Considerations for Contingent Worker Safety Training
All over Wisconsin, responsible and conscientious employers dedicate significant resources and attention to ensuring that they provide their employees with a safe, productive work environment. They supply the training necessary to ensure that employees are able to perform their duties safely and efficiently. These employers
have thoughtfully designed and executed training programs to identify and minimize hazards while performing the required functions of the job. They ensure that each employee is provided with the essential personal protective equipment for the work environment and the duties they perform.
What many employers fail to consider is how to maintain these same high standards when adding temporary or contingent workers to their existing teams. Given that contingent workers are often brought in with relatively short notice to address immediate production or staffing needs, how can host employers ensure that they are providing a similar focus on ensuring employee safety?
Following are some best practices for host employers to follow when starting new contingent employees:
- Thoughtfully review what information and training are the highest initial priorities. Cover general facility safety rules & requirements as well as mandated personal protective equipment for the worksite. Then focus on providing the training necessary for the tasks specifically within the initial scope of the assignment at hand.
- Ensure that adequate training staff is available relative to the number of contingent workers. The larger the group of new contingent workers, the more trainers will be necessary to provide instruction and guidance. Further, investing in additional training staff initially will improve the learning curve and decrease the amount of time needed for new staff to be productive.
- Introduce additional training topics over time. Do not overload with too much abstract information immediately. Shorter training sessions coupled with hands-on learning will help new employees acclimate and enhance retention. Expand the training as new workers gain proficiency and take on new duties.
- Provide ongoing reinforcement of safe work practices and reminders for operational procedures at regular intervals.
These processes can ensure that the host employer is still providing superior safety and job-related training while mitigating some of the potential delay in productivity. Further, by providing adequate training staff and continuing to introduce new topics, contingent workers can stay engaged and develop new skills and safety awareness prior to being deployed into additional roles and responsibilities.
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