Investments In Ohs Systems Should Begin With Training

By Author: markpakshie
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Having access to the right information at the right time is the foundation of operating a successful business. The same principle applies to safety management. OHS managers who have systems in place that enable them to record and manage safety related information simply and comprehensively are in a stronger position to improve workplace safety.

Replacing traditional paper-based solutions for areas such as induction, training, incident reporting and risk management with software-based solutions, however, can require a considerable investment. For many companies, improving OHS systems, by necessity, becomes a matter of prioritizing and budgeting.

Where to start

In a recent article published by the Australasian Mine Safety Journal (Autumn 2010), Ian Birks, Australian Information Industry Association CEO, states, Areas that stand to yield the strongest return on investment include e-learning, which provides systems to maintaining currency and consistency of the skills required for a safe environment across a large workforce.

E-learning, or online training, provides a consistent, company-wide method of ...
... delivery. Because training is delivered through the web, OHS Managers are able to control content and consistency from a single location. It also enables them to track important information such as success rates, course comprehension, training schedules and more. With this kind of information at their fingertips, it becomes easier to manage training and maintain a fully-educated workforce.

A good online workplace training system can also be used for your employee and contractor inductions - and will reap the same rewards. When you know an employee or contractor's induction history, when they need to be re-inducted and how well they understand the course material, you can determine at a glance where the potential risks lie.

But isn't training better when it's face to face?

All OHS and HR Managers know that there are clear benefits to face to face training - and in most cases they shouldn't be replaced with online training. However, a recent and extensive study done by the Federal US Department for Education shows states Classes with online learning (whether taught completely online or blended) on average produce stronger student learning outcomes than do classes with solely face-to-face instruction,.

The differentiating factor to be considered above all, the report claims, is the amount of time that a student is able to spend with the course material. Essentially, when a student is able to learn at a pace that is best for them, comprehension and retention of information are higher. This improved understanding of information is crucial to workplace safety.
In conclusion
While all areas of workplace safety deserve to be managed by reliable systems that actively work to improve safety, a system that offers a reliable delivery system around workplace training and improved knowledge to all staff and contractors is probably the best place to start.

Finding a system that suits your organisation can begin by talking to professional peers or even a simple Google search. Try searching for online inductions, safety training or employee inductions and see what comes up. There are some great online training solutions out there, so do the research and good luck. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies.

Markpakshie is a freelance writer who has produced this article for Employee induction, Employee inductions, Contractor Management, Contractor inductions, Safety induction, Induction training. Go to our website for more examples of Markpakshie's work.