Safety training is an essential piece to keeping construction crews safe. However, the quality and frequently, the curriculum of safety training varies across the construction industry. There are disparities in the skillsets of trainers with a wide range of teaching and industry experience. Some training courses may not satisfy regulatory requirements. The duration of training often varies. For example, one can find boom lift operator courses that run only one hour, but those courses have no hands-on evaluation – a requirement to become a safe operator.
These shortcomings exacerbate the challenges contractors face in addressing their training needs, which can vary by jobsite. Work can be outdoor or indoors, on flat or rough terrain, and a multitude of other variables. The equipment used on jobsites also varies. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is that a contractor needs to ensure his or her workers are certified to use the equipment required to complete tasks safely on every jobsite. They recognize the importance of training to achieve that goal. According to a Dodge Data & Analytics survey, 77 percent of participating contractors considered training at all levels is the indicator with the greatest impact on project safety. 
There are three steps to position training programs to meet today’s worker safety needs:
- offer a variety of training formats to accommodate the multiple needs of learners;
- explore immersive learning techniques that provide hands-on training which mirrors operator experience in a safe and controlled environment; and
- explore digital options that make it easy for individuals and employers to view, store and update training records.
MATCH TRAINING TO LEARNER NEEDS
There is a diversity of needs among learners. Millennials, for example, have shown they like to learn online rather than in a classroom. Others prefer to attend classroom sessions for the camaraderie and ability to ask questions and share experiences.
In order to accommodate varying learning styles and needs, contractors need to provide multiple training delivery methods. And while courses may be offered in different formats, every course needs to adhere to instructional design principles, applicability of the subject matter to the standards and skilled trainers who can delivery authoritatively.
This applies across a range of safety training including operator certification, train the trainer, OSHA training, Confined Space Entry, Competent Person Trenching and Excavation training, and more. For instance, in competent person training, consider lessons that go beyond basic OSHA standards and mandated instruction. With this approach, contractors can use a training curriculum to stay up to date on the latest developments in shielding, shoring and engineered solutions.
Course formats include traditional instructor-led classes and online offerings that allow students to take the course at their leisure at work, at home or anywhere they have a computer and internet connection. These offerings need to include bilingual options to address diverse workforces.
Another format growing in popularity is blended learning courses that combine the standardization and flexibility of online with the interaction and hands-on experiences of instructor-led classes. This approach enables students to take prerequisite training online and then perform hands-on proficiency testing in person with a certified evaluator.
Even with the move to more digitally-oriented training, the skills and experience of instructors are critical success factors. Training must be led by certified trainers and evaluators with years of experience in educating and protecting workers and jobsites. To address their training needs, contractors are reporting an increased use of third-party trainers with 36 percent hiring outside trainers according to a Dodge Data & Analytics survey, up from 28 percent in a 2015 survey.
Contractors need to evaluate their training sources and consider employee feedback. Choosing training experts that align course content with real applications are more impactful to deliver classroom retention. Looking again at competent person training, for example, that means exposing students to ways to balance the opportunity for productivity and safety. That can include lighter weight aluminum shields which offer higher clearance using manufacturer’s tabulated data or more complex solutions which may require engineered sheeting and bracing to allow workers a safe work zone.
CREATE AN IMMERSIVE TRAINING EXPERIENCE
Immersive learning, next generation training that applies the use of 2D and 3D immersive graphics, gamification, augmented reality and virtual reality either individually or in combination, has emerged as a new training format. This method is particularly attractive to the workforce that has more recently entered the job marketplace who, as digital natives, are well-acquainted with virtual and gaming environments. 
A Future Workforce study from Dell and Intel found that 77 percent of millennials were willing to use VR or AR products in their professional lives; while only 59 percent of non-millennials said they were willing. Almost one-quarter (23 percent) named “training on new skills in realistic virtual environments” as the aspect of work they would be most interested in using the technology.
By engaging the learner through the combination of traditional and innovative instructional modalities, immersive learning fosters learning beyond what can be achieved in a traditional classroom or eLearning environment for a truly blended and immersive experience. It engages students and allows them to not only think about what they are doing, but actively apply that knowledge.
This technique allows learners to operate on a different cognitive level where they are inquiring and analyzing information in real time, not simply absorbing information. It has been shown to enhance the learning experience and lead to greater comprehension, competency, muscle memory and retention levels.
Immersive learning that uses VR simulation is particularly effective in offering hands-on training that mirrors the operator experience on a construction site and delivers it in a safe and controlled environment. It is particularly well-suited to gain and polish skills for crane, forklift, backhoes and skid steer training.
A VR system allows training even if bad weather would preclude such work in the field. Additionally, it can simulate many different types of bad weather and emergency situations, providing operators with more complete training.
TAKE COMPETENCY TRANSCRIPTS VIRTUAL
Creating a safe jobsite and compliance with regulations and company policies are must-dos for all contractors. That makes it essential worker credentials are matched to the unique requirements of each task.
In achieving this goal, competency is currency for contractors and personnel. For companies, it means they have a skilled workforce and safe construction sites. For personnel, training makes their job skills more attractive to employers.
Both companies and individuals need to be proactive in managing competency data. The time has come to move away from time-consuming processes involving spreadsheets or manual tracking that are difficult to keep current and hard to use when trying to plan future training needs. Companies need to shift to using cloud-based services to administer records. Going digital can allow workers to tap a mobile app that is accessible anywhere they go. The app can provide access to a virtual, comprehensive competency transcript of training courses and certifications.
This approach facilitates digital notifications being sent on an automated basis, alerting workers of upcoming certification expirations and other important information. It allows them to manage training for themselves, or through their employers, so lapses in certifications do not happen.
SAFETY TRAINING THAT MEETS BUSINESS NEEDS
Contractors experience many business benefits by implementing sound safety practices. These benefits include improving both their standing in the business community and ability to contract for new work. Safety training plays an invaluable role in preparing supervisors and workers to get the job done the right way – the safe way.
