If you want to know how to create more effective training materials, you need to know how to chunk training materials. And YES, chunking is the accepted term in the field, even if it does sound a bit strange. Chunking is the process of breaking down instructional materials into smaller, "bite-sized" pieces and then arranging them in a sequence that makes it easier for your learners to learn the material. In this post, we’ll: Explain the four steps necessary for a person to remember something Explain why limits of the working memory cause us to use chunking Explain what chunking is Give tips for chunk length for novice and expert learners Give tips for organizing the chunks in your training materials Provide some sources and useful resources for chunking But, before we do all that, we’re going to take a step back and explain why you should care about this. Need some help with your training program? Check out the learning management systems (LMSs) and e-learning courses from Convergence Training, or contact us for a demo. Creating Training Based On How People Learn So why should you care about chunking? Because when you’re creating training materials, your goal should be to create training materials based on an informed understanding of how people learn. And as you’ll see below, presenting materials in chunks takes advantage of some unique aspects of how people learn. How People Learn: Four Steps of the Human Information Processing System We’re going to keep this explanation short (you can read a longer version here), but learning involves taking sensory input from the outside world and moving it through three different structures of our memory system. Let’s look at the whole process. Sensory Input from the Outside World: This is everything going on around you while training is occurring. It includes the actual training materials but lots of other things too-the room temperature, the chirping birds outside the window, etc. Sensory Memory: Information from the outside world floods your sensory memory, but it lasts for only a brief period of time and most doesn’t gain your conscious attention. Working Memory: A fraction of the information from your sensory memory advances to your working memory. This is information that you are aware of and that your brain is actively "working on." The hitch is that your working memory can work on only a small number of things at one time (around four) and it can hold information for only a short period of time (about ten seconds). Long-Term Memory: Some, but not all, of the information from your working memory will then be transferred to your long-term memory. This process is called encoding. It seems that the long-term memory is essentially limitless-there are no limits to the number of things it can store or how long it can store them. Information in the long-term memory is "packed away" in structures called schemas. Once information is in the long-term information, it can later be retrieved when needed. At that point, it returns from the long-term memory to the working memory. Working Memory-The Bottleneck In Our Memory System So working memory is the "bottleneck" in our learning process. It can’t hold a lot of information, and it can only hold that information for a short period of time. It’s easy to overwhelm the working memory-give it too much information, and the working memory simply loses some of it. It’s just gone. And if you overwhelm the working memory, that information has no chance to make it into the long-term memory and later be retrieved and used. And that, my friend, is where chunking comes in. We chunk training material because we know how the human brain processes information during training and we don’t want to overload the working memory. Chunking is intended to avoid overwhelming the working memory. It also plays a role in helping to encode the schemas in the long-term memory. The Two Components of Chunking Training Materials A simple definition of chunking is that it’s taking information and breaking it down into small little pieces. But it’s also important to remember that you’ll then arrange those little chunks into some organized training sequence for your learner. So, you can think of chunking as a two-stage process in which the person designing training materials: Breaks the information down into small little bits that can be processed by the working memory Organizes those bits in some form of logical manner that make it easier for the trainee to process and encode the information into long-term memory With that in mind, let’s go over some tips about the size of your chunks and the order you present them in. Chunking for Novices and for Experts on a Topic: The Length of the Chunk As you probably know, before you design and create training, you should learn some things about the specific learners the training is intended for. That will let you design training that’s better suited for their learning needs. And one of the most important things you can learn is their existing knowledge in the topic. In particular, it’s important to know if they’re novices on that topic or if they’re well-informed experts on the topic. Why is that so critical? You might think it’s because experts in a topic can handle more chunks of information about that topic than novices can. But that’s not it. Novices and experts have the same working-memory limits-about four chunks. But what IS different, and what SHOULD influence the design of your training, is the size of those