safety training ideas worth stealing

VOLUME 1

SafetyTraining

Ideas WorthStealing

Never Hold a Boring Safety Meeting Again!A SPECIAL REPORT

FOR SAFETY SUPERVISORS & MANAGERS

PBPExecutiveReports

Safety Training IdeasWorth Stealing

PBP Executive Reports are straightforward, fast-read reports designed for busy

executives. PBP Executive Reports excel at cutting the fluff, eliminating jargon

and providing just the information todays executives need to improve their

organizations performance.

This PBP Executive Report was compiled and edited by the staff of SupervisorsSafety Bulletin, one of the most respected newsletters serving the safetyprofession. It delivers proven safety training ideas that will engage employees

and make your safety meetings more effective.

2008 PBP Executive ReportsAll rights reserved.370 Technology DriveMalvern, PA 19355800-220-5000

www.pbpExecutiveReports.com

Executive SummarySafety managers and supervisors know they can repeat safety advice and safety

rules until theyre blue in the face and it still may not be enough.

But thats exactly what it takes to raise safety awareness and keep it there

strong safety training followed-up with regular safety reminders.

The challenge is finding new ways to say the same thing, and fresh ways to

shake up safety talks.

Safety managers have been heard to say theyd give their right hand to find a

way to consistently deliver effective safety messages.

Well, fork it over because here it is.

This report is a compilation of proven safety training tips and ideas that managers

and supervisors can put into practice right away and get great results.

All the ideas are the practical kind of hip-pocket help supervisors can use to

instruct or inspire employees to work safely all the time.

Some of the ideas youll want to photocopy and pass out to employees. Others

youll want to work into your safety training sessions and discussion with workers.

For instance:

How will a juiced-up chicken get their attention? Thats on page 5.

Need to drive home the horrors of an excavation collapse? Try page 9.

Want a quick way to measure just how strong your safety culture is? Page 13 can

show you how.

Or how about the safety prizes no one wants to win? See page 2.

In all there are 65 great ways to improve training and keep your employees safe.

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The Executive Report

Safety Training IdeasWorth Stealing

Training tip: Safety prizes they really dont want to win

Day in and day out, people sometimes get sloppy with safety.

Heres an idea you can put to use to help drive home the need to worksafely all the time.

Get a wheelchair, crutches, an old leg or arm cast from a hospital, evena neck brace, and display it in your workplace with a sign that reads:Win Me!

Then tell your people, If you ignore safe work techniques, you can endup winning one of these beauties for an afternoon or maybe even alifetime of pain.

Training tip: Pull those hazardous Supermen back down to earth

If you have any of those people who think theyre supermen andnothing will ever happen to them, try this story on them:

A flight attendant once asked former world heavyweight championMuhammad Ali to fasten his seat belt.

But Im Superman, the champ bragged. Superman doesnt need aseat belt.

The attendant wasnt amused.

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Superman doesnt need an airplane! she shot back.

Now buckle that belt, champ!

Training tip: Preach off-the-job safety, too

If you consistently remind people that safety doesnt stop once theypunch the clock and head for home, youre doing them and yourorganization a big favor.

A good safety attitude at home carries back into the workplace, plainand simple.

The employee who wears hearing protection and eye goggles whilecutting the grass at home is going to follow safety rules at work, too.

Many employers have gone so far as to give workers eye goggles, orother personal protective equipment, to take home for their own use.

Try it if you havent already.

Youre bound to like the results youll get back on the job.

Training tip: Fight roadway accidents

Most worker deaths and injuries happen on the highway. Get yourpeople to slow down by sharing this graphic description of what happens inthat very first second when a vehicle traveling at 55 mph hits a largestationary object head-on.

1st tenth of a second: Front bumper and grille crumble.

2nd tenth of a second: Hood flies into windshield, back wheels leave theground. The lower frame stops, the rest of the car is still moving forward.

3rd tenth of a second: Steering column moves toward drivers chest.

4th tenth of a second: First two feet of vehicle are smashed, but rear endis still going 35 mph. Driver is still going 55 mph!

SAFETY TRAINING IDEAS WORTH STEALING

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5th tenth of a second: Steering column impales drivers lungs.

6th tenth of a second: Car frame still buckling as drivers head smasheswindshield.

7th tenth of a second: Doors fly open, seats break loose. Driver isalready dead.

Training tip: Avoid confusing rule updates

Sometimes updating safety rules can cause even more confusion amongsome workers.

To avoid that problem, the next time you pass out new safety material,leave every other page blank and ask workers to write down any questionsthey have about the new rules.

Their questions will make perfectly targeted training points for yournext safety discussion.

Training tip: Heres proof your safety efforts work

Heres a concern many safety managers and supervisors have:I do a good job with safety. But if I ever had to, could I prove it?

There is no foolproof way to prove you covered every base when itcomes to safety. But there are three things every supervisor should have onhand or have access to to help build your case.

