BUILDING A SAFETY

TRAINING PLAN

IN THIS REPORT...
HOW TO START A SAFETY TRAINING FOLLOW-UP
2 TRAINING PROGRAM 11 VERIFICATION FORM
WHY YOU SHOULD DOCUMENT SAFETY TRAINING: ONCE
4 YOUR SAFETY TRAINING 12 IS NOT ENOUGH
SAFETY TRAINING RECORDS: THE WHY WORKERS REQUIRE COMPETENCY
5 RECORDS YOU NEED & HOW LONG 13 TEST AFTER SAFETY TRAINING
TO KEEP THEM
PLAN FOR THE EXPECTED QUICK QUIZ: THE RIGHT &
9 AND UNEXPECTED 14 RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK SAFELY
WORKSAFEBC ISSUES SIGNIFICANT TAKE 5 STEPS TO PROVE THE POI OF
10 FINES OVER WORKERS’ INJURIES 15 SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS
 HOW TO START A SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM
Training is an important part of any safety There are other good ways of collecting in-
program. Training helps teach employees formation to use in safety training. For exam-
how to perform their work more safely. It ple, if you perform routine audits of the work-
also allows you to teach employees the place, you could make observations about
company’s policies and attitudes about the way employees are doing their jobs and
on-the-job safety. how they could do them more safely - with-
out pointing fingers, of course.
Setting up a training program may appear
to be difficult and overwhelming. But this Sometimes safety training comes from
does not have to be the case. The first thing regulatory requirements put out by
that needs to be done is to determine the agencies such as the US Occupational
important safety issues for your employees. Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
You can use resources in your workplace to or Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
gather this type of information. Top among For example, do your workers drive forklift
these tools are the incident reports that your trucks? If so, they’ll need training in how to
facility generates about employee injuries. operate those vehicles in a safe manner. Do
This will give you an idea not only of where your employees need to wear respirators to
employees are having problems, but also do their jobs? They’ll need a lot of training
what kinds of problems they are having. For and review on fitting, testing and using
example, are your workers reporting a lot of respiratory protection.
foot injuries? Do they need to be trained on
the importance of wearing steel-toed shoes? Once you’ve decided on the material to
Are they experiencing a high number of eye include in a safety program, there are some
injuries? Do they need to be educated on other things you might want to think about:
the importance of wearing eye protection
and what types of eye protection are best • How do you ensure that employees are
for their jobs? actually learning something? One way

2
 is to follow the training with a short, but • Safety training should not be a “one shot”
realistic quiz on the information they have deal. Periodic training on the same and
just been trained in. This is an effective related topics is a good idea. It gives you
tool to judge how effective the training is a chance to review the information that
and whether the employees have you’ve covered before. It also gives you
actually benefited. a chance to expand the employee’s
knowledge base, while updating any
• Safety training works best if given to new methods or techniques.
employees at a convenient time,
whether it is at the start, middle or • The person giving the training should be
end of a shift. No matter when you knowledgeable and up to date on the
schedule the training, try and provide safety aspects of the jobs performed in
some drinks and snacks to help lure your company. This person does not
workers to the site. Of course, safety have to be a know-it-all - or even know
training should be mandatory, and you it all - but this person needs to be open,
should keep records of who attends, but honest and knowledgeable. Safety
it should also be enjoyable for both the training is an important part of any
employees and the person giving the safety program. Use the tools available
training. to determine what training is needed.