chunks. Novices can work with four small chunks. Experts, on the other hand, can work with four larger chunks. Why is that? Why can experts work with larger chunks? It’s because they have existing schemas in their long-term memory that they can use to "absorb" and make sense of the new information. Those schemas "support" the learning process for the expert in the topic. And, as a training developer, part of your job is to provide what’s called "scaffolding" for novice learners who don’t have that built-in support from existing knowledge stored in the long-term memory. How to Chunk Training Materials 1. Start with the "big picture" and work your way down. There’s a good chance the learning materials you’re creating include more than one activity (or course, or whatever you happen to call it). If so, begin by breaking the entire curriculum into smaller parts. For example, your curriculum might include modules, your modules might include lessons, your lessons might include activities, your activities might include topics, and your topics might include screens (in an e-learning context). The important thing isn’t the terms you use for curriculum/module/lesson/activity/screen. What’s important is that they’re broken down and organized in a logical manner. In some cases, the organizational scheme will be linear because you’re creating a linear learning experience for your learner. In other cases, when you’re creating training that’s non-linear, you may organize in a different way-by concept, for example. 2. Remember to revise your organizational scheme. You may not get this breakdown perfectly the first time. Return and revise it as you learn more. This isn’t a failure, it’s a success of the process. 3. Get rid of the unnecessary stuff. In learning, more is less. While you’re still in the design phase, keep an eye out for materials that are unnecessary. And then cut them. It may be difficult to do, but it will create more effective training materials for your learners. Is it unrelated? Is it a "nice to know" or an "interesting fact?" If so, nix it. 4. Analyze your screens (or pages, slides, etc.) Ultimately, you’ll begin designing training for one "moment"-in the context of e-learning, you’ll be designing your screen. Try to introduce only one idea per screen, and keep it short. Remember what we said earlier about the limits of working memory, and check to make sure you’re not piling on too much. 5. Step back and look at the groups of chunks you’ve created. Are they arranged in a logical order? Are you presenting too many chunks before learners get a chance to practice or take a break? Remember, you’ve only got about four chunks to work with. Additional Thoughts: Consolidate Fragments Into Chunks While developing training, you may discover you’ve got to include some fragments that aren’t truly "chunk-sized." If that’s the case, try to find a way to group them into a chunk so they can be memorized in that way instead of individually. You’ll have to get creative here-maybe you can create a mnemonic device. I know I still lean heavily on ROY G. BIV when I need to remember the colors of the visible spectrum. Organizing The Chunks Of Your Training Materials There are several ways you can organize your chunks. Each can be a good choice depending on the training materials. Here are a few: 1. Inherent structure There may be some logical order that comes somewhat "built-in" with the topic. For example, if the training is about the spread of a terrible disease throughout the globe, the training may be structured by geographic region, such as by continent. Or, you might present training about the history of jazz in chronological order, from its New Orleans roots to big band swing, be-bop, free and "out" jazz, and contemporary jazz. I put inherent structure at the top of this list because one could argue that several of the following items are subsets of inherent structure. 2. Job performance order/sequence If you’re training someone to perform a job task, it may make sense to order the training in the same order as the learner will perform the task at work. A lot of training for job procedures fits the bill here, as does process training (for example, how a complex machine works). 3. Dependent learning In many cases, learning will be a step-by-step process in which you learn a prerequisite then learn material that depends on knowing the prerequisite. Want to teach someone to troubleshoot a complex system? It’s probably best to begin with training that explains how the system works. 4. Cause and effect Training for troubleshooting or problem-solving could be organized into a basic cause-effect pattern. You could also imagine customer service training set up on a cause-effect basis, perhaps also organized into "bad effects" and "good effects." 5. Whole to parts Start with a big-picture/birds-eye view, then "drill down" into the smaller parts. I do this a lot when I work with new customers who are implementing one of the Convergence Training learning management systems. First I give an overview of the system, then we learn how they’ll use the various parts to enter their workers, import and create training materials, make assignments, and so on. 6. Spiral This can be useful during lengthy trainings-it’s probably better for a "curriculum" than a single "activity." The idea is early in the training, you introduce a concept. Then, as the training progresses from module to module, you continue returning to that concept, learning about it in deeper, richer, more intricate ways. 7. Simple to complex If there’s no real dependent learning order (see #3, above), you may choose to present simple materials before you present harder materials. I did this when explaining how football works to my fiancee (who was born and raised in Singapore and knows nothing of American football). We talked about offense, defense, and scoring before we got into the complexities of zone defense. (Note: she still has no interest in American football.) 