Understanding On-Site Safety Training

On-site safety training is crucial for increasing productivity, enhancing worker morale, and engaging in safe practices. It’s also vital for training in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and related industries.

Safety professionals who offer on-site training can provide several benefits to companies, including cost savings and reputation enhancement. They can teach employees how to use equipment safely and optimize business operations for worker safety in various fields, from construction and manufacturing to textiles and natural gas.

What Is On-Site Safety Training?

On-site safety training is an educational program that creates safer work environments, helping companies minimize risks and improve operating procedures. It’s particularly prevalent in high-risk industries like construction and manufacturing.

The training typically covers fundamental safety protocols and best practices to promote workers’ safety and the company’s reputation. On-site training can extend into more opportunities, like forums that bring together industry experts, thought leaders, and other safety professionals to share their innovative safety principles and steps.

In some industries like construction, on-site training may be part of meeting the legal requirements and maintaining compliance. In these high-risk industries, proper training is crucial for employees to understand and be aware of potential hazards and how to avoid them.

How Does On-Site Safety Training Work?

On-site training educates workers on industrial hygiene relevant to their field. It explains the recognition, evaluation, and anticipation of potentially harmful or fatal factors and teaches workers how to control them.

This training is usually designed to empower employees with the latest workplace safety and compliance knowledge. A facilitator walks workers through potential site hazards and shows them how to identify dangerous situations. It may also encompass some e-learning experiences that allow workers to learn the reasoning behind the safety regulations and study new safety requirements through immersive videos, reading resources, and even games.

What Are the Benefits of On-Site Safety Training?

Workers need on-site safety training to gain the capabilities to identify and address hazards promptly to prevent accidents. Studies show that training is one of the most pivotal ways to increase employee awareness in high-risk environments. Here are the top benefits of on-site training:

Improved Site Safety

The most significant benefit of on-site safety training is that it helps create a safer worksite by empowering employees with the knowledge to identify and address potential hazards.

On-site safety training leads to a safer work environment by giving employees the knowledge and skills to identify and avoid potential hazards in the workplace. This understanding can significantly decrease workplace accidents and injuries, which affect worker well-being and the business’s success. Reducing accidents and injuries can also lower the financial costs typically involved in these incidents, such as workers’ compensation claims and medical expenses.

On-site training creates a company culture centered on safety. It teaches workers long-term lessons about protecting themselves and others. This hands-on teaching style can also help safety professionals and management teams identify employees who may engage in unsafe practices or lone workers at risk of serious injury.

Training on-site also equips employees with Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) guidelines that focus on gaining awareness of the following hazardous circumstances:

• Noise exposure
• Sources of radiation
• Airborne particulates
• Dangerous biological pathogens
• Spills that infect groundwater and air
• Situational hazards like machine collisions and falls

Enhanced Heat Safety

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average of 34 deaths per year occur due to heat exposure across industry sectors. Heat-related illnesses are prevalent in construction, manufacturing, and other fields requiring prolonged exposure to heat.

On-site safety training can teach workers what signs to look for to determine heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and how to help people experiencing these symptoms while calling for help. It also enables them to identify high-risk situations and jobs where heat-related problems are more likely. Employees can apply correct hydration and cooling techniques to care for their health amidst rising temperatures.

Safety professionals who provide on-site training on workplace safety can offer practical tips, conduct risk assessments, and keep employees safe while temperatures soar.

Better Chemical Safety

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employees experience over 190,000 chemical exposure illnesses and around 50,000 deaths annually related to chemical safety. Workplace chemical exposure has been linked to several diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular illnesses.

On-site training teaches workers about the dangers of chemical exposure and ways to keep themselves safe and prevent accidents. Here are some of the topics that may be covered, depending on the industry:

• Techniques to prevent harmful chemical reactions
• Proper storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous materials
• Methods to read safety information and identify hazardous chemicals
• Identifying potential biohazards and strategizing ways to eliminate them or safely escape harmful scenarios

Increased Productivity

With on-site training, employees will feel safer, more confident, and more motivated, rippling into a more effective workflow. Knowing that the company values their health and safety will make workers feel more valued and promote efficiency. Staff may also be more confident bringing hazards and safety challenges to their superiors, allowing the company to implement new strategies to promote productivity safely.

Safety professionals will equip workers with the tools to identify and address safety hazards proactively. This training may reduce accidents, lower absenteeism costs, and increase the company’s overall productivity and profitability.

Improved Use of PPE

On-site safety training can teach employees the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and empower safety professionals with methods to ensure workers always use the correct PPE in hazardous areas.

While employees may know the ins and outs of machinery or hazardous compounds, they may need to be reminded about the importance of wearing PPE. This lesson is especially beneficial for senior workers who may become too comfortable and engage in reckless behavior.

Workers rely on various forms of PPE to keep them safe when engaging in daily work tasks, including potentially hazardous ones. Some of the PPE they may rely on include:

• Hardhats
• Safety shoes
• Fall harnesses
• Safety glasses
• Ear plugs or muffs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the significance of anthropometry, which ensures that PPE fit is relative to an individual’s functional capacity, form, and size. Safety professionals should educate companies on the importance of adequately fitted PPE in keeping workers safe.

Enhanced Employee Morale

Safety training is usually designed with new workers in mind, but it also helps more experienced workers who may be more prone to injuries like falls. It has a ripple effect that prevents absenteeism, reduces workload, and results in longer-term lower turnover.