3
DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU SHOULD DOCUMENT
YOUR SAFETY TRAINING?
Companies that deliberately cut corners provided, you’ll almost surely be cited. And
on safety training deserve no sympathy if if you don’t have documentation, you’re
they get socked with an OSHA/OHS citation. unlikely to be able to prove that the worker
Unfortunately, it’s not just the “bad guys” received the necessary training.
who get into trouble. Companies that make
a conscious effort to train still end-up getting A TALE OF TWO COMPANIES
cited for training violations. These
companies learn a painful but important Here’s a demonstration of why
lesson: It’s not enough just to train your documentation is so important.
workers; you must also be able to prove that
you do. And that’s not all. In many cases, Company Fined Because It Can’t Document
you need to take steps to verify that workers Training
understood the training you provided.
During a routine inspection, an OSHA
investigator smelled sewer gases in a trench
and discovered that none of the workers
The contractor in charge of the knew they should check for poisonous
excavation was fined $2,500 for gases or determine if the air in the trench
failure to train workers how to had enough oxygen. The contractor in
recognize and avoid unsafe con charge of the excavation was fined $2,500
ditions. The contractor appealed, for failure to train workers how to recognize
claiming that he had trained the and avoid unsafe conditions. The contractor
appealed, claiming that he had trained the
workers. But he didn’t have the
workers. But he didn’t have the documents
documents to prove it.
to prove it. So the Occupational Safety
Health Review Commission (OSHRC) upheld
the fine.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
DOCUMENTATION Company Avoids Fines Because It Can
Document Training
There are more than a hundred standards
that require a company to provide A Ministry of Labour investigator interviewed
safety training to workers. Some, but not all, the victim of a serious workplace incident in
of these standards also require the Ontario. The victim said the company had
employer to document that training. never trained her and that she didn’t know
about the hazard. But the company had
But, as a practical matter, documentation written records showing that training
is required even if the standard doesn’t sessions were held and that the victim
expressly mention it. That’s because if had attended them. When she saw her
investigators show up after an incident, one signature on the attendance sheet, the
of the first questions they’ll ask is whether the victim suddenly “remembered” that she
injured worker (and/or worker who caused had been trained, after all, the company’s
the injury) received the required training. If safety director relates. No citations were
you can’t prove that training was issued.

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SAFETY TRAINING RECORDS: THE RECORDS
YOU NEED & HOW LONG TO KEEP THEM
Simply providing safety training isn’t enough OHS laws in each jurisdiction require
to ensure compliance; companies also documentation.
must document their training efforts in case
inspectors, regulators, prosecutors and WHAT THE LAW SAYS
courts demand proof that they provided
the necessary training to each worker. Every jurisdiction’s OHS laws require
Such documentation can also help employers to provide safety training to
companies avoid liability for a safety workers. There are two kinds of training
offence or even a crime under Bill C-45. requirements:
For example, if a worker suffers a chemical
burn on the job, records verifying that he • General: A broad obligation under the
attended WHMIS training and understood OHS act on the part of employers to
what he was taught can help your provide sufficient training and instruction
company prove that it exercised due to workers to ensure their health and
diligence as to WHMIS requirements. safety in performing their duties and the
health and safety of others in the
This article will explain everything you need workplace; and
to know about training records requirements
under OHS laws, including why records are • Specific: An obligation under the OHS
necessary, what kind of training must be regulations to provide training and
documented, how to create the right instructions for dealing with specific
documentation and how long to hang hazards (such as asbestos), operations
onto your records. There’s also a chart (such as working in confined spaces) or
showing the kinds of training for which the equipment (such as respirators).

5
What do these laws say about government agency that enforces the OHS
documenting required training? laws views documenting training as a key
Surprisingly, not much. In fact, no component of an OHS program—even if
jurisdiction has a blanket rule requiring it’s not explicitly spelled out in the law. Thus,
employers to document all worker training. for example, the WHSCC in Newfoundland,
The OHS statutes and regulations deal with where training records aren’t mentioned in
documentation of training in two ways: the OHS laws, has issued guidance stating
that employers must take a “systematic
Require documentation of specific kinds of approach to OHS education and training”
training. The OHS laws of nine jurisdictions— that includes “maintenance of education
Fed, AB, BC, MB, NS, ON, PEI, SK and YT— and training records.”
require employers to keep records for
specific kinds of training, typically including Another reason that you need to keep
training on: training records even if the law doesn’t
literally say you have to is to prove that the
company provided training to its workers.
• Confined spaces; Such documentation is often crucial to
• Asbestos; prove due diligence. Simply put, having
training records can only help the
• Fire fighting; company, while not having them can
• WHMIS; only hurt it:
• Forestry; and Training records help company. A mine
• Fall protection worker was killed when he fell through an
open hole while conducting a
No explicit training record requirements. The post-blast clearance gas check. The mine
OHS laws and regulations of the remaining was charged with three safety violations,
five jurisdictions—NB, NL, NT, NU and QC— including failing to properly train workers
don’t specifically require documentation for on performing gas checks safely. The court
certain kinds of training. dismissed the training charge. It noted that
the mine had produced training records
for the two workers involved in the incident
WHY YOU MUST DOCUMENT ALL that indicated that both workers were well
TRAINING ANYWAY aware of the procedures for post-blast
clearance checks [R. v. Placer Dome (CLA)
Laws must be understood by not only their Ltd.].
literal terms but also what they’re designed
to do. Accordingly, the obligation to Lack of records hurts company. A log fell off
document safety training is an implicit a piece of equipment called a “debarker,”
one that furthers the purpose behind landed on a worker and broke his pelvis.
training requirements. Specifically, simply The Ontario MOL inspector concluded that
communicating safety information to workers hadn’t been well trained on use of
workers during training sessions or through the debarker and issued an order requiring
policies and other writings isn’t enough to the employer to provide such training to all
meet the law’s training requirements. workers. The employer asked the Labour
Employers are also expected to evaluate Relations Board to suspend the order. It
the effectiveness of their training and take argued that it already provided intensive
additional steps if it’s not working. There’s no and high quality training to workers on the
way on earth you can meet this obligation use of all equipment. The Board refused to
unless you keep track of the training each suspend the order, noting that the employer
worker has received. couldn’t produce any records to prove that
it provided proper training [Gulick Forest
Many provinces have issued guidelines Products Ltd. v.Brennan].
either implying or expressly stating that the

