Although on-the-job accidents happen all the time, even just a single accident is unacceptable, especially one that causes personal injury. 

Companies can minimize on-the-job injuries and accidents with a robust safety training program. Safety training aids staff members in identifying safety hazards and addressing them. Training helps employees understand approved practices and safety expectations. 

Safety training is crucial for workers gaining a solid knowledge of safety topics associated with their jobs. If safety isn’t made explicitly relevant to employees’ jobs, they will be at greater risk for injury, illness or even death. 

Below are three big reasons why safety training is so important for your company. 

1. The Well-Being of Your Employees 

Adequate safety training helps employees understand the various hazards related to their job and gives them the tools they need to safeguard against those hazards. 

With good training, your staff members will show an understanding of safety practices in how they work and strive to maintain those practices. For instance, if your staff members do not understand how to wear and adjust a harness correctly, training will show the correct way and allow them to coach new employees on the proper way to wear this personal protective equipment. 

Safety training is applicable to company leaders on multiple levels. In addition to showing them how to work safely, participating in safety training allows them to better relate to their employees. For instance, when a company leader with a desk job learns how to wear a safety harness and applies that knowledge, they are about to make more informed decisions on equipment that staff members use every day to keep them safe. 

2. Lower Costs 

A few hours of missing work for safety training will save your business both time and money. Each year, companies spend an extraordinary amount of money on medical bills, insurance premiums, finding replacement workers for injured employees, damage to equipment, OSHA violations, lawsuits and more. However, more important is the reality that safety training saves the lives of employees. 

3. Compliance 

While keeping employees safe and costs down should be reason enough to embrace robust safety training, federal, state and local regulations also demand that employees receive safety training. 

There are many compliance-related resources on the official website for the federal agency known as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), particularly OSHA’s Training Requirements document. This document outlines mandatory safety training standards in great detail. 

It is important to properly divide up the OSHA list based on safety hazards associated with each role. For instance, administrative staff may still have to be trained on Hazard Communication but not on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER). 

It should be noted that OSHA training standards are the bare minimum and many state authorities have additional regulation. Of course, the goal of safety training shouldn’t just be compliance. The goals ought to be minimizing accidents, raising awareness and keeping employees healthy. 

We Can Be A Vigilant Partner in Maintaining a Safe Working Environment 

At Cornerstone, we work with our clients to ensure workers are doing their jobs in a safe, productive environment. Please contact us today to find out how we can be your company’s partner in safety.