Safety education in the United States has been
mandatory for workers since the existence of the Occupation Health and Safety
Administration or OSHA in the 1970's. It's hard to believe that before this
time there were no laws requiring employers to provide a safe workplace to
their employees. Today there are two main reasons that people receive safety
education. The first is voluntary and the second is mandatory.
Voluntary Safety Education
Becoming a safety educator, OHS
management plan officer, coordinator, or any other professional is a fast
growing career choice. Today there are literally thousands of laws and
regulations that require such training. A lot of employee in-house health and
safety professionals. In addition to their own training, a safety professional
is responsible for keeping the workplace free of hazardous conditions for all
employees. An H&S professional often voluntarily receives and presents
training in several topics. Most often they do it to enhance their own career
or as a function of their job. Voluntary education is a great way to promote
yourself to a prospective employer or to enhance your current career.
Mandatory Safety Education
The second reason that people receive H&S
training is that they are required to. Since the OSH act was created into law,
employers are required to provide training and education on topics that relate
to specific jobs and duties. Many companies will dedicate specific days to
training in safety. Safety is often looked upon as unnecessary or as waste of
time. This is a wrong conception. It is a trainer’s job to reflect to employees
just how important safety education is. It may be necessary to show examples of
tragedies or accidents that could have been prevented had safety measures been
taken more seriously. It's a training that should never be considered a waste
of time. A company that is not doing regular training is probably not in
compliance with state and federal laws. Mandatory training is required in
almost every work place in the United States today.
Safety is not an option. As an employer, you have
an obligation to keep your workplace as safe
work method statements as possible. Keep current with these trainings with Training
for Safety. If you are an employee, know that you have the right to work in a
safe environment.
