OSHA requires that safety and health program training to be the essential part of employers for protecting the employees from illness and injuries. For conducting training, OSHA has a model with the training guidelines. This model is designed in such a way that even the smaller organizations can afford it, without hiring a professional trainer or purchasing the expensive material. The guidelines are listed below.
Determining whether the training is required
This is the first step in the training process; and it determines whether the problem can be solved by training or not. Training is given to the employees if they are not performing well in their job but safety and health training is given before any problem. Else, accidents occur – because, it would cover both safety and health rules. Problems that are addressed effectively by training includes – incorrect execution of the task, unfamiliarity with the equipment etc.
Identify the needs of training
If the problem can be solved with the help of training, then the next step is to determine what type of training is needed. Here, it is necessary to find out what the employee is expected to do, and in what way. This can be found by conducting the job analysis that shows what the employees should know, in order to perform well in their job.
Identifying the objectives and goals
Once the needs of the training are identified, employer have to prepare the training objectives for the employees. For effective training objectives, the objective should be identified precisely – what individuals will do to show once they would learn or otherwise the objective has been achieved? They also have to explain the important situations under which the individual will show competence and define those points that helped them for their satisfactory performance.
Developing learning activities
Here, the learning activities are identified and described. They help the employees for explaining what they have obtained – the desired knowledge or skills – and to ensure that they can transfer these to their jobs – the learning situation impact the actual job closely. The materials and methods for the learning activity will defer, based on the available resources and the employer’s imagination.
Conducting the training
After following the above steps, the employer has to conduct the training; and the training should be given to the suitable level possible, so that the organization and its meaning will be clear for the employees. Training program should allow the employees to participate in it, and practice the knowledge or skills.
Evaluating program effectiveness
The training program is evaluated to find out how effective it is. This will help the supervisors or the employers to determine the amount of learning achieved; and also, to identify whether the employee has improved his/her performance in the job or not. The ultimate success should be – all the changes in the workplace that reduces the rates of injuries and accidents.
Improving the program
After the evaluation, if it is found that the training is not effective in providing the required knowledge or skills to the employees, then it has to be revised or provided the periodic retraining.
This is the model of OSHA training guidelines. So, it is the responsibility of the employers to make sure that the employees get effective training in improving their skills or knowledge, following these guidelines.