PRINTER FRIENDLYSafety Topic of the Month: September 2010
Safety Training Videos Reduce Workplace Accidents with Education
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Entering the ranks of an “accident free workplace” is often as simple as making sure your staff receives effective education on safety regulations and practices, and one of the most effective ways to accomplish this task is by utilizing safety training videos. There are several reasons why using safety training videos in the workplace can increase your chances of worker compliance and subsequently reduce workplace accidents:
- Seeing AND hearing doubles your chances of retaining information. Studies on memory and information retention show that people retain more information when they both see and hear it. While a safety lecture alone may be somewhat effective, a safety training video or DVD combines two sensory elements that will double the chances that the information that is presented will be remembered by staff after they walk out the door and into the factory or industrial area.
- Video safety training tends to cover more information than a lecture. Instruction is useless if it fails to reach its intended target, namely your employees. No matter how fraught with preparation a lecture is, speakers may inadvertently omit or gloss over important safety information during a safety lecture. A safety video or DVD that has been prepared by professionals will contain the most comprehensive and relevant information.
- Using video safety training ensures uniformity of delivery of information. The best way to make sure that all of your employees, no matter what point in time they are hired, receive all of the same information is to use safety training videos or DVD's. It will give you, the supervisor, the confidence that every staff member has been presented with the same important information and will be able to work with one another in a cohesive manner in order to prevent workplace accidents.
- Safety training videos are updated regularly. Workplace safety regulations get updated periodically. While it can be difficult for a busy supervisor to keep abreast of changes in standard workplace safety practices, OSHA and other safety organizations regularly update media products such as safety training videos as practices change and regulations are added or amended. Be sure to check the production date on the safety training video or DVD that you are using to ensure you are presenting the most current version of information. (When utilizing the Utah Safety Council's Safety Media Library we have already taken care of this for you. As soon as a presentation becomes outdated we replace it.)
- Safety training videos cover a vast amount of information, and there are videos and DVDs available for every type of business or industry. Naturally, you need to present information that is specific to your business/company. Safety training videos are available on a wide range of topics, including first aid, workplace emergency management, fire prevention and response, electrical safety, and even topics such as the proper way to operate a forklift, handle a bus full of passengers, or implement an OSHA-compliant emergency broadcast system in your workplace.
Using safety training videos saves you preparation time. All of the information that you need to present is available at the touch of a button. You can even arrange for video or web conferencing which will allow you to present your information to several branches at the same time.
As a supervisor, manager or president, you are charged not just with directing your company, but with the safety and security of your employees. It is in your best interest, as well as the interest of your company, to avoid the “boiler room” mentality where the protection of workers and keeping the workplace safe takes a backseat to profit-making. Though it may seem that safety training is costly and interferes with a productive workday, in the end, a work force that is educated about proper safety procedures will save your company money. So, call in the crew, haul out the TV, and let the learning begin!
Source: KLM Publications LLC, January 2010.
Utilize the Utah Safety Council's Safety Media Library Today!
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With over 900 titles available for loan the Utah Safety Council's Safety Media Library is one of the finest libraries in the nation. We are continually adding new presentations to our library. You can view our entire library catalog and reserve presentations online. A typical safety presentation costs an average of $495 per title. Online rentals are approximately $115 per title! With the Utah Safety Council's Safety Media Library, members can check out titles as often as they like – for FREE!
