The International Labour Organization (ILO) has declared April 28 as the annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work. On this day, we focus on prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. In Belgium there are more than 160,000 occupational accidents in the private sector every year. A topic that certainly deserves some attention. In this blog I will give some extra insight in the cause of accidents and I will show you how e-Learning can contribute to a safer and healthier workplace with a safety training.

Cause and prevention of occupational accidents

Cause of occupational accidents

Every industry and organization is different, but there is a trend in the cause of industrial accidents. In fact, many accidents occur due to human error. Think of diminished concentration or a lack of knowledge, rules or procedures. It is also possible that people no longer have the right information top-of-mind. That is why a good safety training is a must-have!

Prevention of occupational accidents

Human errors are of all times and can never be 100% excluded. However, it is possible to make people aware and inform them about the possible dangers. This will greatly reduce the number of unsafe situations and ensure that procedures and safety regulations are properly followed. It is also a good idea to create a culture in which people dare and are able to call each other to account when it comes to compliance with health and safety regulations.

Safety training platform: e-Learning for safer and healthier workplaces

The use of training is a good way to draw people’s attention to the applicable rules repeatedly. With an online safety training you reach a large group of people and the employees can learn at their own pace and when it suits them.

What is a safety training platform?

A safety platform is the basis for good prevention. In such a safety platform, the most important safety rules are explained by means of short exercises. This can be done, for example, by pointing out common mistakes or describing stereotypes. By actively engaging in the exercises and thinking about certain situations, awareness is created about the importance of safety rules. Potential hazards per location can also be mapped out this way.

Some subjects that can recur in a safety platform are:

• Working at height
• Storage of chemical products
• Location of first aid supplies
• Dealing with machines
• Etc.

It is important to repeat these safety rules regularly so they remain fresh in your mind.

Nice to know: With the FLOWSPARKS authoring tool, you can easily develop your own safety platform with multiple e-Learning modules. Does your organization have locations that outsiders can access? With the FastPass you can easily and quickly test knowledge before they are granted access to the location. This allows visitors to independently test their knowledge, and you keep a log as proof that all visitors are aware of the applicable rules.

Healthy working

Safety and health sometimes go hand in hand, think of working with hazardous substances. But health also has some stand-alone topics. Think about well-being at work or ergonomics. These topics are also very suitable for inclusion in an e-Learning program.

More than e-Learning

e-Learning can be a great supplement or basis for the approach to a healthy workplace. But there is more:

• Contacts: inform employees about the contacts they can go to with questions and suggestions about safety rules and occupational health.
• Onboarding: Make sure that new employees are aware of the most important safety rules from the first day.
• Repetition: Keep repeating! This can be done by periodically re-offering training materials. You can also use posters that show the rules or pictures of good and bad situations.
• Figures: Some organizations choose to hang a screen in the workplace showing how many days ago the last workplace accident occurred. This can be a good way to keep reminding employees that their safety matters.

About FLOWSPARKS

FLOWSPARKS is a flexible learning platform with an authoring tool and an LMS (Learning Management System). The authoring tool consists of formats, templates and programs. The formats use one didactic working form to reach a certain learning goal. Moreover, everything looks graphically perfect on any device. In this way, everyone can start sharing knowledge independently, quickly and easily.

Are you interested in developing online training courses? Then schedule a demo with FLOWSPARKS. We’ll be happy to show you how it works.

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