July 2008

Tell Stories!

Storytelling is perhaps the most effective way to train and I plan on introducing more stories throughout the OSHAcademy online courses. Here is a very interesting excerpt that conveys the importance of storytelling in training:

"Story" is a way of knowing and remembering information -- a shape or pattern into which information can be arranged. It serves a very basic purpose; it restructures experiences for the purpose of "saving" them. and it is an ancient, perhaps natural order of the mind... By imposing the structure of a story onto some circumstance or happening, greater coherence and sensibility are achieved within the event itself, and otherwise isolated and disconnected scraps are bound up into something whole and meaningful." Livo and Rietz (1986) Storytelling: Process and practice, Littleton, CO, Libraries Unlimited Inc.

If you have an interesting story about safety at work, send it to me and I'll include it, with credits, where appropriate in the OSHAcademy training.

Great Slides

While reading through my ASSE July issue of Professional Safety Magazine, I came across an interesting link that points to a PowerPoint training slide set for Tailgate Talks: The Importance of Talking About Safety developed by the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE). This is an excellent download that you can use in your own training.

Know Your OSHA Training Requirements

If you haven't done yet, be sure to download Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Guidelines from the OSHA website. This guide gives you great information on developing and deploying an effective training program, and it gives you a good summary of the training requirements for companies in the USA.

Be an OSHAcademy Booster Don't forget to tell your friends about OSHAcademy and all the great resources. Good news! You can now purchase PDF versions of course certificates at greatly reduced prices. I've also reduced the pricing for all guides and audits!

Be sure to visit OSHAcademy Safety Training Network. We're always adding new information and training helps. Be sure to visit a sponsored links to help keep the training free!