New underground workers could only ID 43% of hazards and 5 couldn't ID any

[Dave Whitefield]

This report is a little scary (especially if you're a mine manager, or the trainer who conducted the inductions), and highlights why companies are looking more at the outcomes of training now, rather than the amount of content they can get through.  For my trainers reading this email, this is why we are doing more induction work now (that is, companies outsource their inductions to specialist training companies), and we also are starting to do training that is more interactive and practical (even the half day corporate inductions we run will be going to a full day to allow for better transfer of the message).  Focus on the why, not the what.

 Workers in the resources industry are starting work without the skills needed to identify hazards in the workplace, according to recent research.

As such, new employees are underprepared for working in such a high-risk industry while the research also found more experienced workers tend to become complacent about workplace risks.

Conducted by the Edith Cowan University (ECU) School of Management, the research took in 54 new employees at a WA-based underground mining contractor’s operations as well as 21 OHS managers working in some of WA’s biggest resources companies.

The new employees were asked to identify hazards in a series of pictures showing underground worksites after their safety induction training, and each of the six pictures contained ten possible hazards.

The participants were, on average, only able to name 43 per cent of hazards while five were unable to identify any hazards in at least one picture.

Susanne Bahn, research fellow at the ECU School of Management, called for a rethink of safety training in the resources industry focusing on practical training in identification of hazards and ongoing training for experienced employees.

There is a need for resources companies to continue hazard identification training with workers throughout their employment to maintain a safe working environment, she said.

“We need to go back to basics and simple ways to point out hazards in the workplace, getting out of the classroom and into the field,” she said.

“Training that moves into specific work areas where hazards are identified in situ is one way we could help instill the importance of this process.”