Workplace safety training is an essential part of running any business, especially those that operate in high-risk industries. Employers understand that keeping their workers safe not only protects their employees' well-being but also saves significant costs in medical expenses, workers' compensation claims, and lost productivity.
However, many companies struggle to maintain consistency in their safety training programs due to a variety of challenges, including time constraints, lack of resources, and competing business priorities.
In this blog, we’ll delve into why consistency is vital for effective safety training, discuss the psychological science behind learning retention, and explore how insurance agents can provide significant value to their clients by supporting and assisting with consistent safety training.
Why Companies Struggle with Consistent Safety Training
Most companies know safety training is critical, but executing a regular and ongoing program is easier said than done. Many businesses, especially smaller ones, face a constant struggle with time and resource limitations, which makes it difficult to keep up with training schedules. With day-to-day operations taking priority, safety training may end up pushed aside or done on an "as-needed" basis, such as after an incident or during onboarding.
This inconsistent approach can leave employees vulnerable to workplace hazards. Without regular training, workers may forget important safety protocols or become complacent, increasing the risk of accidents. While some companies may conduct annual safety reviews or compliance-based training, the infrequent nature of these programs often diminishes their effectiveness.
The Science of Adult Learning
To grasp why consistency matters, it’s helpful to understand the way adults learn and retain information. One of the most well-known concepts that illustrates this is the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, a model created by 19th-century psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. The forgetting curve shows that people forget new information rapidly if they don’t reinforce it through repetition. In fact, without reinforcement, most individuals forget 50% of what they learned within just a few days, and up to 90% within a month.
If employees are exposed to safety procedures or protocols only once a year, or sporadically after incidents, the majority of the information will be forgotten by the time it’s needed. Conversely, regular reinforcement—through consistent training sessions, briefings, or reminders—can help retain the information, allowing employees to keep safety at the top of their minds.
How Adults Learn Best:
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- Repetition: Adults need repetition for the material to be encoded into their long-term memory. This is particularly important in safety training, where procedures must be second nature.
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- Application: Adults learn best when they can immediately apply what they’ve learned. This means that consistent and frequent training should focus on real-world scenarios and job-specific applications.
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- Active Learning: Engaging workers with hands-on experiences or practical demonstrations is far more effective than passive learning, such as watching videos or reading materials. Adults tend to remember what they do, rather than what they are told.
Given these learning dynamics, a steady cadence of safety training is essential for reducing accidents and ensuring that employees are both competent and confident in managing workplace risks.
How Insurance Agents Can Help
Workers' compensation insurance agents are uniquely positioned to offer support and guidance on workplace safety, beyond just providing coverage. By actively engaging with clients on safety-related topics, agents can deliver enormous value, help reduce claims, and solidify long-term relationships with clients.
Here are several ways insurance agents can assist clients and prospects with consistent safety training.
1. Provide Access to Safety Training Resources
One of the biggest barriers to training consistency is the need to constantly source new training material and content. Agents who provide training content and resources become immensely valuable to a client or prospect.
Safety training is most effective when it’s relevant to the specific risks a business faces. Insurance agents can work with clients to identify the unique hazards in their industry and ensure that training focuses on preventing those specific risks. For example, a manufacturing client may need training on machinery safety, while a healthcare client may need training on handling hazardous substances.
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2. Conduct Regular Safety Reviews
Agents should regularly check in with clients to review their safety training schedules and risk management practices. This can be part of a broader stewardship or pre-renewal meeting, where agents assess the client’s workers' comp performance and suggest additional safety measures. By taking the lead in these discussions, agents can position themselves as strategic partners who are invested in their client’s success beyond just offering a policy.
3. Organize or Host Training Sessions
To make safety training more accessible, insurance agents can organize or sponsor group training sessions or webinars for their clients. Whether it’s an OSHA update session, a workshop on accident prevention, or a seminar on ergonomics, offering these events not only helps businesses stay compliant but also strengthens the relationship between the agent and the client.
By bringing clients together in these settings, agents can foster a sense of community and shared learning, while also positioning themselves as thought leaders in safety and risk management.
4. Reinforce the ROI of Safety Training
Many business owners still see safety training as a cost, rather than an investment. Insurance agents can help shift this mindset by providing hard numbers that show the ROI of consistent training. For example, companies can expect a return of $2 to $6 for every dollar spent on safety training, thanks to reduced workers' comp costs, lower injury rates, and increased productivity.
Send clients this infographic today to make the case for safety: The ROI of Workplace Safety.
Consistency Is the Key to Safe Workplaces
Workplace safety training is only as effective as the consistency with which it’s delivered. With the science of learning showing how quickly information is forgotten without reinforcement, businesses need to prioritize regular safety training if they want to prevent accidents and reduce workers' comp claims.
Insurance agents are in a prime position to help clients achieve this consistency. By providing access to resources, organizing training events, and reinforcing the value of a strong safety culture, agents can offer immense value that goes beyond the transactional nature of policy renewals. In doing so, they not only help clients save money on claims but also create safer work environments that benefit everyone.
Ultimately, the commitment to consistent safety training is a win for both clients and insurance agents, leading to healthier workplaces, lower premiums, and stronger business relationships.
