Page 26 - OHS, February/March 2025

T R A I N I N G : S O F T W A R E
4 Ways to Create Employee Safety & Compliance Training
Programs That Stick
Well-trained workers are three times more likely to stay with their employer, so how do
you ensure your safety training is up to the task?
BY SHAWN SMITH
mean the diff erence between a
Safety and compliance training can
thriving workplace and a danger-
ous one. But in a recent survey,
only 24 percent of frontline workers1 strong-
ly agreed they receive the training they need
to succeed. Th e top three reasons for this
shortfall: time constraints, limited practice
opportunities, and inaccessible resources.
Inadequate training has an obvious im-
pact on workplace safety. But it also aff ects
employee retention. Well-trained workers
are three times more likely to stay with their
employer – but half of those planning to quit
cite insuffi cient training as a key reason.
Employees need training programs that
do more than simply deliver information.
Th ey need programs that build confi dence
and inspire lasting behavioral change. Here
are four proven strategies to design safety
and compliance training programs that stick.
1. Take a Mobile-First Approach
Th ere’s a high chance you already use tech
to administer your safety and compliance
training. But not all platforms are eff ective,
especially in the eyes of your employees:
two in three workers1 say their learning
tech is “just okay.”
One likely reason why? Many training
programs still rely on desktop- or browser-
based tech – even though 91 percent of
workers want mobile-fi rst training and re-
source access.
With a mobile foundation for your safety
and compliance training, you can provide
on-the-go access to training modules, safety
data sheets, incident reporting forms, and
more. Employees can consult these resourc-
es hassle free — no more searching for paper
fi les or balancing clipboards in the fi eld.
Push notifi cations are another mobile-
fi rst advantage: the right platform should
let you customize reminders for training
sessions, workplace safety updates, and
compliance deadlines. Th is way, you can
help employees stay on track with their
SKW/stock.adobe.com
training and keep safety top of mind.
Th e bottom line? By meeting employees
where they are — on their mobile devices —
you can provide training and resources
your team will actually use.
2. Use Stories to Build Emotional Con-
nections
Safety and compliance statistics are helpful
to know at a high level: say, when it comes
to the most common types of injuries or
OSHA violations in your fi eld. But num-
bers alone don’t communicate the value
of proper safety and compliance. Aft er all,
most people don’t connect emotionally to
numbers. Th ey connect to stories.
Th at’s why incident narratives are
powerful training aids. Th ey help workers
viscerally grasp the consequences of poor
safety and compliance practices. And in
many cases, narratives can make the diff er-
ence between training that’s forgettable and
training that sticks.
Of course, generic stories won’t do the
trick: employees can spot these a mile away
(and their eyes will quickly glaze over, too).
To really make an impact, make sure your
narrative content includes:
Industry-specifi c scenarios: Th ese en-
sure that employees see their day-to-day
reality mirrored in the training. For in-
stance, auto repair staff won’t benefi t from
examples set in a grocery store. Th ey’ll want
to see ones that connect to their work envi-
ronment, like scenarios that deal with active
vehicle movement or antifreeze spills.
Digital incident recreations: Bring sce-
narios to life with visuals, animations, or
even security footage. Instead of reading
a 250-word summary of an incident, em-
ployees can see how incidents unfold and
the chain of events that led to them.
Relatable characters: You can increase
engagement by refl ecting the demograph-
ics and roles of your workforce. Employees
are more likely to pay attention when they
see themselves in the scenarios.
High-impact visual aids: Where rel-
24 Occupational Health & Safety | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2025 www.ohsonline.com