1. Written rules and training procedures. Be sure theyre specific to yourtasks. For instance: All employees must wear eye protection whenusing the grinders and shredders.

2. Notes from safety meetings and training sessions. Test scores, sign-insheets and training materials should be kept on file.

3. Enforcement records. These demonstrate youve taken a clear stand thatsafety violations wont be tolerated.


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Training tip: Juiced-up chicken gets attention

Got a good electrician in house?

Then put him or her to work making an electric chicken sizzler.

Its a simple device that runs electricity through a chicken leg.

When you turn it on, the chicken sizzles, pops and smokes just likehuman flesh and usually from the inside out!

The safety point is the danger of exposure to electrical current.

One safety manager said the demonstration drew the only standingovation hed ever seen at a safety meeting.

Training tip: Safety label hunt helps raise awareness

Heres a good way to raise safety awareness among employees at yournext safety talk send them on a safety label hunt.

Split people into groups and give them 10 minutes to walk around yourfacility and come back with a list of as many safety labels as they can find.

Theyll be surprised whats out there when theyre looking for them.

A single ladder, for instance, can have four to six safety labels on it!

Fire extinguishers will be an obvious find. But most pieces of commonoffice equipment have warning labels, too.

Wrap up the meeting by discussing a few of the labels, why the labelsare there, and what injuries/illnesses theyre meant to prevent.

Remember: This exercise is simply about raising awareness.

Training tip: Worth repeating Brains over brawn is safer

Every supervisor from time to time has to deal with the strong youngbrute who wants to do too much physically.


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Its a safety hazard you dont need.

Heres a story to tell that will help convince the person that brains overbrawn is always safer:

An older worker was getting fed up that the strong young co-workerwouldnt stop bragging about his feats of strength on the job.

Said the old man: Ill bet you $100 that I can haul a load in thiswheelbarrow over to that building and you wont be able to haul thesame load back to this spot.

Youre on! cried the young guy.

The older worker grabbed the wheelbarrows wooden handles.

Hop in, he said.

Training tip: Give them good training with sharp cutting tools

Cutting tools can range from scissors, razors, saws and knives topruners, chisels and snips.

While each works a different way, they all have similar hazards andsafety precautions.

When you train people, always follow the tool manufacturers directionsfor proper use.

Then be sure to include these safety ideas, too:

1. Never substitute the wrong tool for the job.

2. Dont try to catch a cutting tool if it is falling.

3. Never keep the tool in your pocket; use the sheath.

4. Pass tools to others handle-first and never toss them.

5. Replace broken, bent, dull or damaged cutting tools.


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Training tip: Be prepared to stay safe

Good preparation is the key to staying safe. When discussing safetypreparation with your people, you can share this real-life OSHA case:

A Colorado rancher and his wife of 30 years needed to round up theirsheep as a dangerous blizzard approached.

They kept two separate flocks atop their 10,000-foot mountain home.

The wife got separated from her husband while chasing down thesecond flock. She hadnt planned on being out that long, so she waswearing only her tennis shoes, blue jeans, a jacket and gloves.

The storm set in hard as darkness fell. The husband sent to town for asearch party. It came too late. His wife was found frozen to death the nextmorning.

Training tip: Focus training to reduce the top 4 worker injuries

You can help reduce injuries among your people by targeting your safetyefforts at the four most common workplace injuries.

Here they are:

1. Back injuries. One in five injuries at work involves the back. Trainingand common sense are keys to prevention. On heavy lifts, be sure yourpeople talk it through and have enough help to make the lift easier.When training, focus on posture and best lifting techniques.

2. Being hit or hit against. Workers are too frequently being hit bysomething, or hit against something. Training should focus on keepingworkers aware of hazards and using proper PPE, like hard hats, gogglesand gloves.

3. Falls. On the ground, the biggest reasons for falls are poor shoes andunlevel or slippery surfaces. Focus training there. In the air, falls are bestprevented by using the proper safety gear.


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4. Machine/equipment accidents. Machines start unexpectedly, get jammedor dont have safety guards. These are the villains of machine/equipmentinjuries. So is not watching where youre going on moving equipment.

Training tip: Tap into staff talent to give safety a big lift

It pays to look for natural leaders on your staff and let them run withthe ball when it comes to safety.

Heres a good example of how to do it, courtesy of a safety manager weknow at Black & Decker:

A 23-year-old ex-convict with a talent for making music videos wasalso a natural leader. So we set him loose.

The guy shot a safety video about a dangerous process pouring hotmetal and set it to rap music.

That video got more buy-in for safety than anything we could havedone with our usual training efforts.

And once people saw that we actually let this guy run with the ball,they became enthused enough to come up with their own original safetytraining ideas, too.

Training tip: Quiz them twice for results that stick

If you normally give people a quiz after youve trained them on a workor safety procedure, experts say you can boost retention by giving the samequiz before the training, too.

