Leadership & Management 1.docx

Leadership & Management Aspects of OHS: Part I Class 9 – Nov 7th What is the role of training in OHS? How do we train people effectively? Learning objectives for today Discuss the importance and primary goal of OH&S training Explain the role of a needs analysis when designing a training pro...

Leadership & Management Aspects of OHS: Part I Class 9 – Nov 7th What is the role of training in OHS? How do we train people effectively? Learning objectives for today Discuss the importance and primary goal of OH&S training Explain the role of a needs analysis when designing a training programa Discuss issues that arise in training design and delivery, as well as options for the delivery of health and safety training programs Discuss the role of evaluation in any training program Describe some common health and safety training initiatives, including safety orientation, first-aid training, and WHMIS OHS TRAINING The need for OHS training Ever versus in the last year Workplace dangers are a reality for all workers Reviews of the OHS training literature highlight the positive effect of training on worker practices and behaviors (e.g., Robson et al., 2012; Teufer et al., 2019) Yet, evidence suggests there is insufficient OHS training A study of nearly 60 000 Canadian workers reported that only 12% of women and 16% of men had received workplace safety training in the previous year Employees who were new to their jobs were more likely to receive training The proportion who did remains low, at only 20% The role of OHS training A primary goal of OSH programs is to ensure that workers are aware of their rights Employees—especially new employees—must be advised of these rights Safety-related training is needed to help individual ensure that these rights are being upheld. Three basic rights apply to all Canadian employees: Right to know Workers need to be informed about dangerous or unsafe materials and machinery in workplace Right to participate Workers have right to take part actively in protection of their own health and safety Right to refuse unsafe work Workers have a right to refuse unsafe work if they are asked to perform a task that they deem to be unsafe or are asked to use equipment that is not in good repair Given the importance of OHS training, how do we develop and implement effective OHS programs? HEALTH & SAFETY PROGRAMS Instructional systems design (ISD) Model of training Instructional Systems Design (ISD) Model of Training: A general model of the training process that incorporates three interdependent parts: Needs analysis Training design and delivery Training evaluation Needs Analysis Initial stage of the training development process that begins when a need or concern arises. Intended to (1) identify employee and organizational deficiencies training can address and (2) recognize potential obstacles to successful training Types on needs analyses include: (i) Organizational analysis; (ii) Job analysis; (iii) Person analysis Types of needs analyses Organizational analysis Organizational Analysis Analysis of the entire organization, designed to examine resources, strategy, and environment to assess the organization’s support for training Successful training initiatives tend to align with an organization’s overall strategy Important to consider: organizational resources that can be dedicate to the training process (e.g., having on-site facilities can shape how training is delivered) and environmental factors that can affect training (e.g., union involvement). Can help to identify: Health and safety areas that need knowledge and skills improvement Constraints that may limit the success of a training program Another major goal of the organizational analysis should be to establish organizational support for a training intervention Support from the organizational is vital for success of any training Safety Climate: Employees’ shared perceptions of the importance of safety in the workplace Examination of the organization’s safety climate is one way to determine the extent of organizational support for a health and safety training program Relates to perceptions about safety-related policies, procedures, and practices that are shared by all stakeholders in the organization Consider an organization that does not place a high value on safety—that is, a company that does not have a strong safety climate. This type of operation may be hesitant to provide the support necessary to make health and safety training a successful endeavour. Similarly, employees of such an organization may be suspicious of the training program, wondering why the company suddenly seems concerned about their health and well-being. Consider an organization that does not place a high value on safety—that is, a company that does not have a strong safety climate. Next logical step may be to: Emphasize to organizational management the need for increased organizational attention to safety Work to communicate to employees the intended move toward a health and safety focus. These efforts, if launched early in training development, will lay important groundwork for a health and safety training effort and ultimately contribute to the success of the training program. Types of needs analyses Job/task analysis Component of the training needs analysis process during which the jobs and specific job tasks that are in need of training are identified and studied Starting point involves identifying the jobs to be targeted for training Some forms of training, such as a basic safety orientation or a seminar on the role of health and safety committees, will apply to employees in many positions within the organization Types of needs analyses Person analysis A component of the training needs analysis process during which individual employees’ behaviour is studied to identify gaps in performance The ultimate goal is to determine who needs training Assessment will investigate the training needs of individual employees Who gets training? Largely determined by the organization’s needs. In some cases, the consultant or training director may be asked to assess those individuals who have demonstrated poor or unsafe performance in the past. In other organizations, employees included in the person analysis may be chosen randomly. Training design and delivery Early decisions Following a needs analysis, several decisions need to be made: What are the objectives for training? What is the appropriate content for the training? Will the training program be designed or purchased? Training objectives and content Training Objectives: Statements regarding the knowledge, skills, and behavioural changes that trainees should acquire in the training program Serve several important functions: set groundwork for needed training content, provide a starting point for evaluation Training Content: Critical to match the needs identified in the needs analysis and ensure trainees achieve objectives Design original or purchase training? It will depend