Why Your SMB Needs Safety Training Courses
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis has impacted every business in every sector. Employees have been confined to their homes and most of the world has come to a screeching halt. Things are picking up again gradually, but there will be a long-term ripple effect. And companies of all shapes and sizes must plan accordingly to ensure the safety of their staffers and consumers, even SMBs with limited resources that had minimal compliance training in the past. Effective online safety training can benefit your bottom line, boost employee morale, and enhance your public image. Here are 8 top reasons to launch safety training courses in small-scale organizations.
1. Reduce Compliance Risks
Compliance breaches can incur fines and penalties. Not to mention, tarnish your brand reputation. Safety online training courses mitigate risks and prevent on-the-job accidents. Your team is aware of the rules and regulations that pertain to their job roles as well as how policies and protocols tie into their work duties. For example, sales staffers must ensure that their space is free of potential hazards and that customers are standing a safe distance apart in the queue.
2. Retain Top Performers
Top talent is more likely to remain with your organization if they receive ongoing support, such as online safety training that safeguards their well-being and helps them avoid on-the-job mistakes. Low employee turnover translates into a better bottom line because you don’t have to recruit and train new hires to fill in gaps. Gaps left by staffers who already possess niche skills and expertise. Online safety training also boosts employee self-confidence because it preps them for situational challenges. Especially when you incorporate simulations, branching scenarios, and other real-world activities that build contextual knowledge.
3. Improve ROI
Compliance programs that include all the essential safety training topics reduce workers' comp claims and insurance premiums. Workplace injuries have the potential to devastate SMBs financially. For example, an employee is out of work for months due to a slip-and-fall accident. Not only do you have to pay all associated medical costs, but you also have to hire and train their temporary replacement. That’s on top of the injured staffer’s lost wages. Thus, an effective online safety training strategy improves ROI and reduces operational costs.
4. Boost Workplace Productivity
Once safety compliance obstacles are out of the way, employees can get down to business. They don’t have to worry about coworkers' non-compliance standing in the way of workplace productivity. In the case of coronavirus safety training, employees are less likely to fall ill because of the sanitary measures in place. Everyone wears the proper gear and maintains their distance so that staffers continue to perform their tasks and handle their usual workload instead of having to self-quarantine.
5. Enhance Brand Image
Consumers appreciate the fact that your company is doing their part in these trying times. Online safety training shows that you care about their well-being and not just their wallets. You train your team so that everyone understands the regulations and company policies regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, compliance safety training even enhances your brand image and builds a better rapport with consumers. For example, staffers only let a certain number of customers enter the establishment to prevent overcrowding. They also wear gloves and masks while ringing up purchases, as opposed to operating your business as you did before, just for the sake of profit.
6. Improve Team Dynamics
Smaller-scale organizations have fewer employees. As such, it’s even more crucial for everyone to work as a team and build a stronger dynamic. Safety training topics often include anti-harassment and violence prevention. Every member of the team should feel safe and respected. You might consider social media groups, discussion forums, and live events to improve remote collaboration. Another crucial aspect of H&S training is that employees can rely on each other to play by the rules instead of putting their lives in danger because they’re simply unaware of the compliance guidelines.
7. Ease The Burden On Company Leadership
Managers and supervisors pay a steep price for ineffective compliance training. Employees turn to them for support and guidance. But they’re also responsible for holding their teams accountable. For example, an HR staffer continually violates the COVID-19 distancing measures. It’s their manager's job to follow up and/or reprimand them based on the situation. Leaders must also keep a close watch over their subordinates to ensure they uphold company safety standards. This can be stressful if their employees don’t know the rules or how to apply them on the job.
8. Personalize The Safety Training Process
Online safety training makes resources accessible anytime, anywhere. Employees can log into the platform to focus on personal areas for improvement as well as bridge on-the-spot gaps after they clock in. Another perk is that virtual training is easy to scale. This makes it ideal for smaller organizations that want to gradually expand their program as they expand their talent pool. For instance, onboard new hires who need to follow safety protocols from day one.
Smaller organizations face many of the same pandemic challenges as large companies. The difference is that SMBs usually have tighter budgets and implementation timeframes. You can’t afford to stay closed for weeks while you train the team on new safety measures. As soon as you get the green light, every employee must be aware of sanitary and social distancing protocols. Time is of the essence. This is why so many small-scale businesses choose to hire eLearning content providers to expedite the process.
Health and safety training should be high on your list of L&D priorities, now more than ever. If you want to find everything you need in order to launch an effective safety training strategy for your organization, download the eBook Safety Training Success For SMBs: How To Prep Your Team For A Post-Pandemic Workplace and benefit from its valuable insights and best practices.