It turns out most people will get drawn into comparing the answers theyguessed on the first quiz with the answers they knew on the second quiz.

Simply stated, doing the comparison helps get them more involved andmotivated, and that makes them more likely to remember the information.


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Training tip: Drive home the horrors of an excavation collapse

Unsafe trenching is all too common. Heres how you can raise awarenessand drive home the horror of being crushed by tons of earth:

Give workers a balloon 1/4 full with water.

Have them squeeze the balloon from the bottom and watch the waterpush up. Thats also what happens inside the body when the weight offalling earth squeezes organs up into the chest cavity.

Thats why many times workers trapped in an excavation collapse withtheir head above ground still suffocate! The heavy earth makes itimpossible to expand the chest and take a breath.

Thats not a pretty sight for co-workers/rescuers, either.

Training tip: 2 keys to remember when recognizing people

Motivating employees to work safely is every supervisors challenge.

Or at least it should be.

Many firms have safety award ceremonies once or twice a year. But howbest to keep your people focused on safety every day?

Thats life in the trenches, right? When considering recognition ideas, ithelps to remember:

1. People are different and like to be recognized in different ways. Dontassume everyone gets turned on the same way. One persons safetytrophy proudly displayed in the family room may be anothers basementjunk.

2. You cant motivate people. They must commit to motivate themselves.What you can do is set the stage for them to want to work safely. Somelike gifts, others plaques or memos. Some respond to talks about theirchildren or about having a healthy future or retirement.


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Training tip: Dont let your safety rewards backfire on you

A pat on the back for a job done well and safely can go a long way.

But there are times it can go a long way in the wrong direction andactually de-motivate people.

Here are four ways your safety recognition efforts can backfire, andhow not to let that happen:

1. Inconsistency: Inconsistent rewards confuse people because they dontknow whats expected of them. Have a clear standard of what getsrewarded, then be sure to stick to it.

2. Lateness: A pat on the back days or weeks after the fact loses its impact.Reward them right away.

3. Wrong size: The reward should fit the deed. Someone whos gone 10years without an accident merits more than someone with a lesserachievement.

4. Staleness: Reward programs tend to get stale after a year or so. Updatethe program regularly.

Training tip: Extra safety precautions for older workers

Older workers suffer fewer injuries than younger ones, but those injuriestend to be more serious and result in more days away from work.

As the number of older workers grows, it pays for supervisors to focusmore attention on their needs.

Here are the top injuries to older workers:

1. Falls due to loss of balance or slower reaction time

2. Sprains from less flexibility

3. Overexertion in heat or cold, and


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4. Injuries built up from years of doing the same tasks.

So, what can a supervisor do to help prevent these injuries?

Try to reduce demanding activities in hot or cold climates, like climbinga ladder or repeated heavy lifting.

Always make sure floors and walkways are clear and flat as possibleand that lighting is adequate.

It will also help if you can find ways to help workers get aroundstooping and bending.

Lastly, dont hesitate to talk with your older people if you suspecttheyre struggling with a certain job.

Listen for what is specifically causing a problem. Sometimes somethingas simple as a pair of gloves or cushioned inserts in the shoes can head offproblems.

Training tip: Easy way to shake up safety toolbox talks

Some employees may see safety as a hassle. But you know its reallyabout keeping them healthy.

To drive that point home, every once in a while make employees bringin pictures of their families to show around and talk about during safetymeetings.

The message is obvious and effective: When it comes to working safely,you dont do it for the company, you do it for yourself and your family andfriends.

Training tip: Turn their commuting complaints into training

If your workplace is like most, your people come in each morning andsoon start complaining about that lame-brain driver they encountered onthe ride in.


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So why not turn those gripe-fests into a safety training session? The realenemy here is aggressive driving.

Here are three key points to discuss:

1. The best way to not become an aggressive driver is to adjust yourattitude. Forget the idea of winning. Driving to work is not a race.Everyone will get where theyre going, if they drive safely.

2. You can avoid getting ticked off at others by putting yourself in theirshoes. Ever been lost, unsure of the road or looking for the right turn?Not fun when people honk at you, is it? Then give others some leeway,too.

3. There will always be bad actors who break the rules or drive rudely. Letthem go. Its not your job to enforce the rules of the road or dish outpunishment by teaching them a lesson. Keep your cool and live towork and play another day.

Training tip: Clearly identify translator with special-colored hat

If you have a Spanish-speaking work crew, theres usually one guy whosbilingual and translates safety rules or work instructions.

What some companies do is give that guy a special-colored hard hat orvest. If everyone else is wearing white or yellow, give him a blue one.

Some companies say it even helped when an OSHA inspector showedup. It showed the supervisor took the extra effort to make sure safety andwork instructions were properly communicated.