on specificity of needs, availability of courses for purchase Training design and delivery Early decisions Following a needs analysis, several decisions need to be made: What are the objectives for training? What is the appropriate content for the training? Will the training program be designed or purchased? Who will receive the training? Who will deliver the training? Where will the training take place? Training logistics Who will receive training? Who and how many people will receive training? Sometimes this is obvious If the law requires it (e.g., to operate certain machinery) If all new employees have safety orientation, each will receive training upon entry Sometimes this is less obvious Specialized training for a small number of employees (e.g., legislation requires a certain number of trained first-aid providers on-site). Training logistics Who will deliver training? When in-house trainers are not available, organizations should look for the following qualities when relying on training providers: Wide selection of courses Cost saving, help, and support Interactive training and current content Industry experience Competency-based training Training delivery Where will training take place 3 general options: On-the-job training Technology-based training Off-the-job training On-the-job training Takes place while people are at work performing regular job tasks Job instruction Performance aid Job rotation Apprenticeships Coaching Mentoring Off-the-job training Takes place away from area where work is conducted Lecture Discussion Audio visuals Case incident Behaviour modelling Role-play Games Simulations Technology-based training Web-based Video/TV (CD/DVD) Teleconference Online courses (synchronous & asynchronous) Training design and delivery More active and engaging safety training tends to be more effective, but not always! Highly engaging training methods are particularly important when the risk associated with the hazards in question is HIGH. This is referred to as the DREAD FACTOR When the DREAD FACTOR is high, highly engaging training methods are associated with better safety knowledge and safety performance But when DREAD FACTOR is low, engaging training makes little difference Learning theory & delivery Learning principles to maximize effectiveness Ultimate goal in OH&S training programs knowledge and skills gained in the training environment are transferred effectively to the workplace Principles determined from extensive psychological research on learning can help create such a training environment Behaviourist perspective, social learning, experiential learning Behaviourist Perspective Characterizes learning in terms of observable stimuli and responses Learning results when a person associates particular behaviours with certain immediate consequences or rewards Key take-aways: Training should target and reward/punish specific actions Stimuli in training identical to transfer environment Social Learning People learn by observing others, and the others we observe are called models Observing others can help us learn various motor skills or styles of behaving Four mental processes facilitate learning: Attention—learners must notice behavioural models and find them interesting Retention—learners must remember what they have observed Motor reproduction—learners must use their observations to guide their own actions Motivation—Learners must have some reason to perform the modelled actions Trainer = model Trainer must capture attention and interest, be perceived as an expert, and present information in a way that trainees store it in memory Experiential Learning Process aimed at developing knowledge and skills Knowledge is acquired via direct participation Occurs when: New insights are applied to realistic situations Trainees reflect on prior and new experiences Training evaluation A component of the ISD training model designed to assess the value added for individuals and organizations following the implementation of a training program Information gathered during training evaluation can be useful for identifying strengths and weaknesses in the training program What type of information should be considered when a health and safety training program is evaluated? Kirkpatrick’s hierarchical questions: Did the trainees have positive reactions to the training? Did the trainees learn the material covered in the training? Did the trainees apply what they learned and realize a change in work behaviour? Did the organization see positive organizational results following training? Training evaluation Individual evaluation Measurement options Reactions to training using surveys, interviews, focus groups Trainees’ mastery of information presented Real-time feedback: when task simulation is incorporated into training, evaluators can assess trainees’ performance during the training program On-the-job behaviour using self-report inventories in which trainees rate own behaviour or supervisors complete a report on or observe trainees’ actions when performing the task in question Training evaluation Organizational evaluation Incident, injury, and fatality rates: Programs should contribute to reduced accident, injury, and death rates Incidence of close calls Occur when accidents or injuries are narrowly avoided Effective safety training programs should reduce the number of near misses Organizational evaluation: Incidence of lost-time injuries Absenteeism Workers’ compensation claims and costs Successful training programs should decrease incident and injury rates Employee benefit costs Effective safety training can contribute to reduced use of programs such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy Safety inspection reports COMMON SAFETY TRAINING INITIATIVES Common OHS training initiatives First Aid Training Many Canadian employers are required under OH&S acts to provide first aid training to employees WHMIS Training Employers are required to: Properly store and dispose of hazardous materials Ensure workers receive training in handling and using controlled products WHMIS has been discussed throughout this book. It is the standard for communicating information about hazards in Canada. Under WHMIS, hazardous or controlled products are labelled in a standardized manner and information regarding the safe handling of these products is provided via safety data sheets (SDS) and worker training programs. The federal, provincial, and territorial health and safety jurisdictions all incorporate WHMIS. Common OHS training initiatives Safety Orientation Safety Orientation Ensures all employees are provided with a base level of health and safety training Reinforces development of a safety climate General orientation to OHS should include Fire and emergency safety procedures Incident policies Hazards unique to the workplace Protective personal equipment WHMIS training Role of JOHS committee Roles and responsibilities of individual employees Job-specific safety procedures Housekeeping and safety awareness