NTT Blog

Why is OSHA Training Important for Industrial Employees of all Levels?

The stories have been everywhere lately. Plant Services magazine wrote one about an aeronautical company in Wichita, Kansas was fined $193,000 after its employees were exposed to carcinogen hazards.

Then there was the article in the Montana-based News Leader about a lumberyard that had an employee die after four stacks of wood fell on top of her. That company was hit with more than $34,000 in fines.

And these are just two of the more recent stories about fines levied by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Construction Dive magazine wrote that the organization responsible for assuring the safe and healthful working conditions for America’s workforce was aggressive during the first quarter of 2019, doling out fines some enormous fines: $528,692 to a company in Virginia, $265,196 to one in Florida, and $261,451 to a company in New Jersey.

Each year, OSHA says its employees conduct thousands and thousands of inspections of industrial companies large and small. The result is twofold: Companies often wind up having to pay some serious fines for violating safety regulations, and they have to suffer the consequences of bad PR.

Both outcomes are entirely avoidable–if only the companies would spend a little more time and money on OSHA training. Here’s a look at what it is, why it’s important, and how investing in OSHA training is almost guaranteed to pay off for you and your company:

What, exactly, is OSHA training?

As you already know, OSHA exists to make sure the country’s workplaces are safe and healthy environments. According to the OSHA website, the organization does this by “setting and enforcing standards.”

And there are a lot of them. OSHA has a long list of industry-specific standards. They have them for “General Industry,” “Construction,” “Agriculture,” and more. Not to mention, they change from time to time.

The sheer number of standards, combined with the constant changes, makes it difficult to keep up with them all–and keep your company from being fined for violating them.

That’s where training comes into play. OSHA training helps your employees understand the regulations. It helps them understand how to implement and enforce them in the workplace. And it creates a safer work environment.

The best OSHA training teaches your employees to locate and apply OSHA standards, policies, and procedures; understand the inspection process; and use OSHA standards to create safe workplaces.

All of this can add up to some serious savings–of life and money.

What about OSHA in an industrial setting?

Of all the employees in the country who can benefit from OSHA training (and there are a lot of them), those who punch in and out of industrial settings can probably benefit the most.

After all, industrial job sites can be inherently dangerous. You’ve got heavy machinery, electricity, forklifts, all sorts of equipment, and an awful lot of employees facing an awful lot of risk.

According to USA Today, most of the most dangerous workplaces in the country are industrial. It’s the people who climb, lift, pull, and craft that are at the greatest risk for injury or death and the companies for which they work that face the greatest risk of being fined.

That’s why OSHA has come up with specific standards for specific industrial worksites. And that’s why investing in OSHA training for every employee can make a big, big difference.

What difference does OSHA training make?

OSHA training can save your company a lot of money. But more importantly, it can save lives. According to OSHA, investing just $1 in effectively training your employees on the organization’s requirements can save your company anywhere between $4 and $6. That’s a great return.

OSHA training helps ensure that your employees are adhering to the regulations. This helps you avoid fines, which OSHA says range from $13,260 per violation per day to $132,598 per violation per day.

It also makes your work environment safer, which can save you money in health care expenses, lawsuit settlements or judgments, and even in paid sick time. The safer your workspace, the healthier the employees. The healthier the employees, the less you’ll have to pay out of pocket.

In short: Investing in OSHA training makes sense. It save lives and it saves money.

Will you be the next story?

It’s easy to find stories about companies that have lost a lot by not adhering to OSHA’s standards. All you have to do is conduct a simple Google News search and you’ll get dozens of results about fines, injuries, and death. Every single one of those stories could probably have been prevented with proper training and employer diligence.

If you want to do everything possible to avoid being in the next story, take a look at NTT Training and its enhanced OSHA training for employees. It could end up saving you a lot of money. Or more importantly, a life. Connect with us today for more information on this vital training course.