Precast Inc. - May/June 2008 - (Page 55) • • • • • • • • Confined spaces Overhead crane operation Hearing protection Employee emergency plan Fire prevention plan Safe operation of machinery, equipment and power tools Welding and cutting operations Fall protection This is by no means a complete list, and your operation may require training in a variety of other topics that are not covered here. It is also important to remember that regulations may change from time to time, and we may have to adjust the training accordingly. The training process Training is the process of communicating information to employees who may or may not have any knowledge on the subject in which they are going to be trained, and then verifying that they have understood what we taught them. It is a two-way interaction between the trainer and the trainee in order to explain a process, an operation or a safety-related subject. There are two types of training: formal and informal. In informal training, the supervisor or trainer discusses specific safety topics with employees either through one-on-one conversations on the plant floor or in a group setting. Formal training is usually conducted in a class or office, and it may involve computers, presentations or videos conducted by a trainer who can explain the subject and answer questions. Sometimes it will also include practical evaluations, such as in forklift and overhead crane safety training. Regardless of the method used, training must be understood by the employee in order for it to be effective. As a general rule, adults retain 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, 50 percent of what they see and hear, 70 percent of what they say or repeat, and 90 percent of what they say and do. As you can see, there is a remarkable difference between providing material to read and setting up a demonstration. The challenge Language barriers provide a special challenge to safety trainers in the precast industry. Based on my own experiences as a trainer and manager for Hispanic work forces, I have observed the following characteristics of some Spanish-speaking employees in precast plants: • Most, if not all, have never received safety and health training. BOOTH 1239 MAY/JUNE 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 55 http://www.bilco.com http://www.bilco.com http://www.precast.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.