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This material is for training purposes only to inform the reader of occupational safety and health best practices and general compliance requirements and is not a substitute for provisions of the OSH Act of 1970 or any governmental regulatory agency.
 MODULE 1: THE BIG PICTURE
The truth is, you can not NOT teach.
Everything you say and do teaches someone something about you. |
Defining "Education"
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Education.
The term, "educate," originates from the Latin, Ed-u-cer-e, (ey-doo-ker-ey) and means, "that which leads out of ignorance." Education is actually anything that affects skills, knowledge and attitudes.
John F. Rekes, PE, CIH, CSP, says it well: "Education is a process through which learners gain new understanding, acquire new skills, and/or change their attitudes."
Education in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another. (Wikipedia)
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Training. Rekes goes on to describe training as "a more specialized form of education that focuses on developing or improving skills. While training incorporates educational theories, principles and practices, its focus is on performance. The goal of training is for learners to be able to do something new or better than before." (Is Your Training Program Effective? Occupational Hazards, August 1999)
According to the American Society for Training and Development, training and development focus on identifying, assessing and, through planned learning, helping develop the key competencies (knowledge, skill, attitudes - SKA's) that enable individuals to perform current or future jobs.
The outcome. The educational process can be quite complex and learning usually takes place on many levels. An educational program can be successful even if the learners can't do anything new or different at the end of the program.
Safety education
In the safety arena, education primarily explains general principles and concepts.
Safety education informs, persuades, and motivates. We become educated in safety in many ways including:
- Personal experience - where the real education occurs.
- Formal classroom training - great for gaining knowledge.
- On-the-Job Training - best for gaining new skills.
Why do we do what we do?
Refer to the illustration below: Think of this as a continual repeating process. We are educated by everything to which we are aware. What see and hear in the external environment automatically educates. Internally, this education shapes our thoughts. The body automatically responds to those thoughts with feelings (emotional response). Those thoughts and feelings influence our beliefs and attitudes. Beliefs and attitudes determine the decisions we make and finally influence our external behaviors. Our behaviors result in consequences that, in turn, educate us once again and the process repeats.
For instance, Bob witnesses Gloria get hit on the head with a piece of lumbar. Bob thinks, "Wow, Gloria might be hurt." This thought cause a feeling of concern to wash over Bob. He sees that Gloria was not hurt because she was wearing a hard hat. He believes the hard hat prevented the injury and resolves to always wear a hard hat at work and to make sure others do the same. He decides he better start right now to wear a hard hat. So, he walks over to the supply room, gets a hard hat and wears it every day at work. Consequently, he doesn't get hurt, and the several other workers he warns do not get hurt. This improvement (change) in the external work environment reshapes his thoughts, etc, and initiates the process in others. And, the process continues indefinitely.
Safety education explains the consequences
So, why did Bob change his behavior? He became a believer! While safety education describes the "who, what, where, how and when," about safety, it should most importantly explain the "why" of safety. Effective safety education must tell learners why it is important to use safe procedures and practices. The more we understand the importance of safety procedures and practices, the more likely we will use them. To make sure everyone know why safety is important, it's most effective to emphasize the natural and system consequences of their safety behaviors. Let's take a closer look at natural and system consequences.
Natural consequences
Natural consequences describe the naturally occurring consequences as a result of a behavior or action. These consequences result in some form of hurt or health. Employees (or possibly the entire company) are punished or rewarded by their own choices and behaviors: They "do it to themselves."
Educating employees on the natural consequences of their personal choices and behavior helps employees understand how their failure to use safe procedures and practices will result in injuries and illnesses. Additionally, employees will understand how working safe results in physical and mental health. Examples of natural consequences include:
- Suffering a strain as a result of using improper lifting techniques
- Chronic illness from continual exposure to hazardous substances
- Increased stress resulting from an unreasonable workload
The organization may also experience the natural consequences of its corporate behavior. A poor safety culture will naturally result in an unsafe and unhealthful workforce. On the other hand, effective safety management systems and cultures naturally result in a workplace the experiences safe and healthful conditions. Examples of natural consequences of organizational behavior include:
- High accident rate due to a lack of adequate supervision
- High productivity resulting from effective recognition
- Low morale due to unreasonable workloads
| Gary, a recent student wrote, "I stress to my co-workers that a life jacket is mandatory on deck. We hired a young guy who was a swimmer in college. He thought his swimming skills were such that he did not need the jacket. We educated him on hypothermia and that he could not save himself if he fell over in 35 degree water. Once he understood the facts, he wore the jacket at all times, because he wanted to, not because he had to." |
System consequences
System consequences describe the actions taken by another person or external organization as a result of personal and organizational performance. In this case, we are punished or rewarded by someone else for the choices we have made. It's important to educate employees on system consequences of performance when they are hired. It's even more important that new employees management "walking-the-talk" when it comes to administering positive and negative system consequences. Examples of system consequences to employees include:
- Disciplinary action for safety rule violation.
- Informal verbal recognition for a job well done.
- Formal tangible rewards for active participation in a safety committee.
Equally important is educating management on the system actions of organizational behavior. Managers need to know how the effectiveness of the design and performance of the safety management system may impact how external regulatory and the community react. System consequences to the employer might include:
- OSHA citations and penalties assessed as a result of an inspection.
- Civil/Criminal law suits after a fatality.
- Higher insurance costs due to more frequent accidents.
- Industry recognition for excellence in safety.
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