712 Safety Supervision and Leadership

Step 5: Trainer Concludes the Training

• Recognize the student's accomplishment - "Good job!"
• Reemphasize the importance of the procedure and how it fits into the overall process.
• Remind the employee about their responsibilities and accountability by discussing the natural consequences (hurt/health) and system consequences (reprimand/reward).

Step 6: Trainer/Supervisor Validates the Training

After the conclusion of the OJT session, the trainer, or better yet, the supervisor should observe the employee as they apply their newly acquired skills in the actual work environment. Doing so results in strong documentation that helps to legally protect both the trained employee and the employer.

Tip: To prove the employee has the knowledge and skills to perform a job safely, have the employee teach you how to do the job. If the employee can effectively train you how to do the job, he or she is qualified and you can sign them off. If they can't, you should not qualify them; it's time for some retraining.

An important note: During an OSHA inspection, the compliance officer may ask employees about the job they are doing. Employees' lack of knowledge cannot easily be concealed in such situations and it won't take long for the compliance officer to determine if the employee is qualified to do the job.

Step 7: Trainer/Supervisor Documents the Training

The well-known OSHA adage, "if it isn't in writing, it didn't get done," is true for any kind of safety training. For OJT training, documentation should be more than an attendance sheet.

To document the training, the trainee certifies:

• The training was successfully completed.
• All their questions were answered.
• They were given opportunities to do procedure.
• They have a clear understanding of their accountabilities.
• They intend to comply with the learned procedures and safety standards.

The instructor certifies the trainee has:

• Demonstrated adequate knowledge related to the training.
• Developed the necessary skills to effectively complete the procedures.

For examples of training certification documents, refer to Course 721 OSH Training Development Module 5. These samples illustrate one method of documenting training effectively.

Safety education and training are vitally important, not only to the welfare of each employee, but to the long-term survival of the organization. It is imperative for safety professionals to strongly commit to integrating a robust safety education and training system across all aspects of corporate operations.

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