While businesses face a number of challenges and responsibilities on a day-to-day basis, safety training and protocols are among the most important. They can influence a company’s reputation, workforce engagement, operations, outcomes and successes at a very core level. There’s a reason why safety training on a do-it-yourself basis isn’t a great idea. Different types of businesses have different requirements, and it’s difficult to ensure that a company is remaining compliant with all federal, state and local regulations. For this reason, many companies in California choose to engage safety training specialists who will work onsite with employees and management.
Critical Safety Training Programs
The type of business you run will determine the types of safety training your employees might need. These include:
CPR. CPR – or cardiopulmonary resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. While it often looks easy to watch television programs, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s critical that individuals onsite learn the right way to do CPR to avoid injuring victims who may experience heart stoppage from a cardiovascular problem, electrocution, or other event. Proper CPR training can improve the effectiveness of the process and help those performing it to avoid breaking ribs or causing other injuries to a victim. Trainers can also provide employees with basic first-aid skills as well as instructions regarding the operation of a defibrillator.
Forklift operations. Southern California businesses that operate forklifts are required to mandate that operators receive proper training. While a forklift can benefit a business by moving heavy cargo, it can also cause significant injury, death, and damage if operated improperly. It’s not just about your employees’ safety, it’s also about legal compliance: California state and OSHA regulations stipulate that employers “shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified.”
Fire extinguisher safety. Workplace fires can happen, and the outcome will depend on how well trained workers are to deal with them before small fires become big fires. The best way to keep employees safe from fire hazards is to ensure that they are trained to properly react to them. A fire extinguisher safety course is half lecture and half hands-on training that will ensure all employees know what to do in the event of a fire.
Earthquake and disaster preparedness. Southern California faces a higher risk of earthquakes than much of the rest of the country. For this reason, it’s necessary that companies engage in proactive disaster preparedness for earthquakes, storms and manmade events. Since it’s extremely probable that a major earthquake or other disaster could strike in the middle of a workday, it’s imperative that businesses ensure that employees are properly trained and prepared and have the necessary supplies on hand. Earthquake preparedness checklists are readily available in many places, but don’t offer the personal, hands-on training needed to truly respond well in a disaster situation.
In Southern California, Respond Systems provides businesses with onsite safety training and OSHA compliance services as well as first aid supplies and training. Serving companies in Greater Los Angeles, San Diego County, Orange County, Ventura County, and San Bernardino County, Respond Systems offers comprehensive training in equipping employees with the skills and knowledge to prevent and handle emergency situations effectively. Call 800-480-5855 or visit our website for more information.