Periodic refresher training

Today’s blog features comments from Kent O’Sullivan, a master trainer with the Columbia Compliance Group, Abbotsford, British Columbia, which originally appeared at Forkliftaction.com:

“Periodic refresher training is required by many regulations, codes and standards. It is essential for keeping safety skills sharp and preventing a dangerous sense of complacency. But if employees come to repeat training sessions with the attitude that they’ve heard it all before, how can you keep them from tuning out?

One of the best ways to start a repeat training class is with a pre-test to find out how much trainees remember from previous training sessions. That way you can quickly review what they already know, then concentrate on new information and material.
To make refresher training interesting and relevant, emphasize what has changed since the last training session, including new policies, work rules and regulations. Have new hazards been introduced into your facility? Have new work procedures been instituted or new equipment been installed? Have there been any accidents relating to the subject of your training?
Here are some other ideas to help make training fresh and new:

* Have trainees pair off and do an activity, such as going into work areas and finding as many hazards as they can
* Bring in slides of work areas, equipment and operations and have employees identify any hazards they see
* Invite a guest speaker, with expertise in a safety area, such as a firefighter or PPE rep
* Lead a discussion about safety problems and brainstorm with the group for solutions”

Thanks, Kent