6
TRAINING RECORD BASICS • Tool box talks, lunch-and-learns and
other informal training sessions; and
Documenting training is either a specific
legal requirement or a best practice. Let’s • Annual training reviews, such as annual
now explain how to do it. WHMIS reviews.

Which Training to Document How to Document Training

If your workplace is in a jurisdiction that Training documentation doesn’t need to

requires employers to document certain be elaborate. You can use very simple
kinds of training, make sure that your forms to create records of the training your
company keeps records of such training company gives workers. You can also keep
as a bare minimum. However, the better training records electronically. Whatever
practice for all workplaces—regardless of method you use, make sure you record at
location—is to document all training. least the following information about each
After all, you never know when a safety training session:
inspector may request your training records
on a particular kind of training or when • When the session was held;
certain training will be relevant in a • Who conducted it;
prosecution for a safety violation. So
create records of all the training your • How long it lasted;
company provides workers, including: • What topics the session covered in
sufficient detail. For example, don’t just
• Initial training at the start of employment, say “PPE” when the specific topic was
including new or young worker actually the proper use of respiratory
orientation; equipment; and
• New training when workers are • Who attended the session.
reassigned to new jobs involving
different hazards; What to Do with Training Records
• Training on how to handle new Creating training records is just step one.
equipment, procedures or processes as You have to retain those records so you
they’re introduced into your workplace; have them on hand when needed. But
retaining all of your old training records is a
• Additional training when test scores and burden, even if they’re in electronic form.
other assessments show initial training And if you’re using a paper system, it can
hasn’t sunk in or after a worker commits be an administrative nightmare. As a
a safety infraction or gets involved in a result, many safety coordinators are eager
safety incident; and to dispose of their records the moment they
believe they no longer need them.
• Periodic re-training to reinforce or
update the lessons of previous training. So how long does a company have to
keep its training records? In some cases,
In terms of training methods, keep records the OHS laws in the jurisdictions that require
of: employers to keep records of certain kinds
of training specify how long those records
• Formal training sessions, whether run by must be retained. For example:
an outside consultant or in-house staff;
• Online training, such as taking e-learning • Under the federal Canada OHS Regs.,
courses; Employers must keep records of WHMIS

7
 training for two years after the worker As you can see, training record retention
ceases a) to handle or be exposed to requirements are all over the place.
the hazardous substance; or b) to install, A good rule of thumb: Keep training records
operate, maintain or repair the assembly for each worker for as long as the worker
of pipes; is employed by your company, even if the
worker changes positions and so his prior,
• Under AB’s OHS Code, 2009, employers say, crane operation training is no longer
must keep records of training for mine relevant. After a worker leaves the
self-rescuers for at least three years; company, the most prudent course is to
keep that worker’s training records for at
• Under BC’s OHS Regs., employers must least five years, says Toronto OHS lawyer
keep records of asbestos and cytotoxic Ryan J. Conlin. And although it may seem
drug training for at least three years, like a long time to keep a lot of paperwork,
training records can be kept electronically
• Under NS’s Underground Mining Reg., now, eliminating storage concerns,
employers must keep mine job training he adds.
program records for at least two years
after the mine closes; CONCLUSION
• Under PEI’s OHS General Regs., Safety coordinators don’t want to be nor
employers must keep records of noise should they be paper pushers. But often
exposure training for as long as the a few scraps of paper can mean the
worker is employed by the employer; difference between proving due diligence
and and paying a huge fine for a safety
violation. So take the time to set up a
• Under SK’s OHS Regs., employers must simple training record program for your
keep respiratory protection device company and you and your company
training records for as long as the will reap the benefits down the road.
worker is employed by the employer.

