MODULE 7: EFFECTIVE SAFETY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Why is education so important?

Earlier I said that education tells the "why" in a learning process. In safety and health, the why can save a person's life. By far the most common reason workers do not follow safety rules (or any rule) is that they don't understand why doing so is important. They don't understand the natural and system consequences.

For instance, I'll bet your company has a list of safety rules that they directed you to read when you were first hired. Did anyone discuss with you during orientation "why" each rule was important to your safety and job security? If not, consider this lack of effective education as a symptom of a serious weakness in the safety education and training plan. (If your company has an effective safety orientation plan and it's being implemented well.. .congratulations!)

A word about change. If your company attempts to institute change in any part of the safety and health management system, the effort will likely fail if the company only trains people how to change without informing, motivating, and persuading (educating) workers about why the change is important and what the benefits will be