E-Learning Expert Urges EHS Managers to Take Risks

Nov. 11, 2004
You must move aggressively and be a major risk taker at your organization, lead the charge, Dr. Brandon Hall, noted expert on e-learning, counseled 300 people attending the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety Training Symposium & Expo.

"E-learning is anytime, any place and better, faster and cheaper," he added.

As occupational environmental health and safety professionals continue to identify ways to increase workplace safety, they have found that much of their success lies in training. Utilizing e-learning is one way they have found to further improve safety performance, increase outreach to employees, better engage the learner, customize the training, be interactive, save time and reduce costs.

"What we have today are educational on-line learning programs that are very interactive, visual, and provide real-time, hands-on training," Hall said. "Most effective e-learning programs allow people to experience real-life occurrences through visuals, viewing equipment and examples of what works and what doesn't."

Training is emerging as a competitive advantage for organizations, and the need is great to reduce costs, while serving larger audiences, in more locations and on more topics.

In addition to innovative e-learning programs, seminar attendees were offered information on how to perform a needs assessment to determine the safety training objectives for an organization's workforce; determine when training is the most appropriate solution for the reduction of loss from workplace injury and health exposures; build management support for training by communicating need, return on investment for training; recognize how to train the adult learner; and provide training to a multi-lingual, multi-cultural workforce.

"For children," Hall said, "E-learning is commonplace, and I think now it is becoming the same way in the workplace, especially in the area of workplace safety. For instance a friend of mine just started a job at a medical clinic as an administrative assistant. On the first day of the job, she took an e-learning course on bloodborne pathogens. This shows how widespread E-learning is and the need for it."

Hall noted that for a program to work, one must focus on crucial topics, train only when necessary, allow the users to ask questions of the program and have the answers there on the program. "They will be more apt to ask the questions, interact with the program and embrace the information" if the program contains those elements, he said.

Hall noted many companies have learning management systems whereby employers can offer employees an online catalogue and schedule of courses, measure competencies and skills improvement and much more. However, for any E-learning program to be successful, Hall said, people need to learn and get buy in.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

Sponsored Recommendations

Avetta Named a Leader in The Verdantix Green Quadrant: Supply Chain Sustainability Software 2024

Nov. 26, 2024
Avetta was named a leader by Verdantix in a 2024 sustainability software report for our ability to help clients and suppliers build sustainable supply chains.

Avetta is a Leader in Supply Chain Sustainability Software

Nov. 26, 2024
Verdantix has named Avetta a leader in its 2024 Green Quadrant for Supply Chain Sustainability Software. Download the report for independent insights into market trends and top...

The Power of Benchmarking in Procurement: Driving Success and Strategic Planning

Nov. 26, 2024
Explore the strategic impact of benchmarking in procurement to drive success and plan effectively.

Additional Resources About ESG in the Supply Chain

Nov. 26, 2024
Discover over 20 valuable resources related to ESG in the supply chain, including research reports, global standards, and recommendations for managing ESG risks.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!