8. Familiar to unknown Learning theory tells us that learners relate new information to existing information, and one of Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction is to activate prior knowledge. So it makes sense to ground things by talking about the "knowns" before venturing off into the "unknowns." 9. Categorical This can be useful if there’s no real inherent structure of your training materials. For example, the Convergence Training Knowledge Base, where our existing customers can go to learn more about our learning management systems, is organized in a "flat" list of categories-Personnel, Training Materials, Assignments, Crediting Training, Reports, and so on. 10. Alphabetical This is commonly used in glossaries, software helpful files, and similar contexts. It’s easy for your learners to quickly understand this organizational scheme and begin selecting the information they need. 11. Order of importance Depending on your content, putting materials with the most important stuff first, the most important stuff last, or the most important stuff first AND last may suite your needs. This is especially useful if the training topic has no inherent structure. There are other ways to do this, too. For example, at Connie Malamed’s blog post on this topic, one of her readers recommended "spatial" and gave an example of anatomy training. Feel free to list your ideas in the comments section below. Sources, Acknowledgements, Helpful Resources We consulted the following resources-plus learned from others in the more distant past-while researching this article. Thanks and credit to them all. How People Learn I’ve read about this many places, but I especially like the way it’s covered in the first parts of Connie Malamed’s book Visual Language for Designers. Design for How People Learn Again, I’ve read about this in many sources, but a favorite is Julie Dirksen’s book Design for How People Learn. Connie Malamed’s blog article 10 Relevant Facts About the Brain gives 10 quick tips on these lines too-with a bit of a focus on how the brain works. Chunking  The original theory of "chunking’ and the limited capacity of the working memory was created by George Miller in an article titled The Magic Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. Note that seven has since been reduced to about four. The following blogs have good thoughts on chunking and ordering chunks: Connie Malamed, Chunking Information for Instructional Design Connie Malamed, 10 Ways to Organize Instructional Content Don Clark’s Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtapositions website has a good article on Sequencing and Learning Modules in Instructional Design Dr. Joel Gardner’s Reflections on Learning Success blog has a nice article on Tips for "Chunking" Instructional Materials (I especially like the stuff about fomatting written text here and will get back to that at some point) I picked up the bit about different chunk sizes for novice and expert learners within a given topic from Dr. Ruth Clark’s book Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement (check out the stuff about the chess players on pages 71-75)     The post How to Chunk Training Materials appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

In the past, we’ve published 10 different blog posts, with each post including a fully interactive, web-based OSHA glossary of terms including the terms and definitions included in an OSHA standard. Those were so popular, we figured we’d put all 10 together into one post for you. Just scroll down and let your eyes travel over all ten. Nice, huh? What OSHA glossary of terms (and standards) are included? From top to bottom, we’ve got the following for your viewing pleasure: Fall Prevention and Protection, 1926.501 Hazard Communication 2012 /GHS, 1910-1200 Scaffolds, 1926.451 Respiratory Protection, 1910.134 Ladders, 1926.1053 Machine Guarding Glossary, 1910.212 Powered Industrial Trucks, 1910.178 Electrical—Wiring Methods, 1910.305 Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy), 1910.147 Electrical-General Requirements, 1910.303 Why did we pick these 10 standards? Because they’re on OSHA’s Top Ten Most Cited Violations list. Need any help with your safety training program at work? Convergence Training makes a line of learning management systems (LMSs), e-learning safety courses, and more. Check ‘em out or contact us for a demo. OK, here are those OSHA glossary of terms:  Fall Prevention and Protection OSHA Glossary of Terms (1926.501) Hazard Communication 2012/GHS Glossary of Terms (1910-1200) Scaffolds Glossary of Terms (1926.451) Respiratory Protection Glossary of Terms (1910.134) Ladders Glossary of Terms (1926.1053) Machine Guarding Glossary of Terms (1910.212) Powered Industrial Trucks Glossary of Terms (1910.178) Electrical—Wiring Methods Glossary of Terms (1910.305) Lockout/Tagout Glossary of Terms (Control of Hazardous Energy 1910.147) Electrical-General Requirements Glossary of Terms (1910.303) The post OSHA Glossary of Terms: 10 Interactive OSHA Glossaries appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

