Crucial Mission Critical Training Topics To Cover
The scope of mission critical training topics is rather broad. It ranges from minor emergencies, such as software snafus that may delay operations to full-fledged disasters that threaten public safety or environmental hazards. In short, mission critical refers to any system that is crucial for your day-to-day business operations. If things don’t go according to plan or backup protocols aren’t in place, significant risks are involved. For example, if your POS terminals suddenly go down, you won’t be able to ring up sales. This directly impacts your bottom line and potentially even your brand image. It’s also important to note that mission critical online training doesn’t strictly pertain to software or technical systems. Task performance, in-house skills, and other crucial human factors are just as crucial. So, let’s take a look at the top 8 topics to cover in mission critical online training.
What Should You Include In Your Mission Critical Online Training Course?
1. Tech Troubleshooting
There is a variety of tech tasks that your staff may have to complete daily. From making a sales transaction to inputting consumer information into the company database. Though these technical processes often happen behind the scenes, they’re crucial for business operations. If employees encounter a software glitch, or the systems stop responding, it may have a domino effect on other departments or processes. As such, your employees need troubleshooting guides that focus on targeted problems, such as how to handle login errors or authentication issues.
2. Equipment Operation/Maintenance
If your industry relies on any form of equipment, particularly heavy machinery, your employees must know how to properly operate and maintain it. Items that fall into disrepair not only run the risk of delaying production but pose a workplace safety hazard. This equipment is critical to the success of your organization. Every member of the team should understand its inner workings, as well as how to deal with unexpected issues. Some of these could be how to deal with an error code or how to clean the components to restore optimal mechanical efficiency.
3. Safe Handling Procedures
Virtually, every sector has safe handling procedures in place to ensure that products are stored and disposed of properly. However, some industries require more serious protocols than others. For example, those that deal with toxic materials or consumable items. This mission critical training topic can help your employees understand not only how to stay in compliance, but why these protocols are in place.
4. Healthcare/First Responder Protocols
While many mission critical online training courses cover business systems that are crucial for day-to-day business functions, others pertain to public safety. They mean the difference between life and death, in some cases. For example, healthcare and first responder protocols that safeguard the patient’s wellbeing and ensure that employees are prepared for every eventuality. This can range from how to handle various life-threatening conditions to containing a potentially hazardous biochemical or a contagion.
5. Data Breach Safety
You’ve taken precautions to ensure that your data is safe and sound. However, even the most advanced protection measures can be threatened by breaches. And your team needs to know how to prevent them, and what to do if your data is compromised. For example, a virus has entered your systems or certain portions of your database have been hacked. Employees must also be aware of the laws governing data collection and storage as in how long they can store personal information in the servers without violating personal rights. Data breach safety is crucial in every sector, but the rules are dictated by your industry and the nature of the information. For instance, sensitive data may require more extreme protocols and preventive measures.
6. Communication System Shutdown Protocols
This is actually a two-tiered mission critical training topic. The first centers on how employees should handle unexpected system shut-downs or failures. For example, what happens if the systems of the business suddenly go offline leaving employees unable to access the database? The second is what employees should do in the event that they need to force a shutdown? For instance, you’re implementing a new system and need to bring the current offline, or you’re running tests or scheduled maintenance that requires some downtime.
7. Emergency Preparedness
This covers a broad range of sub-topics that depend on your niche. While one industry may have to prepare their employees for environmental disasters that impact thousands of local inhabitants, others may have to deal with smaller-scale emergencies, like how to evacuate the facility in the event of a fire or flood. Whatever the case, your staff must know the protocols and their role in containing and/or mitigating the risk in order to stay safe. For instance, what do your customer service employees need to do to safeguard customers in the event of a power outage? Is everyone aware of the COVID protocols and how to decontaminate their work area?
8. Enforcement Procedures (Public Safety Sector)
The public safety sector is a rather large umbrella that involves everything from law enforcement to natural resource conservation and protection. Even utility companies fall into this category. One of the most crucial topics these sectors must consider is enforcement procedures. Namely, how will they enforce their protocols and regulations, as well as uphold laws? However, they must do this without violating personal rights or putting others at risk.
Conclusion
Mission critical online training can help reduce risks and minimize the impact that unexpected occurrences have on your business, whether it’s a software-related emergency that has the power to shut down your normal operations or human error that puts lives at risk. These 8 topics can help you maintain compliance and prevent on-the-job mistakes that lead to more serious consequences.
Are you looking for ways to ensure the well-being of your employees? We have plenty of resources to help you overcome common compliance training challenges and prevent on-the-job injuries.