8
PLAN FOR THE EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED
IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO emergency occurs. In real life, this is not
FAIL. Procedures and rules are in place to the case. In most emergencies you have
address emergency situations. Employees very little or no warning before it occurs.
must be properly trained on the procedures. Therefore, you do not have time to make
You must take a proactive approach to emergency preparations during the
planning for the unexpected and take steps emergency. Know what to do in an
to ensure employees know what to do in an emergency every minute you are at work.
emergency. Injuries and damage will then Know the potential emergencies that could
become minimal. If plans are not in place or occur in your environment and know what
not followed, injuries, property damage and to do if an emergency situation happens.
possible loss of business can result.
IN AN EMERGENCY YOU MUST TAKE
TRAINING IS A KEY TO PREVENTION. IMMEDIATE ACTION. If a situation occurs
Safety training is not always the most in your workplace that could cause injuries,
enjoyable event in our lives. However, your production loss, or damage you must be
life and the life of your crew often depend trained to take immediate action. Situations
on the information presented in the such as a chemical spill, flammable gas
safety training programs at your facility. release, water on the floor, or toxic gas
Safety training is required to help make you release require immediate action and
aware of the hazards in your environment implementation of established emergency
and to teach you what to do in an plans in order to prevent serious injuries
emergency situation. In turn, you can pass and property loss.
this information on to your team members.
Much of the work we do in safety is
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS HAPPEN designed to help prevent injuries in
every-day operations. However, part of
WITHOUT NOTICE. The ideal safe safety involves planning for the unexpected
environment would include a warning
and knowing what to do if it does happen.
system to alert us of an emergency
and give us time to react before the

9
 CHECK YOUR WorkSafeBC Issues Significant
WORKER Fines Over Workers’ Injuries
TRAINING SKILLS British Columbia’s workers’ compensation board,
WorkSafeBC, recently issued a couple of significant
fines following workers’ injuries in different parts of the
As a supervisor or province.
manager, this checklist West Fraser Mills Ltd. has been fined $75,000 with
will help you effectively train regard to serious burns suffered by a young worker
your employees in various at a mill in Fraser Lake, BC. The unsupervised worker
skills. was using a torch to repair a piece of logging
equipment. He had removed grease from equipment
using a combustible cleaning liquid before lighting a
Step 1: Introduction: What is to be torch and starting to cut through material.
learned? How and why? How will
it be evaluated? Soon afterwards, his coveralls caught fire and he
suffered serious burns to his legs and hands.
Step 2: Perfect demonstration: WorkSafeBC found that the young worker had not
Without error, demonstrate each been supervised as he carried out his assigned tasks
step of the task, with a detailed and he also had not been instructed on how to safely
explanation of each step. handle, use, and dispose of the combustible cleaning
product.
Step 3: Practice with much The firm also failed to provide written instructions for
supervision: Guide each worker safely repairing equipment.
through each step, with careful
explanation. Repeat until the “These violations demonstrate the firm’s failure to
worker shows basic ability. provide the instruction, training and supervision
needed to ensure the health and safety of its
Step 4: Practice with young worker,” says WorkSafeBC.
moderate supervision: Worker
conducts steps/tasks while In a second recent incident, a worker suffered
serious injuries at a foundry in Surrey, BC. The worker
explaining each step to had been cleaning a 362-kilogram (800-pound) mold
instructor until basic mastery suspended by a crane about two meters (six feet)
is achieved. Focus on quality above the floor. The worker was standing underneath
and safety, not speed. the mold when one of the job-built hooks embedded
in the mold pulled out, causing the mold to drop onto
Step 5: Practice without the worker and crush both his legs.
supervision: Worker practices skill,
concentrating on building speed WorkSafeBC says Century Pacific Foundry Ltd. failed
while maintaining safety and to ensure that its worker did not stand under or pass
beneath a suspended load. It also failed to
quality.
ensure that the hook’s working load limit had
been determined and certified by a professional
Step 6: Evaluation or test: Worker engineer. Another finding was that the company
demonstrates mastery of skill had failed to provide its worker with the information,
according to established training and supervision needed to ensure his safety.
standards.
Century Pacific Foundry Ltd. was fined $56,480.

