Training Shouldn't Put People To Sleep

Before I was a “Safety Guy,” I was a construction worker. To be honest, I still consider myself a construction worker before I consider myself anything else. It’s what I was brought up doing, and it’s an industry I absolutely love. The thrill of seeing a drawing come to life, the friendships forged on the job site—it's ingrained in my DNA. But amidst the sense of accomplishment, I’ve also witnessed firsthand the risks and dangers in this industry. That's why now as a safety professional, I've made it my mission to ensure that every worker within this tight-knit community returns home safely to the people who love them at the end of the day. Through all of this, I have become a staunch proponent of the idea that the most effective safety practices aren't just handed down from above—they're cultivated and built from within, nurtured by the hands that shape our skylines and build our cities. So of course I’m going to write about it!

Look, the reality is this: for every method or model or post that I see that makes safety sound much more complicated than it needs to, I feel inclined to offer a different perspective. Why? Is it because I’m combative by nature and like to stir the pot? No. Well, maybe a little, but I do this to put it out there in a public forum that safety doesn’t have to be rocket science, no matter what methods, or systems anyone thinks is the best. Safety is about people, and therefore should be molded around the people.

In this blog, I’m talking specifically about training.

Death by PowerPoint is a real thing. It’s important for safety professionals to realize this, especially newer entrants into the profession who may not have had the boots on the ground come-up that others have had. As someone who transitioned from being a construction worker to a safety professional, I understand the significance of this firsthand. Having spent years navigating the challenges and hazards of the job site, I've seen how traditional training methods often fail to truly engage workers or resonate with their experiences.

For those new to the safety field, who haven't felt the weight of a tool belt or the urgency of a tight deadline, it can be challenging to connect with workers and convey the importance of safety protocols effectively. Classroom presentations, while they may be informative, can fall short in capturing the attention and commitment of construction crews who are accustomed to hands-on, practical learning.

That's why I pretty consistently advocate for a shift towards more interactive and collaborative training methods. By focusing on peer-to-peer learning, gamification, and hands-on demonstrations, we can bridge the gap between theory and practice, giving workers the power to take ownership of their safety. It's not just about imparting knowledge; it's about building a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement.

P2P Learning

Construction workers are a tight-knit community, united by shared experiences and exposures (even if the plumbers and electricians are sworn mortal enemies). Understanding this and having been on the tools myself, I will always emphasize and push for peer-to-peer learning. P2P learning is where seasoned workers share their insights and best practices with younger or newer workers as well as others within the organization who might not have that on-site exposure (think estimators, project coordinators, etc.). By tapping into the wealth of knowledge within their experience, people across the organization not only strengthen bonds, but it also gives us an opportunity to build and reinforce a culture of safety from within.

For safety professionals who are tasked with overseeing these workers, P2P learning offers benefits you didn’t get in class. It provides a direct conduit to the frontline realities of the job site. You gain deeper insights into the way people work, why they work that way, and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. It gives you an opportunity to understand the “how”, which is really beneficial. Understanding the work itself should be the first step that you take when going in to manage the organization’s safety processes. It also builds a level of respect between you and them, making safety about “us” as a whole.

If YOU can learn a lot this way, flip the script, why wouldn’t these workers benefit from learning safety in the same way? These are people who work with their hands, sitting them in a room and showing them PowerPoint presentations will only go so far, even if you bring pizza (and I love pizza). Consider how you can adapt some of the courses you teach now into real in-field courses. Ask someone who does the work to help you build that course.

It might be a controversial opinion, but I believe that theory can only take you so far; true learning happens when people roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.

Gamification

On top of to peer-to-peer learning, integrating gamification into safety training can significantly enhance its effectiveness, especially among the newer generation of workers who grew up in a technologically advanced time. Gamification offers a different approach to learning; engaging workers in interactive and immersive experiences that simulate real-world scenarios. By gamifying safety training modules, workers are not only educated on best practices but are also encouraged to apply their knowledge in a risk-free environment. This approach can also build a sense of ownership over safety, as workers actively participate in problem-solving and decision-making processes within the virtual setting.

Gamification can and often does also incentivize participation and promote healthy competition among workers while also reinforcing the importance of safety standards. By incorporating elements such as leaderboards, badges, and rewards, we, as safety professionals, can motivate employees to actively engage with training materials by making it fun. This gamified approach not only makes safety training more enjoyable and memorable but also instills a sense of achievement as workers progress through different levels of proficiency.

It also provides opportunities for hands-on practice and skill development, allowing workers to test their understanding of safety procedures in simulated environments before applying them on the job site. This experiential learning approach not only builds confidence but also reduces the likelihood of accidents and injuries by ensuring that workers are well-prepared to handle various workplace hazards.

Super Mario is a plumber anyway, right? Maybe a bit of a stretch with that one, but it’s worth an honorable mention.

Digital Platforms and Mobile Apps

In today's digital era, technology plays a massive role in the pursuit of safer workplaces. Through the use of digital platforms and mobile applications, safety training materials are easily accessible to workers across the organization at all times. These resources, ranging from interactive safety documents like inspection forms and investigation forms, to instructional videos and courses offer on-the-go support, putting information at the worker’s fingertips that could potentially save their life. There are tons of programs out there you can choose from. I personally having played around with and used a few of them prefer Corfix because of the user-friendliness and built in LMS (Learning Management System), but there is a number of software and programs out there designed to make safety management and accessibility easier.

Incorporating elements such as peer-to-peer learning, gamification, and digital platforms goes beyond traditional safety training in a time where the industry is changing both inside and out. As safety professionals we need to get with the program sometimes and realize two things predominantly; 1. Communication and collaboration in a constructive, supportive, and respectful way is ninety percent of safety, so we need to learn as much as we teach, and 2. Adapt. We need to not only adapt our approaches to a different and changing workforce, but to different and changing times in our industries. Incorporating all of the above, coupled with the approach noted in number 1 will only help to strengthen your skills and build a culture where safety is truly observed as the number one priority.

#WorkplaceSafety #Training #P2P