Training tip: Illustrate your No. 1 safety concern

Safety training cant just be pie in the sky. It always pays to tailor yoursafety training to the specific hazards your workers may face.

For Dave Walline, corporate safety leader at Owens Corning in Toledo,


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Ohio, hand injuries were a major issue.

So for his next safety meeting, Dave brought in a jar of peanut butter, aloaf of bread, a baby doll and a package of diapers.

Then he asked workers to change the babys diaper and make a peanutbutter sandwich with one arm tied behind their backs.

The point was clear: If you lose the use of one hand, itll be verydifficult to do even some of the simplest tasks in life.

Training tip: How strong is your safety culture?

There really is no specific set of standards that identifies the perfectsafety culture.

But there are some general and observable characteristics that identify agood safety culture.

1. Your people look for and correct hazards. Do they? If so, its a sure signthat your continued efforts to help them be safer workers is paying off.

2. Your people wear PPE. If people are slipping now and again and notusing the proper PPE, its a sign that complacency is setting in. Anaccident is likely to follow.

3. Safe work is respected. People sometimes stand in awe of the seasonedveteran who knows his job in and out. Does the person who alwaysworks the safest get the same level of respect?

Training tip: Real men ask for help

Every supervisor has to keep an eye out for excessive macho behaviorthat can be a safety danger to everyone.

Far too many workplace injuries occur when someone attempts a jobalone like lifting something when he or she should have asked for help.

Its OK to tell these people that real men ask for help. And let themknow its just smarter, too.


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Training tip: Safety slogans worth spreading around

If youre ever hunting for just the right thing to say to an employeewhos not buying into your safety efforts, youre not alone.

The U.S. Navy has a long list of safety quotes and slogans it uses todrive home its message.

Here are a few:

A safer you is a safer me. A worker who doesnt follow safety rules is a fugitive from the law of

averages.

Working safely is like breathing, you never want it to stop. Electricity can turn you off. If you think safety is a pain, try a leg fracture. Alert today, alive tomorrow.

Training tip: Foul-Up Forum weeds out safety problems

For your next safety meeting, try having a Foul-Up Forum where youencourage workers to talk about mistakes, safety shortcuts and unreportednear-misses.

People can learn more from slip-ups than from successes if you can getthem to open up about unsafe things they may have done.

But getting them to share honestly can be tough.

Some firms offer rewards for employees who tell these tales.

But the most important rule for these sessions is: No discipline orreprimands for those who come clean.

The goal is to educate.

People whove tried this say that they tend to have more success the


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second or third time around.

So, if you dont get any good responses from people at first, dont giveup after one shot.

Training tip: Safety stand down gets them to stop and think

If you ever grow tired in your daily battles for safety, you can take heartin NASAs plight.

From a workplace safety standpoint, 2007 was a tough year at CapeCanaveral.

In February, a worker fell off a roof and died. Then no one locked andsecured the nose wheel of the shuttle Endeavor, and it pitched forwardwhile in tow.

Someone also put too much pressure in Atlantis coolant loop and blewits seals and valves.

Then came March. Thats when the arm of Discovery was dented by amoving platform. A few days later, a metal container was dropped onEndeavor, cracking its cooling ties.

The following week, a repair crew accidentally set a roof on fire, almostigniting a solid rocket booster!

NASA responded with a two-hour safety stand down to encourageworkers to stop and think.

Training tip: Dont let safety get foiled in a single second

It takes a minute to write a safety rule.

It takes an hour to hold a safety meeting.

It takes a week to plan to good safety program.


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It takes a month to put that program into operation.

It takes a year to win a safety award.

It takes a lifetime to prove youre a safe worker.

But it only takes a second to destroy it all with one accident.

Thats why it pays to take the time to help people work more safely.

Training tip: Keep your eye on the Big 3 causes of stress

When people are stressed its more likely injuries and accidents willhappen.

So supervisors want to stay on the lookout for the Big 3 causes ofworkplace stress:

Change Lack of control, and Growing workloads

If any of these are happening in your workplace or if all are happeningat once it may be time to consider stress-reducing programs or techniquesfor your people.

Training tip: What to look for first in a safety walk-thru

Youve been asked to walk through another area of your facility to tryand spot hazards.

What do you look for first?

Here are the top eight hazards the military asks its civilian supervisorsto be on the lookout for:

1. Overloaded electrical circuits

2. Blocked aisles, passages


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3. Electrical cords in walkways

4. Chemicals improperly stored

5. Missing or old fire extinguishers

6. Slippery or uneven floors

7. Poorly maintained ladders, and

8. Missing safety or exit signs.

Training tip: Training thatll get them right between the eyes

If your people use safety goggles or face shields, heres a way to drivehome the need to wear them:

One supervisor we talked to used a digital camera to take close-uppictures of workers. Then she cropped out everything but the eyes, blewthem up and printed them out.

She hung the pictures at the next safety session on eye protection andworkers had fun trying to guess whose eyes were whose.