10
TRAINING FOLLOW-UP VERIFICATION FORM
EMPLOYEE’S NAME: _______________________________________________________

SUPERVISOR’S NAME: _____________________________________________________

Safety Method Used to Verify Date of Additional Date of

Meeting That Worker Understood Verification Training Additional
Topic Topic Necessary? Training

[ ] Observation
[ ] Interview MM/DD/YYYY Y/N MM/DD/YYYY
[ ] Quiz
[ ] Other:
_________________________

[ ] Observation
[ ] Interview MM/DD/YYYY Y/N MM/DD/YYYY
[ ] Quiz
[ ] Other:
_________________________

[ ] Observation
[ ] Interview MM/DD/YYYY Y/N MM/DD/YYYY
[ ] Quiz
[ ] Other:
_________________________

[ ] Observation
[ ] Interview MM/DD/YYYY Y/N MM/DD/YYYY
[ ] Quiz
[ ] Other:
_________________________

DOWNLOAD TRAINING
VERIFICATION FORM
11
 SAFETY TRAINING: ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH
Being experienced in your work does not and discuss it with your co-workers.
provide immunity from injuries. Nearly Encourage your company to supply
a quarter of acute injuries happen to safety literature in the break rooms. Help
experienced workers—as a result of set up a television and video player in
human errors. the lunch room for safety presentations.

Statistics like this remind us of the need for • Read again the information presented
continued safety training. Refresher courses, to you when you started your job. It will
new training with new information and make much more sense the second
regular safety reviews are all necessary time around. This could include your
to keep you safe from workplace injury. company’s safety policies and
procedures, emergency instructions,
Near misses or minor incidents indicate operating manuals for equipment,
something is wrong with the way you are Material Safety Data Sheets and labels
working. Or perhaps it has simply been a for chemicals in your work area.
long time since you covered the material.
You may have forgotten some of it, or there • Ask for cross-training in other jobs.
may be new information or new methods to You will look at hazards and safety
make it easier to understand. procedures from a new perspective.

HOW CAN YOU UPDATE YOUR SAFETY • Take the materials home to your family
if you are allowed to. Make your safety
TRAINING? training a household project. This will
give your family members a better
• Ask for a review. Go to your supervisor, understanding of what you do, and
qualified co-workers and company’s they will encourage you to work safely.
safety department with specific
questions you need to have answered. • Ask for help with advanced training
and education if you are interested.
• Use the company’s library of safety Your company might have a budget
resources. Self-directed study workbooks for sending you to safety conferences
and CD’s, safety booklets and videos or technical courses. Even if no financial
are some of the ways to learn and help is available, the department might
review the information. If you are not be able to schedule your shifts to
familiar with computers, start with an accommodate learning. Consider
easy course while you learn to navigate. distance learning, in which you
communicate by computer, television
• Use your breaks for safety reading and mail.

12
WHY WORKERS REQUIRE COMPETENCY
TESTS AFTER SAFETY TRAINING
How many of you have been given a 200 should have followed the procedure
page OHS manual and told to read it? because he’d signed a waiver saying
Of course, after you’ve read the manual, that he’d read and understood it.
you’re asked to sign a waiver stating that
you’ve read and understood its contents. The court asked the company if it had
So you just skim through the manual, done anything to make sure he actually
thinking, “I have sufficient work experience. understood what he’d read. The
I know what I’m doing.” And then you sign company’s answer was, “No, we didn’t.”
the waiver. The court explained that it was the
company’s responsibility as an employer
A oilfield services company did just that. to determine workers’ competency and
They gave a large health and safety it couldn’t transfer that duty to workers by
manual to its workers, told them to read it having them sign a waiver. The court
and, after they’d read it, sign a waiver that convicted the company of OHS violations
they understood its contents. The company and fined it.
didn’t give the workers a competency test
to determine if they’d actually understood [Note: The case discussed above is R. v. Dial
the manual. It mistakenly believed that the Oilfield Services, [2007] ABPC 16, Jan. 19, 2007
onus was now on workers to work safely. (upheld on appeal R. v. Rose’s Well Services Ltd.
(Dial Oilfield Services), [2009] ABQB 1 (CanLII),
Not so. The company then had a serious Feb. 1, 2009).]
incident in which a worker didn’t follow
procedure and was hurt very badly. He THE LESSON: Simply handing over health and
said that he’d read the safety manual but safety information and expecting workers
didn’t understand it. The company argued to read it on their own and understand it
that it had done everything reasonable isn’t acceptable. Workers must actually be
and practicable to protect the health and trained and have their understanding of
safety of its workers. The injured worker that training verified.

