What Are the Benefits of Safety Training in the Workplace?

Employee injuries and other accidents in the workplace can have potentially negative effects on a business. It can lead to lawsuits from employees, the paying of worker's compensation insurance, as well as potential fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for not meeting federal safety requirements. Employing the use of safety training in the workplace can help to avoid worker injuries, loss of time, accidents and higher insurance premiums.

Worker Health and Safety

• Implementing worker safety training can help to reduce worker injuries and accidents by making employees more aware of potential safety hazards related to their job. These programs help to impress work-related safety issues upon workers as well as to help employees learn how to handle emergency situations. Having a safety training program in place also helps employees to learn personal safety techniques that can be utilized outside of the working environment such as how to react to a tornado or earthquake.

OSHA Regulations

• Creating a worker health and safety training program is one of the requirements that OSHA lays out for businesses to meet federal regulations. OSHA is responsible for the health and safety of employees in the workplace, so they place the responsibility for worker welfare in the hands of the employer, requiring that businesses have a worker safety training program in place, as well as a safety department or committee to oversee programs. OSHA conducts regular safety audits to make sure that businesses are complying with their regulations. Failure to comply can result in fines or loss of your business license.

Insurance

• Worker safety training programs can have a positive impact on the business insurance that a company is required to carry. These programs can help to reduce incidences of time lost accidents and workers compensation insurance claims, leading to a reduction in the amount of premiums that a business must pay every year for required insurance coverage. Employers will have to check with their insurance company representative for full details about the monetary benefits of a safety training program.