Training tip: 4 keys to steering clear of trouble with OSHA

Many employers never have any contact with OSHA, so theyre notalways sure what it takes to get in trouble with the safety agency.

Its easier than you think.

The agency typically uses a four-step approach to making its citationsand fines stick:

1. A condition or activity presented a hazard to an employee. Thats afairly straightforward standard. You dont need to memorize everyOSHA rule to know that if an employee is exposed to a workplacehazard, or is doing something hazardous, its probably against some


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OSHA rule or another.

2. The hazard was recognized. Like many other laws, ignorance is often nodefense. The law expects employers to be aware of the hazards in theirindustries.

3. The hazard was likely to cause death or physical harm. Thats whatworkplace safety practices are all about sending people home in onepiece.

4. There was a feasible way to eliminate or reduce the hazard. Most firmsthat fight OSHA fines take this approach and argue there was nothingthey could do about a hazard. Its an argument that rarely flies.

Training tip: 3 keys to improve any safety training effort

What makes the difference between safety training that sinks in andsafety training that goes in one ear and out the other?

Here are three easy steps in the setup and follow up that researchshows get the best training results:

1. Invite them personally. E-mail is the best way to reach a large numberof people at once. But when you can, inform each peron face-to-face aboutan upcoming safety session. Let them know why its important for them tobe there and what theyll get out of it.

2. Give them a choice. Research shows that when you can give workersa choice of when to take a required safety training course, buy-in is greater.

3. Be sure to follow up. One of the best ways to assure success of asafety training effort is to touch base with people after the training todiscuss how much theyve understood and retained.

Training tip: Licorice shows the value of stretching

Many companies have turned to pre-work stretching routines to help


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people reduce strains and sprains.

Theyre valuable programs because warmed-up muscles and tendons areless likely to tear, break or strain.

Heres a good way to get worker buy-in and show people clearly whywarm-up stretching is worthwhile.

Take a few pieces of licorice candy, like Twizzlers, and set them in therefrigerator. Take a few other pieces and either warm them slightly in amicrowave or set them in the sun for an hour.

Next, gather your group of employees. Take the warmed-up licorice andpull both ends. It stretches out quite nicely to a long length, sort of like awarmed-up muscle or tendon.

Now grab hold of the ends of the cold licorice and pull.

It snaps instantly.

Note: One safety expert told us he got 80% voluntary participation in astretching program after doing this demonstration for employees.

Training tip: 3 keys to include in everysafety training session

Any safety trainer can increase his or her effectiveness by practicing andusing these three techniques:

Speak simply: When training, always use the language your peopleunderstand. Dont speak over their heads in an attempt to impressthem.

Create a sense of team: Limit references to the company and statementslike I want ... . Instead, key on we, and things we can do as ateam. Look for examples that emphasize how one co-worker can helpanother.

Leave time for Q&A: The surest way to alienate someone is to ignorehis or her questions. On the other hand, answering questions gets peopleengaged and clarifies any misunderstandings.


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Training tip: Spouses Affidavit

I, _______________, hereby authorize my spouse to work without PPEand to ignore safety rules.

I will, without complaint, perform the following duties in the eventhe/she is blinded or crippled:

Lead him/her wherever he/she needs to go. Help him/her dress and eat. Teach him/her to do housework so I can get a job to support us. Teach our children to dance, play ball, swim, fish, etc. Describe the scenery to him/her on our next vacation. Describe the way our kids eyes lit up at Christmas. Tell him/her how great our child looked at graduation, and later at the

wedding.

_________________________

(Spouses signature)

Training tip: Can you spot substance abuse in the workplace?

An employee under the influence of drugs or alcohol is an accidentwaiting to happen.

Firms and supervisors have been held responsible when an impairedemployee injures himself or others.

The key is to know how to spot substance abusers before they can causea problem.

The U.S. Department of Labor says substance abusers are more likely to:

be absent or late make mistakes


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take risks get in an accident, and file a workers comp claim.

Another key is to keep an eye on a suspected workers performance andbehavior.

Clues to look for in a workers performance are poor work quality,brief, unexplained disappearances from the job, carelessness, errors injudgment and risk-taking.

Behavioral clues include ongoing financial problems, high turnover offriends, overreacting to criticism, poor personal appearance and excessivelyblaming others.

Training tip: Safety training foods (yes, you read that right)

You probably have a good feel for what your best safety training toolsare. But what are your best safety training foods?

If you havent tried any, you may not be getting the biggest bang duringsafety meetings.

1. Consider the egg. Raw eggs are perfect for driving home the need towear goggles. And they puncture with about the same resistance as aneyeball. Put a couple of eggs in a dish to show workers what couldhappen to their own eyes.

2. Melons are good. Melons work great because they cut and slice just likefatty human tissue. Is there a safety issue in your place over cuts to thearms, legs or trunk? Bring in a melon, or a half-green tomato, and showthem exactly what you mean.