13
 Quick QUIZ - The Right &
Responsibility To Work Safely
1. Who is responsible for safety in your
workplace?
a. Management
b. Employees
c. You
d. Everyone

2. Failure to report a hazard could set

someone else up for an injury.
True or False

3. You should regularly inspect any

Safety training needs to cover company equipment and tools you use.
safety policies and procedures, critical
health and safety issues such as where True or False
the first aid kits, eye washes and fire
extinguishers are located and what to do 4. Checklists can be useful in doing equip-
in an emergency. New workers should get ment inspections.
a site tour where they’re introduced to their True or False
co-workers and acquainted with the site
health and safety precautions and hazards. 5. If you do not understand something
about work safety, you should:
It’s then the employer’s duty to ensure that a. Ask about it
the workers understand the workplace’s
b. Pretend you know all about it
safety policies and procedures. To do so, it
must assess the effectiveness of their safety
training either by giving them a quiz that 6. Have you met anyone on your safety and
tests key concepts or by having the worker health committee?
demonstrate knowledge and competency Yes or NO
of safety procedures on the job under the
watchful eye of an experienced worker or 7. The only place you can pick up safety
supervisor, who signs off on the worker’s information is from a formal training
competency. program.

Mentors are great for assisting in this True or False

process. An experienced worker can 8. Do you have any safety concerns about
oversee a new worker until he can your job?
perform the job safely and well, with
little or no supervision. The mentor signs Yes or NO
off that the worker’s competent and the
cycle is complete. 9. What are you going to do about them?

Only then has the company truly done __________________________________________

everything that a reasonable person would
do to protect the health and safety of its 10. Safety is:
workers—in other words, exercise due a. Your right
diligence. Don’t just read and sign off... b. Your Responsibility
Your life may be on the line! c. Both

14
Answers: 1. D 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. A 7. False 10. C
TAKE 5 STEPS TO PROVE THE ROI OF
SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS

Getting sufficient funding for the OHS • That improvement has a positive impact
program, including safety training, always on the company;
seems like an uphill battle. It can be
especially difficult in a struggling economy • That impact benefits the company
when budgets are getting slashed. “Training financially; and
dollars compete against other funding • That benefit is more than the cost of the
requests on a daily basis,” said J. LeRoy training.
Ward, Executive Vice President of ESI
International, a project management To accomplish the above, the report
training company. Ward added that, in recommends that you take these five steps:
today’s environment, it’s not enough to
simply measure how well a training program
is delivered. In other words, those STEP #1: SURVEY WORKERS WHO
responsible for training, such as safety ATTENDED TRAINING
coordinators, need to prove to senior
management that their programs are After a training session, survey all workers
having a measurable impact on the who attended. The survey shouldn’t be
bottom line. long and should be easy to complete. For
example, the ESI report includes a case
Easier said than done, right? ESI recently study that used a survey that contained 22
released a report that explains how you can questions and took about seven minutes to
prove the value of your training program complete. Some of the areas the questions
through a practical and straightforward in the survey should cover include:
approach to return on investment (ROI).
Here’s a look at that report and its step- • Quality and effectiveness of the training;
by-step process for calculating the ROI of • Impact of the training on the workers’ job
a training program. (Although the study performance;
speaks to training programs in general, • Any post-training support provided, such
we’ll apply its lessons to safety training as resources and opportunities to apply
specifically.) the training; and
• Business results, such as improved
5 STEPS FOR CONDUCTING A productivity or fewer safety incidents.
TRAINING ROI STUDY
STEP #2: RE-SURVEY WORKERS 60 DAYS
Proving the ROI of training means providing LATER
evidence that training is creating value.
Yes, business value is generally measured in Sixty days after the training session, give the
dollars. But you can’t credibly jump straight workers who attended a second survey to
from training to dollars; you must first show validate their initial responses and collect
where value is being created in the additional information, such as any
company, explains the ESI report. In other barriers to the use of their training they’ve
words, you need to prove: experienced. It’s important to re-survey the
workers because immediately after training,
• Your training program improves workers’ they tend to be overly optimistic about how
ability to do the job and do it safely; the training is going to impact their jobs.

