SAFE! - Safety Training Vital When Bust Goes BOOM
The economically-battered citizens of Alberta were rejoicing recently thanks to a surprise announcement from Calgary-based Precision Drilling. The iconic resource extraction company revealed they were hiring 1000 employees to rebuild their workforce which had been decimated by the oil price crash of 2014/2015. The jubilation was undoubtedly shared in Precision’s offices but ramping up new hiring does present serious challenges for this dangerous and difficult industry. New employees mean a lack of knowledge and understanding about a company’s safety procedures. For smart companies, industry-specific safety software is the answer.
Are You Talking to Me?
For energy extraction companies, and, indeed, all industries that operate in harsh weather, use heavy machinery, and/or work with or near volatile materials, safety training is more than just a great idea. It is a necessity. Without safety-conscious leadership, businesses can unintentionally expose themselves to some very pricey risks including:
- Jobsites being shut down by Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S),
- Employee deaths which are, not only tragic for families and co-workers, but could represent large fines or even jail time for management if negligence or a lack of due-diligence is proven.
- Serious damage to your brand on social media from public shaming over a poor safety record
On the Plus Side
Alternatively, for those companies who take safety seriously, implementing company-specific safety training software such as Industrial NetMedia’s SafetySpot product can demonstrate due-diligence, which is a major factor in defending against negligence suits. By making your firm’s safety policies compulsory reading, complete with recording individual test scores, company officials can certify their business has conformed to OH&S’ due diligence legislation.
Do You Do Due Diligence?
Here is how OH&S defines due diligence and why it’s critical to your business:
| ‘"Due diligence" is important as a legal defense for a person charged under occupational health and safety legislation. If charged, a defendant may be found not guilty if he or she can prove that due diligence was exercised. In other words, the defendant must be able to prove that all precautions, reasonable under the circumstances, were taken to protect the health and safety of workers. Due diligence is demonstrated by your actions before an event occurs, not after.’ |
Customized Safety Training to the Rescue!
Industrial NetMedia’s SafetySpot training software tracks all safety-specific activities by employee and is a great way to enhance due diligence beyond simply holding “safety meetings” every once in a while. The advantages of custom safety training programs over more informal talks are legion. Safety training software:
- Provides documented evidence of each employee’s safety training achievements and specific proficiencies.
- Offers an easy system to track any changes or updates to a worker’s safety profile.
- Features training material unique to your business and your policies.
- Reduces employee downtime for training purposes
- Lowers safety training costs compared to third-party workshops
- Can convert existing hardcopy training manuals into much more convenient online courses.
The Last Word
Another great reason to offer customized safety training to your employees is that there is a significant boost in morale when employees feel their employers care about their well-being. Making SafetySpot a centerpiece of your total safety framework lets your staff know the most important job they have is making it home safely to their family when their work day has ended.
