The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a strict set of safety and occupational health and safety standards in place to be followed by not only hospitals and large medical complexes, but also smaller medical and dental offices.
If you own your own practice, you most likely understand the importance of following these guidelines, not only for public safety but for the safety of your wallet as well. Non-compliance can result in fines of thousands of dollars.
Non-compliance has little to do with the standards themselves and everything to do with employee training. Does your staff know how to remain compliant? OSHA training tends to be… how do we say… very boring for employees. And let’s face it, when people are bored, they generally don’t remember much of anything.
So how do you make this training more engaging for your staff so they remember the guidelines and you aren’t hit with non-compliance fines?
- Do A Needs-Based Assessment Before Training
Imagine if each year in school, from grade two to grade 12, you learned how to write in cursive over and over again. You’d get pretty bored pretty quick.
Much of your staff has, most likely, already gone through an OSHA compliance course at some point in their career. Continuing to train them on information they already grasp will result in them losing focus.
Consider doing a needs assessment and training staff only on the information they need.
- PersonalizedTraining
Personalization makes learning more engaging. You might want to provide online training. It can be easily personalized and can also be personalized to the needs of your employees. And, these courses can be created to be self-paced, which has been shown to be more effective.
- UtilizeInteractive Training Content
People learn better when they interact with the lessons. Don’t have employees learn only by reading lengthy manuals. Interactive training can include case studies, discussions, and the use of role-playing to deepen understanding. Interactive lessons are effective because they encourage critical thinking.
- Make it Fun
Sure, OSHA regulations are very serious, but that doesn’t mean learning about them can’t be fun. Throw in some gamification or competition to encourage your employees to get involved and give it their all. Also, consider recognizing and rewarding those OSHA trainers who get the best results.
- Keep It Short and Sweet
Bombarding a person with as much information as possible isn’t going to get you good results. Definitely keep your training modules short and sweet and to-the-point. This will allow your employees to retain what they’ve learned and they’ll be far more likely to put it into practice.
OSHA training is challenging and daunting, but by following these five tips, you’ll stand the best chance of empowering your staff and avoiding stiff penalties.
Do you need help with your OSHA training? Our compliance program is comprehensive, convenient, and up-to-date. We also provide support and guidance throughout the training process and are always available to answer questions.
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