15
STEP #3: ANALYZE THE SURVEY RESULTS Business results. When reporting ROI to
senior management, it’s not enough to
The study recommends analyzing the claim that the company was impacted
results of both surveys based on “four positively by your training program. You
levels of learning measurement”: need to explain where it was impacted
and provide quantitative evidence. You
Quality and effectiveness. The goal here is can do so by asking in the survey for
to determine whether attendees were specific business results that the workers’
satisfied with the overall program, the participation delivered to the workplace
instructor’s performance and the content and measuring the extent to which training
and delivery, and whether they gained impacted each. For example, determine
significant knowledge and skills from the whether training:
training.
• Increased quality, productivity, customer
Job impact. The single most important satisfaction and worker engagement;
measurement in determining the ROI and
for a training program is the training’s
contribution to performance improvement. • Decreased safety incidents and
So it’s critical to determine how the training violations, injuries, risks and costs.
impacted workers’ ability to do their jobs.
For example, you want to know whether STEP #4: CALCULATE COST OF
they were able to successfully apply the TRAINING
knowledge and skills they learned to their
jobs and whether the training contributed
Because ROI by definition is a return on
to a significant improvement in their job
investment, it can’t be calculated without
performance. You should end up with a
knowing the investment—that is, the cost of
percentage by which the workers’
training. To calculate training ROI, the report
performance improved due to the training.
says you should estimate:

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 • The per worker cost of attending training, shows only the return side of the ROI
including course materials, the calculation. For example, using the figures
instructor’s fee (if applicable), venue above, the training generated $4,656 in
costs (if training isn’t conducted in the monetary benefit for each worker attending
workplace), snacks, administrative the training session.
costs, etc.; and
Benefit to cost ratio. This ratio spells out the
• The average salary cost of the monetary value of the training relative to its
attendees. Although your estimates cost. For example, again using the figures
should be as close as possible, they’re above, the companies in the case study
averages, so you shouldn’t have to go that invested in the training program
to the HR department for specific salary received $2.91 for every dollar they invested
information. in training ($4,656/$1,600). So the benefit to
cost ratio is 2.91 to one.
STEP #5: CALCULATE ROI AND RELATED
Average payback period. This measure is a
MEASURES time-based ROI calculation, which indicates
how long in months it will take to pay back
When it comes to measuring ROI, be the initial investment in the training. To
as conservative as possible in your calculate the payback period, divide the
calculations. Although ROI is technically per worker monetary benefit by 12 to get
a single calculation, there are a few the monthly benefit. Then divide the
additional calculations you can perform investment by the monthly benefit to
around ROI to help communicate the get the payback period:
impact of training more effectively. We
explain how to calculate each below: $4,656 (annual benefit) / 12 (months) = $388
(monthly payback)
ROI is calculated as the return of the train-
ing (financial benefit) minus the investment $1,600 (investment) / $388 = 4.12 month to
in the training (cost) and then divided by pay back the investment
the investment, resulting in a percentage.
You calculated the investment component Bottom Line
in Step #4. Calculate the return by multi-
plying the average percentage of perfor- Very simply put, if you’re unable to prove
mance increase by the average attendee’s beyond a reasonable doubt that your
salary. Why salary? As the ESI report ex- training efforts generate more value than
plains, your company gets more value from they cost, then sooner or later you’re going
you than it pays you—that’s how it earns a to lose funding for your training program. Of
profit. So we can conclude that if a worker’s course, because safety training is required
productivity increases by, say, 6%, then the by the OHS laws, management can’t cut it
company would benefit by more than 6% of completely. But they can force you to make
his salary. Thus, using salary as a basis for do with as few resources as possible. So as
calculating ROI is actually conservative. a safety professional, it may be up to you to
Here’s the math using numbers from the not only ensure that the company provides
case study in the report to make it more adequate safety training for workers, but
concrete: also justify the training program in financial
terms.
Return = $80,000 (average salary) x 5.82%
(performance increase) = $4,656

Investment = $1,600 (cost of training)

ROI = ($4,656 – $1,600) / $1,600 = 191%

Monetary benefit per worker. This number

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