Not that long ago, I read an extended discussion in a LinkedIn group titled "What is a JHA?" The discussion included safety experts from all over the world and lots of interesting thoughts. What it didn’t include was a common understanding of what a JHA is. So, leaning on some materials from our friends at OSHA as our primary source, we thought we’d introduce the concept here and provide an explanation that is acceptable and based on OSHA’s definitions and requirements. Did you know that Convergence Training has a full-length JHA e-learning course? Check it out along with the other titles in our safety training e-learning library and our learning management systems for assigning, tracking, and storing records of completed training. Or contact us for a demo. What is a JHA (Job Hazard Analysis)? According to OSHA’s definition, a JHA is "a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur." So, the basic idea is that you: break a job down into the various tasks it involves identify hazards associated with each task According to OSHA again, the JHA "focuses on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment." Note: In the Comments section below, blog reader "Paul" notes that OSHA could have written their description of the JHA a little more smoothly, and we agree. The goal of the JHA isn’t to identify hazards before they occur-it’s to identify (and correct) hazards before they do harm. We’re sure that’s what OSHA meant above. Well Then, What’s a Hazard? A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm. Typically, this means something that can cause an injury or illness. OSHA’s JHA document has an excellent appendix that lists various categories of hazards. We’ve duplicated that information for you below. Hazards Hazard Descriptions Chemical (toxic) A chemical that exposes a person by absorption through the skin, inhalation, or through the bloodstream that causes illness, disease, or death. The amount of chemical exposure is critical in determining hazardous effects. Check Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and/or OSHA 1910.1000 for chemical hazard information. Chemical (flammable) A chemical that, when exposed to a heat ignition source, results in combustion. Typically, the lower a chemical’s flash point and boiling point, the more flammable the chemical.Check SDS for flammability information. Chemical (corrosive) A chemical that, when it comes into contact with skin, metal, or other materials, damages the materials. Acids and bases are examples of corrosives. Explosion(chemical reaction) Explosions caused by chemical reactions. Explosion (over pressurization) Sudden and violent release of a large amount of gas/energy due to a significant pressure difference, such as rupture in a boiler or compressed gas cylinder. Electrical (shock/short circuit) Contact with exposed conductors or a device that is incorrectly or inadvertently grounded, such as when a metal ladder comes into contact with power lines.60Hz alternating current (common house current) is very dangerous because it can stop the heart. Electrical (fire) Use of electrical power that results in electrical overheating or arcing to the point of combustion or ignition of flammables, or electrical component damage. Electrical [static/electrostatic discharge (ESD)] The moving or rubbing of wool, nylon, other synthetic fibers, and even flowing liquids can generate static electricity. This creates an excess or deficiency of electrons on the surface of material that discharges (spark) to the ground resulting in the ignition of flammables or damage to electronics or the body’s nervous system. Electrical (loss of power) Safety-critical equipment failure as a result of loss of power. Ergonomics (strain) Damage of tissue due to overexertion (strains and sprains) or repetitive motion. Ergonomics (human error) A system design, procedure, or equipment that is tends to lead to human error.(For example, a switch that goes up to turn something off instead of down). Excavation (collapse) Soil collapse in a trench or excavation as a result of improper or inadequate shoring. Soil type is critical in determining the hazard likelihood. Fall (slips and trips) Conditions that result in falls (impacts) from height or traditional walking surfaces (such as slippery floors, poor housekeeping, uneven walking surfaces, exposed ledges, etc.) Fire/heat Temperatures that can cause burns to the skin or damage to other organs.Fires require a heat source, fuel, and oxygen. Mechanical/vibration (chaffing/fatigue) Vibration that can cause damage to nerve endings, or material fatigue that results in a safety-critical failure. (Examples are abraded slings and ropes, weakened hoses and belts.) Mechanical failure Self explanatory; typically occurs when devices exceed designed capacity or are inadequately maintained. Mechanical Skin, muscle, or body part exposed to crushing, caught-between, cutting, tearing, shearing items or equipment. Noise Noise levels (>85 dBA 8 hr TWA) that result in hearing damage or inability to communicate safety-critical information. Radiation (ionizing) Alpha, Beta, Gamma, neutral particles, and X-rays that cause injury (tissue damage) by ionization of cellular components. Radiation (non-ionizing) Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, and microwaves that cause injury to tissue by thermal or