3. Dont forget hot dogs. Raw wieners stuck in the fingers of a glove are agood replica for the real deal. Better yet, frozen ones break just likebones. Smash em, stomp em, cut em up and watch your traineessquirm.


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Training tip: Top-notch toolbox talks

Toolbox talks should be as effective as formal safety training.

They should be less than 15 minutes and take place right where thework takes place.

The key is to focus on three to five main safety issues for a specific job.

Also, good toolbox talks:

1. Are held regularly so people come to expect them

2. Encourage participation, and

3. Focus on the good and bad for example, safety problems as well asjobs well done.

Remember to keep a record of your talks, including date, time, placeand those in attendance.

Training tip: Getting the most impact out of safety photos

Photos are a great way to drive home safety messages.

There are a ton of pictures online, classics such as the forklift being usedto lift another forklift, which in turn is lifting its load to a high perch.

Or the guy standing on the stepladder changing a light bulb. Onlyproblem is the metal stepladder is sticking out of a swimming pool!

One safety director we are aware of uses images to great effect.

She starts her presentation with a series of more humorous images, likethe guy on the stepladder.

But she also throws in some very serious photos.

These are pictures of hospital beds, funerals, an orphans home, even awidow left behind trying to sell the house she can no longer afford to keep.


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Training tip: Add a twist to emergency drills to make them real

Next time your people practice an emergency evacuation drill, heres atwist you can add thatll improve their chances of getting out safely shouldthe real thing ever happen.

Have a safety team member stand in front of the normal emergency exitand block it with a large cardboard sign that says fire.

In other words, that exit is unusable because its the source for the firealarm.

This forces people to think on their feet and find an alternate safe pathout of the facility.

Supervisors tell us the first time theyve tried it, a few employees actuallydied in the drill.

Training tip: Got any tough guys? Tell em this story

If you have a few tough guys who ignore minor hazards, you can tellthem this true story:

On July 25, 1911, Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survived!

Years later Leach was walking on the street when he slipped on anorange peel. No big deal, right?

Wrong. His leg broke and it had to be amputated. Then an infection setin. He eventually died of gangrene!

Training tip: Should you let them borrow safety gear?

More companies are turning to the practice of encouraging employees totake home safety gear for weekend projects.

Its not for every firm, and each supervisor and manager needs to


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consider whether or not it fits the particular work setting.

But the idea has two benefits:

It raises safety awareness. Workers who use safety gear at home aresafety-conscious, and will use it at work, too.

Its cost effective. Employees injured at home drive up your companysoverall medical costs.

Training tip: Be sure your ergonomic upgrades include lefties

If youre considering ergonomic upgrades, be sure to consider the needsof left-handed employees.

Southpaws, who are 10% of the population, approach work from adifferent angle, literally.

That could have an impact on any equipment, tool or workstationchanges you might make.

Training tip: Recreating a near-miss video drives home safety

You probably have a written form you use to document and analyzenear-misses.

But your workers might learn a lot more if you recreate the near-miss onvideo.

Have the worker involved explain what happened, step by step, and thefallout.

Then let the camera shift to you, so you can explain how to avoid suchan incident in the future.

A five-to-ten-minute video makes a great safety training session.


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Training tip: Most training forgotten in 30 days; what to do

Studies show that a month from now your employees will onlyremember 10% of the safety training they received today!

Worse, that 10% may not be the most important part of the training.

So how can you get people to remember more?

1. A little at a time. Avoid cramming a lot of material into a long session.Instead, feed bits of safety information out in 10-to-15-minute intervals.

2. Rely on previous experience. When teaching a new safety idea ortechnique, start with what employees already know and build on that.

3. Make them part of it. Let people participate in training. When you can,let them pick the color of their safety gear or the style of their safetyglasses. Ask their opinion of a safety process, or suggestions to improvesafety.

4. Keep it real. Always be sure the ideas you teach are relevant to the jobsyour people are doing. Then give them time to practice what theyvebeen taught.

Training tip: Instead of a to-do list, try a stop-doing list

Most supervisors at some point have given employees a to-do list ofthings to get done.

But have you ever tried passing out a stop-doing list?

A stop-doing list of unsafe behaviors is a great way to help people seeand remember the types of actions that can lead to injuries.

Clearing a machine jam by hand, would make the list. So wouldlifting heavy objects without help, and speeding.

Always tailor the list to fit your own operation.


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Training tip: Sometimes its OK to just let them grumble

Do you have people who tend to complain about safety procedures?

Let em.

Just make them do it on paper.

Here are three reasons why:

1. Once its written in black and white, theyll see their complaint is trivialwhen compared to the safety value.

2. It gives them an outlet to vent.

3. Itll give you good insight into whether someone has enough training.Frustration is often a sign of insufficient training.

