It has recently become more apparent that new employee training and ongoing safety training is imperative for all employees despite the job description or division of their employment.

Scenario- After about two months of employment, a female employee hired into the customer service division received a call from a customer in his new home. The new employee decided to take her own defective stepladder to the client’s home. Without any stepladder training, she climbed up her own defective stepladder, fell off the ladder, was injured, and proceeded to file a workers compensation claim. The claim resulted in the following OSHA citation:

Citation 1 Item 1 Type of violation: GENERAL

Employer did not implement and maintain an effective Injury Illness Prevention Program by failing to provide training and instruction to all new employees.

Company failed to implement and maintain its IIPP by not providing specific training and instruction to new employees about the hazards associated with his work as a customer service representative including the use of ladders.

3203. Injury Illness Prevention Program
a) Effective July 1, 1991, every employer shall establish, implement and maintain an effective Injury Illness Prevention Program (Program), the Program shall be in writing, and, shall, at a minimum
7) Provide training and instruction
b) To all new employees.

Dilemma- How do we ensure that each new employee receives safety training on every hazardous exposure in every division of employment (even though his/her job description may not propose that he/she will be exposed to a certain hazard)?
Customer Service employees may or may not be permitted and or expected to climb stepladders, as the case may be. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances have often led, as in this case, to injury resulting in an OSHA citation. It is clear from this scenario alone that safety training must extend to all employees despite logical expectations as to the types of hazardous conditions each employee may face.

Solution- Courage Safety Systems has created three new systems by which safety training can be delivered. These new products will not only allow for flexibility and convenience for the client, but also record and provide to the client, documentation as to date, name of employee and safety subject completed.

Courage Safety Systems has developed "Paycheck Tailgate Talks", "Courage-Online" safety training and "Tailgate Trips" CD-Roms as means to providing supplemental and assured safety training for all employees.