ONLINE VS. CONVENTIONAL: Safety Training Approaches

摘要

Whether online safety training should be used instead of in-person training is not an either/or question. The use of online safety training can clearly provide significant efficiencies with time, money and consistent course information in an on-demand environment. Online courses that incorporate decision-making and problem-solving skills are particularly useful when there is a need to document that the employee can identify hazards and apply appropriate safe work practices. Demonstrating competency in performance skills such as how to operate equipment, however, may not be best assessed in an online environment.Given the technology available today, it makes sense to explore online safety training as a tool to meet both compliance and employee competency objectives. The trick is to determine which mode of training is the best choice for each safety training requirement and employ the optimal modality. Because of the widespread diversity of knowledge, skills, abilities and comprehension levels required to be conveyed in the vast range of safety training programs, OSH professionals should carefully evaluate and identify the specific hazards for which training is needed and determine what competencies are required to mitigate these risks. When these competencies are defined, OSH professionals can then evaluate the appropriate form of training that can be used to meet these competencies.