The Growing Importance of Refresher Training for Your Business

Workplace health and safety is naturally a concern for almost every business. Businesses rely on comprehensive training to ensure their workers and contractors are protected from common health and safety hazards. However, safety training is hardly effective if taken as a one-and-done initiative. Processes, regulations, workforce, and technology change more often, which makes frequent refresher training crucial for enhanced workplace safety. We’ve prepared a list of important reasons to consider refresher training for different processes in your workplace.

1. Workers are Only Human

Technology and automation have greatly changed the way we work. However, they can hardly change our mental capacity or eliminate mistakes. An Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve study showed that an adult’s mind can retain less than 50% of the information learned within one hour of training and at least 80 % of what they learn after 2 days. This makes your workforce vulnerable to forgetting important precautions and techniques. Proper refresher training is vital to help the workers eliminate the mistakes that could lead to severe consequences, especially if the work environment involves extreme work conditions and dangerous hazards. The refreshers should also include retraining of proper use and maintenance of access equipment such as safety ladders and scaffolding.

2. Today’s Workforce is Dynamic

Today’s workers usually switch gears more often, including a change in their roles and responsibilities. Oftentimes, workers may be asked to perform specific tasks which they may not have performed in a very long time. This situation will put the worker at a higher risk of accidents and injuries, especially if they’re to operate dangerous machinery and without proper retraining. Proper refresher training helps ensure the workers follow all the necessary steps of the process using the right equipment hence preventing expensive repairs, possible injuries, and any disruption to work quality. The refreshers, if done regularly, help workers to quickly and conveniently change roles and responsibilities and move from location to location with confidence.

3. Technology Presents New Learning Curves

Technological disruptions and advancements have made it easier to track training needs and made learning more readily available. These advancements have seen the introduction of equipment that requires different ways of operation. You’ll require a new learning curve to efficiently utilize or operate the equipment, which may easily result in accidents and injuries without proper support. You’ll need refresher training that covers the awareness of equipment hazards, correct operation techniques, and proper use of PPE to ensure your workforce is protected, comfortable, and competent to undertake new procedures and operations. Refreshers help reinforce already learned skills and in identifying and correcting knowledge gaps that would affect your general workplace safety if they remain unrecognized. Ensure to always provide your workforce with persistent, accredited training to include up-to-date information to help ensure their knowledge and skills on proper safety practices stay fresh.

4. Your Workforce expects it

Today, millennials (persons aged from 25 to39 years) make up the largest portion of the workforce. This group expects an emphasis on training and development to be efficient and competent when performing their duties. Regular refresher training builds worker confidence in their ability to perform different tasks, boosts job satisfaction, and qualifies workers for employment. Good news is that with the current technology, employers can now deliver proper training and refreshers to workers of all ages. You can also keep track of your workforce safety training and certifications necessary for employment.