On-site training improves morale by making employees feel supported and providing a space to discuss and query safety challenges in their work environment. Workers who receive resources and learning opportunities are more likely to be engaged in their work.

Safety training encourages better communication between workers and higher-ups. It empowers staff to share ideas and opportunities for improved safety, creating a harmonious work environment where everyone works to create a safer and more successful establishment.

Increased Fall Protection and Ladder Safety

Approximately 38.4% of deaths in the construction industry are due to falls, trips, and slips. Falls are one of the most common causes of workplace injuries and fatal accidents. On-site training can teach employees how to avoid fatal falls and instill the following important lessons:

• Using protective equipment: On-site training teaches the correct use of fall protection equipment, such as lifelines and harnesses, so workers can follow proper safety practices when engaging in activities that may risk dangerous falls.
• Inspecting equipment: Safety professionals can teach employees how to inspect ladders and climbing equipment for breakages and faults.
• Identifying hazards: Training can enlighten workers on potential fall hazards and signs that an environment or piece of equipment may result in falls.

Safety professionals can offer companies a range of benefits by providing on-site training for fall protection and ladder safety. Businesses can enjoy improved employee morale and retention of skilled workers. In 2022, workplace injuries cost businesses $167 billion, so on-site training may also reduce the costs of workers’ injuries by promoting safer practices. It can also help companies avoid penalties and fines by remaining compliant.

Improved Fire Safety

A fire can start at any business, but those in the construction, manufacturing, and similar industries are especially at risk. Workers in these fields are more prone to fire hazards due to explosive compounds, sparking equipment, and accidents when handling sensitive chemicals and machinery.

On-site training can encourage employees to take the initiative to prevent fires and teach them the correct steps to take in case of a fire. Here are some of the steps they may learn:

• Identifying hazards: On-site training can teach workers what can cause a fire to ignite and how to prevent it. The safety professional may show them how to conduct a fire risk assessment by walking through possible fire hazards in the workplace and eliminating or moving flammable objects away from potentially ignitable heat sources.
• Preventing hazardous fires: On-site safety training equips workers with the tools to prevent fires from becoming dangerous. Small fires are common in some industries, but staff can take steps to prevent the flames from growing. Some ways to avoid fire hazards include keeping equipment and machinery clean and dry, checking for faulty wiring, and not overloading the circuits.
• Responding effectively: On-site safety training facilitators may help workers get acquainted with the emergency route plan and practice all the steps to follow during a fire. They can also equip staff with knowledge on preventing a fire from spreading and damaging company property and assets.

Why Should Companies Invest in On-Site Safety Training?

By investing in on-site safety training, companies can empower their bottom line and protect their investments and their greatest assets — their staff. Safety professionals can guide businesses in streamlining their operations to ensure optimal worker productivity and security. Here are the top reasons companies should invest in on-site safety training:

Increased Cost Savings

On-site safety training comes at a cost, but not investing in staff safety training comes at a higher price. On-site training is a worthy investment that can help companies prioritize security and save money in the following ways:

• Reduce injury costs: On-site training can make workspaces safer and reduce the chances of injuries and accidents, which could rack up financial expenses for medical bills, reduced productivity, and compensation claims. The initial investment in training costs is nowhere near the amount of medical bills and lawsuits that could materialize.
• Reduce property damage costs: Some hazards like fires and chemical damage can cost companies for property damage and lost working hours. Safety training provides employees with the knowledge and skills to prevent some dangers from occurring. It saves business costs for damage repair in preventable situations.
• Increase retention: Employees who feel safe and secure are more likely to stay. In industries like construction and fabrication, where there’s a shortage of skilled labor, retention saves companies recruitment costs and helps them stay competitive.
• Increase client interest: Businesses that value employee well-being and offer on-site safety training will garner a good reputation. In industrial fields, a good reputation can land companies top clients, improve loyalty, and attract top talent.

Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

On-site safety training helps businesses promote compliant work practices and elevates their reputation. What’s required for compliance differs by industry, but on-site training can help in the following ways:

• Encourages legal compliance: While companies can take every step to ensure their property and systems are compliant, ill-informed staff members may engage in illegal work practices like operating machinery without proper checks. On-site training makes employees aware of the laws and legal ramifications of recklessness.
• Encourages hazard control: Worksite demonstrations typically used in on-site training can help workers understand how to prevent hazards by engaging in compliant practices.
• Encourages accountability: On-site training teaches workers about legal and compliant methods for potentially hazardous tasks. By promoting accountability, it lowers the chances of unethical behaviors.

Purchase On-Site Safety Training Courses From The National Association of Safety Professionals

At NASP, we offer a practical approach to workplace safety with our range of online and live certifications and certificates. We empower safety professionals with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to create safer workplaces. Our expertly designed modules encourage interactive learning through educational activities, visual multimedia learning aids, and fun games. We structure our subjects for optimal understanding and recall.

Our live safety training class gives you practical experience and valuable knowledge that meets and exceeds OSHA regulations so you can offer the best safety protocols to your clients.

In addition to providing certifications for safety professionals, we also offer on-site training services, consulting, and walk-throughs on hazard control. Our certified safety professionals can also perform mock OSHA inspections to evaluate company compliance.

Purchase our professional development training online courses and further your career and expertise. Contact us for more information or questions.