Wednesday, November 28, 2012

4 Main Elements Of Fall Arrest Training

By Frits Van-Daalen


Fall arrest training is important for keeping workers safe when they must go into some potentially dangerous situations. Luckily , when completed properly, it effectively reduce the risks for employees to an acceptable level.

Just as importantly , it helps corporations comply with laws & regulations regarding workplace safety.

The right fall protection training for your employees should ideally include at least 4 key elements for it to serve you well. If the training you're considering does not meet all four criteria, it's wise to look elsewhere.

Here are the 4 things you need to consider when selecting fall protection training:

1. Does the programme you're considering involve all the scenarios and skill sets your staff are likely to encounter in the real world?

A number of skills are involved in fall protection, and different skills are necessary for different situations. You need to select for your staff a program that specifically teaches the skills most likely to be encountered in your particular situations. In addition, hands on experience is required for students to master the skill of themselves in the event of a fall, so the course you choose must involve hands on experience.

Legal requirements would possibly not be met if the training in which your company participates is not very similar in nature to the real-life situations your workers will face.

2. Are students given enough time with each piece of equipment to get comfortable with the skills involved in using it?

Not everybody learns at the same pace, so the training program must permit sufficient time with each piece of relevant equipment for even the slowest students to master using it รข€" without wasting everyone's time training for situations that will never be encountered. As an example, repelling in an oil refinery involves a greater variety and intensity of safety training for the responsible person on the job site than putting up signs in front of businesses, so the depth of training required for the jobs is different.

Training programs vary significantly in format and duration, so it is important to choose a course that goes deep enough into the subject to effectively train your staff for its purpose.

3. Are your employees kept safe during the training?

As you can imagine, learning to be safe can be a dangerous business. That's why fall protection training instructors have to conduct the course in a way that limits risks to students. Since students are probably going to use equipment incorrectly or slip during training, instructors must take this into account when planning their courses and training methodology.

Training situations should accurately represent real workplace scenarios, but instructors should put measures in place to eliminate risks to students at each turn.

4. Are the trainers qualified to conduct the classes?

Instructors need qualifications as well as experience providing adult education classes to do a great job teaching fall arrest training. It's not quite good enough for you to assume that everyone offering a course is qualified to do so. Take the time to ask about industry experience and certification before selecting an company or instructor that you're going to trust with the safety of your staff.

Instructors also need training in evaluating students. Simply because they know the skills involved in safety and can convey them well does not always mean they know how to test and evaluate student performance.

When you keep these four main elements in mind as you're selecting a company to handle your fall arrest training, you will be likely to make a better decision concerning which training programme to choose. And that means you can sleep better at night knowing your workers are as safe as possible each day.




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