In general, the use of technology solutions for workplace training is on the rise. It makes a lot of sense. There are cost savings that can be realized and delivery mechanisms that can make training available on a schedule that is most convenient to business operations. The needed competencies for a company’s environment can be delivered through various technology solutions, and this includes competencies related to safety training.

Safety training is an important issue in the workplace, and it is essential for all stakeholders to have knowledge of any concerns that may impact a healthy workforce. There are positive and negative aspects that come into play when it comes to implementing technology solutions for workforce safety training. Overall, as education technology continues to evolve and become more mainstream, the positives may outweigh the negatives, as workers and employers from across the globe will have easier access to efficient and cost-effective training

As the training sector grows, companies, associations, and governments are developing vocational tools that can be used for training and retraining in the areas of health and safety. Below you will find a snapshot of some of the major efforts to further develop health and safety training for the workplace.

European Union

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

The EU-OSHA is an EU agency tasked with promoting safe work practices throughout the EU. This organization is incorporating a number to technologies into their education campaigns and activities. The workplace campaigns of EU-OSHA make use of the internet to disperse campaign materials and tools that can be used in the workplace (EU-OSHA, n.d.).

EU-OSHA has established an e-guide for managing stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace. The guide is designed to allow employers to recognize and address issues of stress in the workplace. The tool not only helps to educate employers and employees on stress and psychosocial risks; it also connects them to further information and resources based on their country (EU-OSHA, n.d.).

 

EU-OSHA has also made use of wiki technology to build the OSHWIKI, which is a collection of articles written by accredited authors. One of the strengths of this method is that it takes advantage of the resources of multiple experts to develop and curate resources. This ensures accurate information is available to anyone who may need to develop an occupational health and safety training program, including content creators, instructional designers, educators, and employers (EU-OSHA, n.d.).

The Online Interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) project is an online platform hosted by EU-OSHA for small and medium sized enterprises to develop and share resources that help companies identify and mitigate workplace risks. This tool hosts 172 variants of risk assessment across several languages and specific to each sector (EU-OSHA, n.d.).

European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH)

ENETOSH is a network of European organizations that has been set up to develop and share information on occupational health and safety training. In ten years, this organization has grown to 40 partners within Europe and South Korea. The network has a broader mission than just immediate workforce training. They also look to integrate their work into all areas of education from kindergarten through vocational training (ENETOSH, n.d.).

ENETOSH allows efforts from throughout Europe and beyond to be documented and shared in one unified place, including documenting and promoting online learning that is available. There is safety training available  for individuals at multiple stages of their career, from those who have yet to enter the workforce to those who are very experienced (ENETOSH, n.d.).

There is also access to a video index that highlights videos demonstrating the importance of workplace safety (ENETOSH, n.d.).

(British Safety Council, 2013)

(BAR Service, 2015)

 

Australia

In Australia, Workplace Health and Safety is legislated by Safe Work Australia. Safe Work Australia is a government statutory agency established in 2009 with the mandate of improving workers’ health and safety, as well as workers’ compensation arrangements across the country. Safe Work Australia:

  • Coordinates and develops national policy and strategies
  • Assists with the implementation of model work health and safety legislation and reform of the legislative framework
  • Andertakes research, and
  • Collects, analyses and reports data

Compliance is monitored and enforced at a state level. Four of the six states and both territories are compliant with the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety and have enacted state legislation for Occupational Health and Safety.

Training is most often provided by third party training organizations that partner with firms to deliver the mandated training. Two of the biggest training providers are National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA) and Health Safety Environment Australia (HSE).

The following video introduces the NSCA:

HSE delivers customized on-site and off site training programs across government and industry throughout Australia. The following videos demonstrate some of the training offerings from HSE:

https://www.youtube.com/user/HSEAustralia/videos

Technology is incorporated into training programs depending on the needs of the client. Some of the options offered by the NSCA are online training courses and webinars. HSE is also working with some of their clients to develop and deliver Clickontraining, a suite of online courses for their various offerings. Since both organizations work actively with their clients to develop customized training, the use of technology is determined by client needs and the requirements of the specific program.

 

USA

Two government agencies are active in Occupational Health and Safety Training in the USA. The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) develops standards, policies and regulation and also offers training directly by offering a Training Materials and Resources Gateway that provides job aids in PDF and even smartphone apps. However, training courses are offered exclusively through traditional face-to-face programs by the OSHA. The organization mandates the requirements for third-party providers and provides requirements and listing of online resources and training programs the OSHA Outreach Training Program. OSHA details some of its training services in a helpful video.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a federal agency that operates as a division of the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention. NIOSH has three overarching goals:

  • Conduct research to reduce work-related illnesses and injuries
  • Promote safe and healthy workplaces through interventions, recommendations and capacity building
  • Enhance global workplace safety and health through international collaborations

NIOSH has organized its offerings into 8 groups representing industrial sectors. The program portfolio further subdivides efforts into 24 cross sectors. NIOSH provides a playlist of available videos.

Unlike OSHA, NIOSH does not set standards, policies or regulations, but it does provide recommendations, guidance and training, as well as conduct research. Adoption of educational technologies is currently low and most of the training is offered through traditional face-to-face offerings.

 

Canada

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Healthy and Safety (CCOHS)

The CCOHS is a federal government program that was established in 1978. The vision for the program is to eliminate work-related illnesses and industries. Although, the CCOHS has been around for almost 40 years, there is a tremendous amount of education technology that the office uses to both spread information on changes to legislation and on products and services available through their website (CCOHS, n.d.)

There are a number of initiatives that the CCOHS has undertaken in order to incorporate education technologies into their work. Some of these resources are available for free, but most have a fee attached. These include a series of downloadable infographics, publications, a podcast series, and 90 eLearning courses (CCOHS, 2015).

In addition, the CCOHS has developed an extensive social media presence offering information on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

 

Ontario

Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), health and safety training became mandatory for workers and supervisors on July 1, 2014. This regulatory requirement potentially impacts six million workers and supervisors in the province. The Ministry of Labour has provided some free resources that can be leveraged to ensure compliance with this requirement. Some of the free resources are:

  • Worker and supervisor workbooks (English, French and seven other languages)
  • Worker and supervisor modules online (English and French)
  • Employer guides on the training program (English, French and seven other languages)

The resources provide guidelines, job aids and e-learning modules on the topic of health and safety for a broad audience.

Under the OHSA O. Reg. 297/13: Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training,  workers and supervisors may provide proof of completion of health and safety training in order to be exempted from the training offered by employers.

Many vocational training programs are offering health and training modules in order to accommodate the compliance of employers, workers and supervisors for health and safety training.

Other Canadian Provinces

Similar programs are available in other provinces:

 

Training Providers

SHEilds

SHEilds is an international training organization focused on health and safety training with offices in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. The company has developed an eLearning platform that focuses on health and safety training provided to clients. This training can be customized based on the needs of the clients. This includes diploma and certificate courses that are specifically to certify health and occupational training professionals, such as NEBOSH, IOSH, and City and Guilds.

3M

3M is an example of a corporation that is developing training and making it available through their website. These courses are an extension of the personal protection equipment that they develop and are an added benefits to clients who already see this company as a training solution. By developing training programs, 3M is able to present a complete solution to their clients and demonstrate an added value over competitors.

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