Training tip: Use an injury to help raise safety awareness

Heres how one supervisor used an injury to boost safety.

An employee named Will was injured. The supervisor made up a 14-by-20 inch red sign that simply asked Hows Will?

He moved the sign to different locations every week or so. It became asimple, effective reminder that accidents can, and do, happen.

Training tip: Help em learn with hands-on safety talks

Someone once described a lecture as information that comes out of themouth of one, into the notebooks of many, without going through the mindof anyone.

Dont let that happen during your safety talks.

A great way to make these talks interactive is to pass around propsworkers will be using on the job. For instance, if your people use cut-


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resistant gloves, bring some for them to hold while youre talking.

Or if you want to discuss the usefulness of steel-toed shoes, let peopledrop a heavy weight on a pair of them to prove the point.

In short, making your meetings as hands-on as possible also helps makethem memorable.

Training tip: Spice up Hazcom training with food for thought

Got chemicals?

If so, you no doubt warn your people not to eat around them. But youstill might be worried about the one guy with the hefty appetite and thepack of peanut butter crackers stuffed in his back pocket.

Heres an idea: At your next safety talk, bring some packs of crackers tohand out to those who attend. You can get them dirt-cheap at a Sams Clubor a similar wholesaler.

When youre ready to pass them out, pour a chemical you use over thecrackers first, then ask who wants some. Youll get no takers. Then letthem know thats exactly what they could be consuming if theyre sneakingsnacks on the job.

Training tip: 3 good safety attitudes

We all know what bad safety attitudes are: Nothing will happen to me,safety takes too long, etc.

But whats a good safety attitude? Here are three:

Safe work is efficient work Working safely is a skill, and People respect safe work habits.


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Training tip: Be sure people know how to report problems

A recent study found that many workers who suffered injuries frommachinery didnt know who to tell when the equipment was first acting up.

In other words, they attempted to fix a machine problem themselvesbecause they didnt know who to report it to.

Remind your people regularly about the procedures they should followif they have a problem with machinery.

Training tip: Youre as good as your people in safety matters

The safety of your people directly reflects upon your own supervisoryskills. Put another way: Youre as good as your workers.

So how do you make them better at safety?

Usually this space is reserved for hands-on tips and ideas you can putinto practice right away.

But it never hurts to have some safety management techniques that workfor you over the long haul, too.

For instance, when observing safety conditions, always ask yourselfthese six questions:

1. Are employees in the right area?

2. Are they paying attention?

3. Are they using PPE?

4. Are they using correct equipment?

5. Is equipment working properly?

6. Are there other obvious hazards?

Those six questions help to prevent accidents. Now here are six more to


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ask yourself after an accident or near-miss:

1. Was the worker careless?

2. Did the worker obey safety rules?

3. Were conditions unsafe?

4. Did the worker take shortcuts?

5. Is the worker accident-prone?

6. Should the worker have been in that area?

Training tip: 4 steps to make safety training more effective

You spend so much time each day keeping things going that its oftentough to find time to make training sessions interesting.

But by keeping a few simple things in mind, you can make your safetytraining more effective.

Try these four steps:

1. Keep it moving. Its good not to get stuck on any one topic for too long.Some people use a timer as a reminder. Ask an employee to set the timerfor you at the start of each topic. That also lets everyone know time isimportant.

2. Use handouts. Handouts that reinforce the information you tell workersare great training aids. People read them later. And if you give peoplehandouts that cover the next training topic, it gives them a jump onthat, too.

3. Leave em laughing. The power of humor can keep people interested.Industry publications, newspapers and the Web offer safety-relatedcartoons that can help you drive home a point.

4. Make tests count. Test employees at the beginning and end of eachtraining session. That way people can compare their before and afterscores and see how much theyve really learned.


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Training tip: Emergency practice

If youre putting together a first-response team to deal with emergencieslike shut-offs, injuries and small fires, this training idea could be helpful.

Draw up a facility map showing hallways, doors, rooms and stairs.

Give each emergency team member a copy of the map and a list of howmany first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and safety cut-off switches yourfacility has.

Next, send them on a search of the facility to find those items. Havethem mark clearly on the map where these safety items are located.

Result: Theyll likely never again forget the location of these importantand life-saving devices.

Training tip: The supervisors role in creating a safety culture

Safety rests with the employee, but it starts with the supervisor!

Len Jannaman, VP of DuPont Safety Resources, has developed six keysteps supervisors should follow to enhance workplace safety.

Here they are:

1. Set a good example. Observe all safety rules yourself, especiallywearing PPE when required. Discuss safety with employees every day in anenthusiastic way, and make sure safety has its proper place on your prioritylist.

2. Know the operation. Understand the entire process and know howsafety rules apply to each part of the work. Keeping an eye out for near-misses and injury trends is also key.

3. Anticipate risks. Safety-conscious supervisors think ahead. They askexperts for help and are active in identifying risks and hazards.

