How to Track Employee Safety Training

Safety training is mandatory for most industries. Companies can incur fines if a state or federal inspector discovers that employees have not received proper safety training. If an injury or death occurs, substantial penalties can result. Large and small businesses have the responsibility to keep track of employee safety training. Even a small business owner with less than a hundred employees can have trouble keeping track of each employee's training and the need to renew some classes. Large corporations often seek outside help, or devote an entire department to training and to keeping track of employee training, injuries, and other safety issues.

Instructions

In-house

• 1

  Consider buying training and tracking software that is available from business and safety resource vendors. Evaluate the available types of software before buying. The software, loaded onto the company or safety department computer system, can be set to alert the department or safety manager when training is required. Each employee's records of training is put into the system, therefore allowing for easy tracking.

• 2

  Consider implementing an automated learning management system that allows a company to keep employee records online. These systems are available from various online businesses. Although the record-tracking is done online, the employing company still has control of employee records. Changes in training needs and changes in employees can be added at any time.

• 3

  A small company often has a safety manager on-site. The safety manager usually is responsible for documenting safety training. A spreadsheet type of record-keeping is sufficient for a safety manager to track and schedule employee training.

• 4

  A very large corporation, either national or worldwide, often has a corporate safety or human resource department. In these cases, the separate divisions of the corporation may need to appoint a person or department to document their training. The corporate officers, who govern the safety issues of the entire entity, will send representatives to each division on a regular basis. At this time, the division records are reviewed by the corporate representatives. A corporation may also require each division to send documentation of training via an online system.

Outsourcing

• 5

  If you outsource training, get all services from one resource, if possible.The outsource company can keep track of the training each person has completed and alert management when updates are due. Yet, an outsource company cannot access employee personnel records. Schedule new employee training at regular intervals and in advance. Your company can judge the need for training and group size depending on seasonal or other needs.

• 6

  Outsource record-keeping. The need for outsourcing employee training and other records usually occurs in large corporations. Contact with the outsource company may come in the form of online contact or from personal visits from that company's representatives. An outsource company can do more than keep track of safety training. Some provide or contract for safety training, as well.

• 7

  Outsourcing can be done totally online. Training courses for employees can be completed online. The employee will receive a certificate or other proof of completion, which can go into am employee's record file. The outsource company can keep track of all employee training, and will alert management when additional online training is needed.