Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
1.15 safeTy Training
Throughout this chapter, a major point has been emphasizing
and re-emphasizing the importance of employee safety training. This
emphasis has been for good reason, for without a doubt providing rou-
tine safety training for workers is probably one of the most important
job duties of the safety person. Indeed, most managers know the impor-
tance of safety training, but not as well known is that specific training
requirements are detailed in OSHA, DOT, and EPA regulations. Under
OSHA regulations, for example, it is stated or implied that the responsi-
bility of the employer is to provide training and knowledge to the worker.
Moreover, employees are to be apprised of all hazards to which they are
exposed, relevant symptoms and appropriate emergency treatment, and
proper conditions and precautions of safe use or exposure.
Several different OSHA safety and health standards or programs
have been featured in this chapter. Employers must comply with these
standards and must also require workers to comply. More than 100 OSHA,
DOT, and EPA safety and health regulations contain training require-
ments. It is interesting to note that, although OSHA requires training,
it does not always specify exactly what is required of the employer or
entity providing the training. Whether specific or not, providing infor-
mation and instruction on safety and health issues in the workplace
is the key to building a viable organizational safety program. Workers
cannot be expected to perform their assigned tasks safely unless they
are aware of the hazards or the potential hazards involved with each job
assignment.
For years, safety professionals have spoken about the three E's of
safety: engineering, enforcement, and education. The best solution to
control any hazard is to engineer out the problem, but enforcement is
critical to maintaining proper safe work practices, and safety education
is equally important. Education in the form of providing information
and training is one of the most vital elements of safety simply because
workers cannot be expected to comply with safe work practices if they
have not been informed of and trained in the proper procedures.
Experts in the safety field have differing points of view on this
topic. Some point out that safety is not a behavioral issue but instead is
a technical one, meaning that safety can be accomplished by engineer-
ing out the hazard. It should be remembered, however, that if there is a
possibility for something to go wrong, workers will find the way to make
it happen. Even those workplaces that have state-of-the-art engineering
safety devices and strong enforcement programs will not always have
effective hazard control programs unless the workers and supervisors
understand the hazards and the potential for hazards that arise from
not observing routine safe work practices. A worker's work routine can-
not be engineered, as workers are not robots.
Worker safety training should begin right after the employee is
hired. New employee safety orientation training programs can be effec-
tive if correctly structured and presented early in the worker's tenure.
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