SAFETY INDUCTIONS:
7 Points to Consider

Not every organization carries out safety inductions that are meaningful and
sometimes there is no safety induction at all.
This of course exposes the organization and workers to unnecessary risks.

So here are 7 thoughts on safety inductions:

No 1
Deliver safety inductions on a regular basis, not only when a person first joins the organization

Refresher Safety Inductions should be run regularly, e.g. once or twice per year.
There are a lot of workers out there who did their safety induction when they first joined the organization which could be years ago.
How good is their safety knowledge and attitude?

No 2
Include a formal assessment of the induction

You need to formally test a worker’s understanding of the information given.  How else can you expect them to comply?

No 3
No Tick and Flick Assessments

Tick and flick assessments do not necessarily demonstrate a worker’s understanding.  You want them to explain their answers.

No 4
Too much reliance on online or computerised inductions (unsupervised inductions)

Safety is important enough for you to look a worker in the eye and review your safety policies and procedures with them.
This will increase that person’s understanding of how important safety is to themselves and the organization.
Senior management should be involved in this process.

No 5
Safety induction is not an add on
 Most companies are BIG, if not VERY BIG, on quality and efficiency and of course, for the right reasons.
 But in my travels during inductions I have heard too many instructors say:

“Let’s get the boring part out of the way first “SAFETY”, then we’ll get into what this company is really about”

These instructors were apologetic about having to run a safety induction.  No bonus points for guessing what their safety culture is like.

No 6
Walk the Talk

A company owner complained to me that his employees were not wearing safety glasses as communicated to them during the safety induction.
I did a plant inspection with him and all went well until we were about to enter the workshop which had the following safety sign on the door:

He walked straight through without his safety glasses.  I stopped because I was not wearing mine.
He then signaled me to come through because ” we are only here for a few minutes and we don’t get close to the machines anyway”.
 I refused to enter AND also gave him the reason why his employees were not wearing safety glasses: HIM
 
 He did not pay my invoice and never hired me again….

No 7
Explain what personal responsibility for safety means

Yes, by law, every individual has a personal responsibility for their own safety AND the safety of others.
 A true sense of “personal responsibility for safety” can be an individual’s most important asset in terms of staying safe.

 But, what does it really mean and how do you do it?  I would love to hear your comments and discuss.

Best regards
 
 Everardus Gunzel 
 CEO, Leading Safety Training
 02 4382 3055  ||  0438 823055  ||  www.leadingsafetytraining.com
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