One of the most effective ways to ensure employees understand all the work rules and reasons for them is to First, train employees. Second, involve employees who do the work in developing the safe work rules that must be followed and then involve employees in the activities it takes to create a safe work place and Last, enforce the safe work rules you have established.
Toolbox talks are a great way to utilize Teach back to train employees about your safety programs and activities that will help you to achieve success in safety. Toolbox talks are also a great place to incorporate Safety Games. You could hold a couple 30 minute sessions every month and it would improve safety at your facility tremendously. The STEP UP game is intended to help employees understand safety questions and answers to learn more ways to BEE Safe. It reinforces safety training. Games are also a great way to overcome the language barriers if you have a workforce whose primary language is not English. It helps them to learn a few key safety terms in English. The only way to change your safety culture is to get employees involved in your safety programs. Toolbox talks can be a great tool to get employees involved in safety. Games are one of the most effective ways to get employees involved!
Effective Training vs. Ineffective Training
Lectures are the least effective means of training employees. Employees only remember 10% of what they read and only 20% of what they hear! Teach Back, Games, and Modeling are the most effective means of training. Teach back is one of the most effective ways to train employees. You can increase their retention to about 90%. It reinforces the learning and fosters retention. After learners have been trained, they are asked to take on the role of the trainer by teaching back what they have just learned. Safety Games: Participants learn information or practice new skills by participating in games that are often modeled after a real world situation. Games are often used as refresher training. It engages employees-learning can be fun, fosters participation, and is high energy and interactive. Games can increase retention to about 90%. Modeling: Trainer properly performs the task in front of the learners, using the skills and steps that should be followed. Then it is repeated by the learners. It captures attention and fosters engagement and builds confidence. Modeling increases retention to about 90%.
For this reason, your toolbox talks should be "site specific using pictures of hazards primarily taken within your facilities" You should utilize Teach Back, Games, and Modeling as your primary methods of teaching safety to your employees. Utilizing the games is a fun way for employees to recognize and also rewards those who step up as the leader of the games. Your Games could include various versions of a BINGO: Hazard and Close Call Reporting, Spot the Hazard, Focus 4 Hazards, Safety STAR, and Safety questions. If you include Safety Word and Jeopardy it will improve the English-Spanish comprehension
People Learn in various ways
They are typically auditory, visual, or kinesthetic (hands on) learners. Catering to all three learning styles can be difficult, making an emphasis on using various training methods important. People generally remember the following:
10% Of what they read
(Handbooks, emails, newsletters, printed materials)
20% Of what they hear
(lecture, audiotapes, podcasts, testimonials)
30% Of what they see
(videos, power points, flip charts, demos)
50% Of what they hear and see
(job shadows, field trips, reading aloud)
70% Of what they say and write
(note taking, small group writing, testing)
90% Of what they say and do
(role playing, simulation, games, teach back)
Author: Deborah Grow, Compliance Specialist
Private Safety Consultant, Assistant Damon Fall Protection and Coordinator EHS Network ~ Kansas.
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