.
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Need to certify your employees in safety training? Contact us to learn more about Private/Group training courses and reap the benefits!
Workplace Safety Training Benefits Employees
Under Regulation 1101, employers under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act must provide first aid kits, first aid training for employees and more depending on the number of employees on site.
We know that a company benefits by providing workplace safety training, but how does it benefit your human resources? What benefits can your employees reap from a workplace safety program?
Reduced Workplace Illnesses
Workplace safety training teaches employees how to protect themselves from illnesses in the workplace. Whatever your industry, this will reduce workplace illnesses because every industry carries a level of risk.
A few examples include hygiene procedures in the food industry and protection from inhaling dangerous fumes or particles in the chemical, manufacturing, or construction industries.
Minimized Accidents and Injuries
Some workplaces carry a greater risk of injuries resulting from accidents than others, but no industry is immune. Therefore, preventing minor injuries and fatal accidents plays a significant role in workplace safety training.
Safety training can’t eliminate accidents, but awareness of the dangers and using protective measures correctly can reduce their number. Most workplace accidents and subsequent injuries happen because of the incorrect use of equipment.
During the training, workers learn about all the protective equipment required in your industry and how to use it properly to protect themselves effectively.
A reputable safety training program ensures your employees know about all the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required in your industry. These include protective clothing, helmets, masks, goggles, etc., designed to keep them from injuries as they carry out their duties. In addition, the training ensures your employees know that wearing these correctly while working will provide them with the required protection from accidents.
People working in industries that handle hazardous chemicals also learn about the general management of these chemicals, including storing and transporting them safely. Another industry where workplace safety training plays a significant role in reducing accidents is the construction industry. The training dramatically reduces construction site accidents like forklift injuries and scaffolding accidents.
Increased Employee Awareness
Employees across all sectors can benefit from the awareness created by workplace safety training. For example, people working in offices can become more aware of the dangers of lifting filing boxes continuously or even tripping on electric cords.
Therefore, creating awareness of your industry’s hazards makes operations more streamlined. In addition, the training helps employees identify and avoid risks by preventing injuries and accidents that can cost your company’s productivity and reduce its profits. Remember, when someone takes time off work because of an injury or accident, your company wastes time and resources looking for a replacement.
Improved Communication
One of the greatest workplace safety barriers is the lack of communication. Employees must understand the importance of notifying each other and their superiors of any issues to prevent incidents.
Workplace safety training provides the foundation for a good communication protocol and defines the steps required to report a hazard quickly and effectively. Communication leads to a more efficient workplace where everyone has the same safety culture, resulting in a happier workforce.
Increased Productivity
Increased awareness and safety lead to increased productivity and raises your company profile, leading to good standing.
Therefore, workplace safety training provides you with ways to help employee well-being too. Monotonous jobs can harm employees, often reducing their engagement levels.
There are several ways to counter problems, like sitting or driving for extended periods. These can include encouraging them to take the proper breaks required. In addition, your company could introduce a health training program that includes exercise and healthy meals to ensure they remain at their peak during their duties.
We live in a fast-paced world, meaning many employees are stressed to complete tasks timeously. Dealing with workplace pressure is essential because it can lead to a lack of concentration and decreased mental health. If you want to maintain the productivity of your employees, workplace safety training and a psychological first aid course can teach them how to prevent stress and pressure at work.
By combining the two courses, you provide your employees with the resilience to cope with the pressures of work and life in general, including grief, loss, and trauma.
Bottom Line on Workplace Safety Training
The minimum standards set by the Occupational Health & Safety Act for safe practices protect workers and recognize their rights. However, workplace safety training unites you and your employees in your common goal of ensuring their safety and the ongoing success of your business.
It’s not only the law, but the safety training provides increased productivity, better communication, and the reduction of injuries, benefiting everyone. To get the best benefits of workplace safety training, make sure that you follow the correct safety program for your industry today.
Investing in the correct workplace safety training resources means more than just productivity for your business. By decreasing the risk of injuries and other health issues, you provide your employees with important career development that leads to greater trust and increased engagement.
At Coast2Coast, we support your efforts to ensure a healthy and safe workplace. Our training includes vital first aid, CPR, and psychological first aid, helping you maintain a compliant, ethical and productive business.
If you are an employer and wish to certify multiple employees at once, then you may be interested in our private/group training courses. Private training provides multiple great benefits such as discounts on courses, flexible schedules, choice of training facility and so much more! Plus, we now offer a loyalty program to help you earn points which can be redeemed on future courses, first aid kits for your workplace or gift cards. Contact us today to get started!
