Using Technology to Improve Safety Training
How can both older and newer technologies play a role in teaching workers about safety?
- By Alex Saurman, Sydny Shepard
- Mar 01, 2023
Any time employees step on a worksite, it’s important for them to know how to stay safe. Employees should be able to recognize if something isn’t being done in a safe manner, if doing something could cause them or other employees harm and if anything can be done to mitigate any issues. That’s where safety training can help.
In 2021, the number of fatal work injuries rose. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 5,190 workers lost their lives on the job in 2021, compared to the 4,764 workers who lost their lives in 2020. Although the number of fatal injuries in 2021 was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic (5,333 in 2019), the fatal work injury rate in 2021 is the highest it’s been since 2016. Both years recorded a rate of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
Safety training can provide many benefits for employers and employees. A study by Geetha M. Waehrer and Ted R. Miller published in 2009 found that “[s]afety training appears to be more effective in preventing severe injuries in large firms than in small ones. While overexertion injuries were resistant to safety training, toxic exposure events were reduced in manufacturing establishments with a formal safety training program.”
As technology changes with the times, so does an instructor’s ability to adapt safety training. No longer do instructors have to resort to chalkboards or pen and paper—though these methods still work. Now, instructors can use one of the many technologies available to further enhance safety training and, hopefully, help employees retain information longer.
So, what types of technology can instructors utilize to do this? Let’s take a look.
Videos
For starters, employers can use videos and films. In daily life, many people watch video tutorials of something they're trying to learn, like replacing plumbing, cooking a new recipe or picking up a hobby. These videos deliver information quickly and in an efficient manner, saving time and confusion.
This article originally appeared in the March 1, 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.