4. Discuss hazards. When youve learned something that might preventan injury, share it! Encourage workers to discuss hazards and be receptive


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to ideas to make sure safety questions are answered before the job starts.

5. Flag unsafe conditions. Every time you walk through an area shouldbe an on-the-spot inspection for hazards, with corrections madeimmediately.

6. Follow up. Good supervisors boost safety by consistent follow-up,which encourages individual accountability.

Training tip: Morning safety training better than afternoon

Research shows that it really does matter what time of day you schedulesafety meetings especially if you want your people to take part andcontribute good ideas.

Workers were two to three times more likely to pick up on ideas,remember them and offer other ideas when meetings were held in themorning.

By contrast, two in three workers daydreamed more frequently duringafternoon meetings.

Lesson: Even if you cant hold every safety meeting in the morning, tryto hold your most important sessions before noon.

Training tip: Heres just the ticket to boost safety inspections

If you require your people to inspect equipment, material, machines orvehicles for safety problems before they use them, heres a great idea.

Get a stack of tickets that youd use for a 50-50 drawing and hide oneof the tickets somewhere on or inside the equipment. Put it someplacewhere people will see it only if they really do a thorough inspection.

Tell folks to give the ticket to you or their safety rep after they find it.At the end of each month, put the tickets in a hat and draw one or two out


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to award small prizes.

Its another way of encouraging people to be thorough when doing theirinspections.

Training tip: Stump the supervisor challenges them to learn

Heres an idea that will help keep your people focused on safety and letthem have some fun, too. But be careful its at your expense.

Split your employees into teams of five or so and let them review all thesafety lessons theyve learned.

Then, each week for a one- or two-month period, have one team try tocome up with a safety question for you. Tell them that if they stump you, ifyou cant answer their question, youll buy pizza or donuts.

Its a great way to keep safety lessons fresh in their minds.

Training tip: Spice up eye protection training with this idea

Get two watermelons (pumpkins will also work) and four raw eggs.Draw a face on the melons, cut two eye sockets and sink the raw eggs intothe sockets.

Put eye goggles on one melon and cover both melons with paper bags.

During your talk, lift the bags off the melons. That alone will get alaugh. Then take a pointer and crack it across the melon with the safetygoggles. The eyes are protected.

Next, take off the goggles and tell them these are your eyes withoutPPE, and let er rip.

Let your most recent safety violator clean up the mess.


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Training tip: How a pat on the back can do safety wonders

If you have any doubt that positive reinforcement in safety pays off,consider this real-life example from Rockline Industries, Inc., in Springdale,Ariz.

A pat on the back can do wonders.

The company, once on OSHAs Watch List, improved its incident rate67% over three years.

A major reason for the turnaround was supervisors staying diligent onthe production line.

Supervisors and managers record nearly 300 (safety) observations permonth, the company said, 88 to 90% positive. Its the positivereinforcement aspect that is so valuable.

Lesson: If you havent made positive reinforcement an essential part ofyour safety routine, perhaps its time to consider it.

If you have, nice job and keep up the good work!

Training tip: Improve safety by fining em for minor infractions

Theres an easy answer for handling employees who commit majorsafety infractions: Discipline.

But what do you do with the folks who sometimes break minor safetyrules?

Why not fine them?

Consider handing out safety tickets to those who commit these smallinfractions.

The fine? Require them to do a five-minute presentation on how to do itright at the start of their next work shift.


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Training tip: Show the hazards of stored energy

Complicated machines can have three or more sources of energy:electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, kinetic, spring-loaded, gravity-fed, etc.

Thats why its important for people to know when a machine isabsolutely, 100% de-energized.

Try this at your next safety talk to make the point about the dangers ofstored energy.

Get a large rat trap, not a mouse trap, a rat trap. Theyre only a couplebucks.

With workers gathered around you, stick a pencil in the trap and snap itshut.

The pencil will easily break in two.

Then ask people how much money it would take for you to have themstick their finger in that trap.

Five dollars? Ten dollars? Fifty?

Youll probably find that no amount of money would be worth it.

Then ask if theyd stick their hand or finger in a machine that hasntbeen properly locked out.

Would they do it for the amount of money they make in an hour?

A day? A week?

Its a great attention-getter.

Training tip: Close calls are wake-up calls:Get em to report

Close calls or near-misses are common in the workplace. But too often aclose call ends with a couple of thankful workers saying Whew! and notmuch else.

Workers who dont report a close call often cite fear of being


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reprimanded, red tape, ruining a safety record or embarrassment as theirreasons.

So, the next time you discuss near-misses with your people, re-emphasizethe need for them to report these incidents.

Tell them that if they keep silent about a close call, they may certainlyavoid having to deal with it.

Then ask them how theyll explain themselves to a co-worker who endsup in a wheelchair because of a hazard that they knew existed, but didntwant to talk about.


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