Construction Safety Training - The Role of Videos in the Training Session

Good construction safety practices benefitFollowing are some examples of specific video
everyone involved. By reducing the numbers oftraining topics that are essential for a workplace
injuries and deaths, they also lower propertysafety environment that adheres to OSHA
damage, legal liability, workers' compensationstandards in practices and in training.
claims, and time missed from work. A good1. Slips and Falls. Slips and falls can be very
safety training program helps the employer keepdangerous in the construction workplace, where
up with safety training requirements of theworkers may be working on raised platforms or
Occupational Safety and Health Administrationnear earth-moving machinery. The construction
(OSHA). If the workplace embraces a safetyworksite is constantly changing, too, on a daily or
environment in which every employee helpseven more frequent basis. Identification of slip and
promote proper safety procedures on the job,fall hazards, reporting and correcting hazards, and
then employees both new and experienced will bea constant awareness of slip and fall hazards are
invested in having a safe work environment. Theextremely important in the construction industry.
National Institute for Occupational Safety andTraining videos that emphasize how costly slips
Health (NIOSH) concluded after a 1998 study thatand falls can be are a major step toward
training in creating and maintaining aeliminating slip or fall accidents.
comprehensive safety culture at work is proven2. General Safe Work Practices. Safety videos
to help prevent workplace injuries and deaths.that emphasize the basics such as good
Construction related training videos are a greathousekeeping, proper lifting, and the use of
medium for this education.personal protective equipment will remind
One of the best ways to emphasize theconstruction workers of the many and varied
importance of a safe work culture while satisfyinghazards that a construction jobsite has. This type
OSHA regulations for safety education is to holdof video also reinforces the importance of a
regular safety training in which employees watchgeneral safety culture at work.
safety related videos that specifically spell out the3. Aerial Lift Safety. The use of videos on safety
required safety rules and practices. Onewhen using aerial lifts can help reduce the
workplace environment in which safety training isaccidents caused by poor aerial lift safety, one of
absolutely essential is the construction site.OSHA's top construction violations. Videos that
Because of the many hazards of this workplacecover the proper donning techniques for body
regular safety training and an on-the-job mindsetharnesses and regular equipment inspection can
of the importance of safety are vitally important.reinforce the importance of aerial safety lift
Some of the top violations that OSHA finds inpractices.
construction sites include the following:4. Ladder Safety. Ladder safety training cannot
* Inadequate fall protectionbe overemphasized. Ladders are used by so
* General safe workplace practicesmany workers in so many different applications,
* Aerial lift safetythat ladder safety training must be a high priority.
* Improper use of laddersWorkers should be trained in safety requirements,
* Hazard communicationthe 4:1 ratio of straight ladders, incorrect ladder
Safety videos addressing these workplace issuesprocedures and unsafe behavior.
can keep safety violations to an absolute5. Hazard Communication. Chemical hazards on the
minimum. When an employer gathers workers tojob must be marked and labeled. Workers must
watch construction safety videos on a regularbe trained in chemical labeling, safety, and material
basis, the employer can be certain that thesafety data sheets (MSDS). Video training in
workers have been adequately exposed to thehazard communication helps workers avoid some
training materials, whereas written safetyof the most common OSHA standards violations.
handouts may not be read thoroughly.Training videos that focus on safety have a
In the United States, in just the three-year periodprominent place in workplace safety education.
between 2003 and 2006 the number ofNot only do videos present the material in a way
foreign-born Hispanic workers in the constructionthat can be easily comprehended, the pictures of
industry increased by almost one million. The abilityproper safety procedures reinforce the lessons of
of these workers to speak English varies widely,the audio track. For many U.S. construction
and for that reason, it is important for employersworksites, training is necessary in Spanish as well
with large numbers of Spanish speaking workersas English to ensure that lessons are understood
to provide safety training in Spanish as well asby all workers. Safety education training in both
English. Training videos in both English and Spanishlanguages are easy and effective training tools in
allow employers to ensure that safety training isthe bilingual workplace.
understood by and benefits all employees.