Yesterday, I took a step toward fulfilling a lifelong dream. I took my very first sailing lesson. It was a disaster. I was all alone when my boat capsized. As I hit the lake, I remembered the advice my trainer gave me as I pulled from the dock: "Don't panic." So I didn't. I found the daggerboard, clung to it and waited for the trainer to arrive. It got worse from there. While I understood the procedure he taught me for re-boarding the boat, I couldn't perform it. The buckles on my lifejacket caught on the boat's rim and my frozen shoulder (an ergonomic injury) simply isn't strong enough to pull my weight. It was a humiliating moment. And I'm not looking forward to tonight's lesson.

Naturally, I blame the whole thing on the trainer. The fiasco wouldn't have happened if he had trained me better. That's my emotional side. My intellectual side knows that he did a fairly good job of instructing. But for whatever reason, the message didn't sink in (so to speak).

The Communication Gap between Trainer and Trainee
Wouldn't you hate to have somebody like me as a trainee? Well, guess what? You probably do. I'll bet your safety training sessions include at least one or two persons who aren't getting your message.

Why aren't you getting through? There is no one answer to this question. On the contrary, there are a variety of things that can cause trainees to tune out their trainers. Here are 10 reasons that training messages don't reach their target:''

1. They Really Can't Hear You
There's nothing more frustrating than to deliver what you think is a clear message only to have it ignored. It's as if the trainee doesn't hear you. In fact, maybe he doesn't. Do you mumble? Are you dealing with an employee with hearing loss? When explaining procedures, speak slowly, loudly and clearly. And make sure trainees are literally able to hear them.

2. You're Speaking Greek
Don't assume your students understand more than they do. Define any words which may be unfamiliar. Give them all the information you can. If you're not sure how much background knowledge they have, you can say something like, 'This may be familiar to you, but let's go over it again.'

3. They Hear the Message but Don't Understand the Reason
Many trainees want to know not just what but why. This is especially true if you're trying to get them to adopt a change in procedure or technique. Explain the purpose behind the change. Otherwise, trainees may not accept the change and do things the same way they always have.

4. They Don't Appreciate the Stakes Involved
Before explaining a safety procedure, point out the hazard involved. It makes a lot more sense to wear protective gloves when you know about flesh-melting chemicals.

5. Your Jokes Are Garbling the Message
Humor can be an important tool in training. But you don't want to overdo it. If you kid around too much, it may be hard for trainees to tell when you are serious. Don't hide behind jokes when delivering difficult messages. Your audience might not get the point.

6. You're Not Listening to their Questions and Concerns
Give your trainees lots of chances to ask questions. You can gauge the level of understanding by what they ask. Never laugh at questions. Respect your trainees and help bolster their confidence. If there are no questions, don't assume everything is understood. Trainees may have nothing to ask because they don't understand what you were talking about.

7. You're Not Tailoring Your Message to Who They Are
Differences in literacy levels and culture may make it difficult for you to communicate with your trainees. Be sensitive to these differences and look for ways to bridge them.

8. You're Not Testing Their Comprehension
A big mistake trainers make is assuming that the message has been comprehended without verifying it. Ask the group to repeat the message back to you. "Okay, now what is the procedure for disposing of oily rags?"

9. You're Relying Too Heavily on the Spoken Word
Different people have different learning styles. Some need to hear. Some need to see. Others need to experiment hands-on under your supervision. Still others won't learn a thing until they get their hands on a training manual. Most need a combination of these methods.

10. You're Not Anticipating Obstacles
There may be roadblocks to following your instructions. Force of habit and uncertainty about what is expected are common ones. Maybe the trainee doesn't have the tools, equipment or procedures to follow through on what you said. Look at things through the trainee's eyes and try to anticipate these difficulties.

Conclusion
Of the 10 errors listed above, my sailing instructor was guilty of at least one: the last one, failure to anticipate obstacles. He overlooked two obstacles: 1. My weak shoulder and how it would render me incapable of pulling myself aboard; and 2. The fact that my lifejacket wasn't fitting properly. To be fair, as a safety person, I should have known better than to wear such a lifejacket. But I'm not the first trainee to make a mistake. I hope that all of you do a better job than my trainer in catching these mistakes. And one more thing: I hope that tonight's lesson goes better than last night's.

MEMBER REPLY

Re: Mark Hansen's Email Do's and Don'ts

I have to say this safety-exchange could not have come at a better time. Two weeks ago I sent an email to report one of our company drivers not wearing his seatbelt. It's not only the law in Maryland since 1997 it is a strict company policy. Unfortunately we had two fatalities last year and both were not wearing seatbelts.

I didn't know which department the vehicle belonged to, so I sent the email with the vehicle number to our transportation department. Well that email went to seven people before the supervisor of that vehicle was finally notified. Wow, he was blindsided. It didn't take long for this to come back and bite me. I did it innocently; however I realize now that a simple phone call could have nipped this in the bud. Lesson learned.

David Tooma
Safety Specialist

PEARLS OF WISDOM FROM SAFETY JOHN

The Value of a Daily Safety Sweep

John Lowrie

Most safety professionals know that they are far more effective when they can be "out on the floor" a "good percentage of the time" (whatever that is). For me, I have found that I can get more bang out of my buck (and the company's) by being sure to also be out there during the last half hour of the day when folks are cleaning up.

Since housekeeping is the #1 factor towards maintaining a safe work environment, I make it a practice to assist with pushing a broom or shoveling scrap off the floor late in the shift.  Employees are always appreciative, plus it gives me an opportunity to thank them for their safety behavior.

"Safety John" Lowrie CPP
Safety and Security Specialist

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