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FALL PROTECTION Microlearning is a method of training that delivers small pieces of content that allow learners to study at their own convenience. like proper fall arrest system use, it doesn’t make sense to solely deliver the training in a series of five-minute lessons. Why? Because it’s unintuitive for first-time learners – or those who haven’t reviewed the compliance standards in years. However, once employees have familiarized themselves with a certain concept, microlearning becomes an incredibly powerful tool for long-term retention. Put differently, it helps employees remember pieces of a puzzle they’ve previously assembled. Maybe one of your workers knows how to use a fall arrest system but not how to properly inspect the system beforehand. When provided with a library of micro-content, the employee can find and watch any lessons that detail the inspection process. This way, your team member gets what they need in minutes – without having to pore over an hour-long video on fall protection. Step 3: Measure the Impact of Your New Microlearning Resources To maximize the positive impact that microlearning has for your worksite, you’ll need to already have a training program in place. Ideally, you’ll also have tools that capture operational data (like injury rates and near misses) and learning data (exam scores, module completion rates, etc.). The reason: you want clear metrics that you can refer back to when reviewing your workplace safety post-microlearning deployment. Maybe your injury rates went down after six months of using microlearning. Maybe your no-incident streaks went longer. Maybe you had fewer close calls. Of course, measuring the impact of your microlearning also extends to learning outcomes like test scores. This measurement has been made even easier with the popularity and effectiveness of gamification. In fact, 88 percent of workers7 feel gamification made them more productive. Gamified learning (scores, leaderboards, badges, etc.) can help you more accurately assess employees’ understanding of certain concepts. For example, you may notice that some employees are having trouble with setting up safety monitoring systems. In response, you ask your entire team to complete the microlearning module on that topic in the next week. Once the week is up, you review the completion rates and test scores from that module. If everyone completed and passed the module, that may be the end of the matter. But if team members didn’t pass, it’s an opportunity for you to reinforce the lesson with, perhaps, a live demonstration. The point here is that regardless of the next step you take, your microlearning helped inform it. Step 4: Use Data and Employee Feedback to Hone Your Bite-Sized Content As with any safety training, you want to adopt an iterative process with your microlearning. Nothing’s set in stone. There’s always an opportunity to deepen the value of your lessons. When it comes time to evaluate your microlearning, lean on your employees. They’re the ones engaging with the lessons. Does your team have ideas for more micro-content? Do they want to change how one of your modules presents the information (perhaps from an illustration to a walkthrough video)? Collect these insights. If one piece of bite-sized content gets rave reviews, it’s worth assessing what that module does well and how you can apply it to other lessons. Once you’ve gotten feedback from your team, see how it squares with the data. What are the test scores for certain modules? Have incident rates gone down in a certain area since adding a piece of microlearning content to address it? Broadly, how have incident rates changed since you implemented microlearning? There’s a good chance you’ll see employee sentiments and data align. But in moments where it seems like feedback and data contradict each other, reach back out to your team. Try to uncover where that “gap” is coming from. Remember, data is important, but it doesn’t tell the full story. The Easier to Comprehend, the Better Your Fall Protection Training At the end of the day, the best training is the most comprehensible training. Your microlearning content doesn’t need to have every bell and whistle to work. Focus on what makes the content easy to access (mobile-friendliness), easy to reference (nothing longer than five minutes), and easy to reinforce (clear, concise instructions). Trust me when I say this: if your microlearning keeps employees engaged, it’s also helping keep them safe. Shawn Smith is a product director at KPA, an EHS and workforce compliance software and services provider for mid-size businesses. KPA solutions, which include its Vera Suite platform, EHS consulting services and training content, help clients identify, remedy, and prevent workplace safety and compliance problems across their entire enterprise. For longer than 30 years, KPA has helped more than 10,000 clients achieve regulatory compliance, protect assets, and retain top talent. REFERENCES 1. ohsonline.com/articles/2023/05/03/osha-launches-national-emphasis- program-on-falls.aspx 2. ohsonline.com/articles/2022/12/01/oshas-top-10.aspx 3. www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables/fatal-occupational-injuries- table-a-9-2021.htm 4. bokcenter.harvard.edu/how-memory-works 5. www.osha.gov/personal-protective-equipment 6. www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.30 7. builtin.com/design-ux/gamification 12 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2023 www.ohsonline.com