Smart Safety Solutions - Safety Training

Safety Training

The Importance of Safety Training

Most employers know that safety training in industries like construction, transportation, healthcare and foodservice are crucial to the safety of its employees and non-employees as well. If employees in these fields do not get proper safety training , not only can it affect their safety, but it can also affect the safety of those around them. In construction, lack of safety training can lead to a variety of accidents. Even innocent passers-by can be hurt if things are not done correctly. For example:

Items falling off cranes or scaffolding can fall to the ground and injure someone who's walking by or other construction workers.
An unskilled heavy-equipment driver can rupture a gas line, causing the surrounding areas to be evacuated.
In a bad storm, unsecured tools or hardware could get strewn about, causing injury.

In the transportation industry, proper safety training is also important, particularly if the substance being transported is hazardous or has the potential to be hazardous. For example:

If a gasoline transport truck crashes, gasoline could be spilled. If someone driving buy throws out a cigarette, or if any kind of spark gets in the gasoline, the resulting fire or explosion could be very dangerous to those around. The same goes for trucks that haul and kind of chemicals, such as fertilizers or anhydrous ammonia.
Bus drivers and chauffeurs should also be properly trained. If they drive dangerously, they are putting not only their own lives at risk, but also the lives of their passengers and occupants of other vehicles on the road. Most of the time, the vehicles they are driving are bigger than an average car, so they need to be sure they can handle them.

Foodservice and Healthcare

In foodservice, there are dangers to chefs if proper safety techniques aren't followed. In addition, since there are more than 250 different foodborne diseases that are caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, toxins and metals, they also run the risk of making customers sick. Hence the importance of safety training for them.

In healthcare, workers are injured frequently as well.

People who work in kitchens of restaurants have to be careful because they are working with knives and other sharp objects could lead to injury in their fast-paced environments. In addition, they have to be careful not to be burned by hot foods, hot dishes, hot stoves and hot ovens.
Healthcare workers have to be sure that they are careful with syringes and that they are properly disposed of to prevent themselves and others from being infected with bloodborne pathogens. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 2,500 healthcare workers will be infected with hepatitis B, C or HIV each year due to needlestick and other sharps injuries.With proper safety training, 62-82% of these injuries could be prevented. In addition, nurses often suffer back injuries while trying to move patients who cannot move themselves.

As an employer, these points are things to think about. Make sure all of your employees have received the proper safety training to ensure your business runs smoothly.