photochemical means. Struck-by (mass acceleration) Accelerated mass that strikes the body causing injury or death. (Examples are falling objects and projectiles.) Struck against Injury to a body part as a result of coming into contact of a surface in which action was initiated by the person. (An example is when a screwdriver slips.) Extreme temperatures (heat/cold) Temperatures that result in heat stress, exhaustion, or metabolic slow down such as hypothermia. Visibility Lack of lighting or obstructed vision that results in an error or other hazard. Weather conditions (snow/rain/wind/ice) Self-explanatory. What are the Benefits of Performing a JHA? Performing JHAs at the workplace should lead to: Safer work procedures Fewer injuries and illnesses Lower injury- and illness-related expenses Increased worker productivity An increased awareness of how to train employees to perform their jobs safely For Which Jobs Should I Perform a JHA? It’s a good idea to perform a JHA for any job. However, it’s also a good idea to prioritize some jobs ahead of others. Considering performing JHAs first for jobs that: Have a high injury and illness rate-at your location or in the industry in general Have the potential to cause severe injuries and illnesses, even if that’s never happened at your location so far Could lead to a severe injury or illness if only one human error occurred Are  new to your location Have recently changed Are complex  How Can I Get Started With a JHA? Do the following to set things in motion before you begin the formal JHA process: Make sure your employees are involved. Pretty much everything related to safety works best when management and employees are both involved. That’s true of the JHA process as well. Remember, it’s their job, and they probably know it better than you do. This will also help you get their buy-in for this process and for safety in general. Plus, two (or more) sets of eyes are always better than one. Review your history of injuries, illnesses, near misses, and machine/tool damage. Go over your written records of injuries, illnesses, near-misses, and damage that have required machine/tool replacement or repair. Then, get feedback from your employees, asking if there are things that have occurred but are not in the records (for whatever reason-make it clear you’re trying to make work conditions safer, not punish anyone because something hasn’t been reported). Ask your employees which hazards exist in their work area. Ask your employees if they’re aware of hazards in their work area. Write them down, you can use this list later when you’re performing the JHA. Note: If a serious hazard comes to light at this point, stop what’s you’re doing and correct the problem before you continue with the JHA process.  Create a list that prioritizes the jobs for which you’ll perform a JHA. As we said earlier, it’s great if you do a JHA for every job, but you should do JHAs for the jobs with the highest risks first. Take the information you’ve already gathered and prioritize the order in which you’ll perform the JHAs. With these steps down, you’re now ready to complete the formal JHA process, described below. Steps of the JHA Process Once you’ve completed the introductory steps above, it’s time to begin the formal JHA process for a given job. Here’s how: Step 1: Begin the JHA for a specific job by breaking the job down into the steps or tasks performed while doing the job. Here are some ways to do this: Watch an employee performing the job. Ask the employee what the various steps are-the employee may have some good insight here, but remember that the employee may leave out some steps because they’re "automatic" to him or her. Ask employees who have performed the job in the to list or review the steps. Film the employee while the employee performs the jobs-this will help you identify the steps. You can write these steps down anyway you want. It’s common to create a JHA form that represents each task of a given job, plus a description of the task, the hazards, and potential hazard controls. There’s a sample form for this in OSHA’s JHA document. Step 2: Identify and list the hazards associated with each task (do one task first, then another, etc.) Consider every possible thing that could go wrong. How could the worker be injured or be made ill? How could machines or equipment be damaged? Ask yourself the following questions: What could go wrong? What could cause that thing/those things to go wrong? What other factors could contribute to that thing/those things going wrong? What would happen if that thing/those things did go wrong? How likely is it that that thing/those things will go wrong? Reviewing the table of hazards listed above in this article may be very helpful when you’re trying to identify hazards. Step 3: Write a hazard description (also called a hazard scenario). Write a description of the hazard in a consistent, orderly manner that will help ensure you will later put in steps to control the hazard and create the best possible controls. A good hazard description should include the following items. Environment: where does this hazard exist? Exposure: who or what might be injured or made ill by this hazard? Trigger: what event might cause the hazard to lead to an injury or illness? Contributing factors: are there other factors that might contribute to cause the hazard to lead to an injury or illness? Outcome/consequence: what would be the result if the hazard were to occur? Here’s a one-screen sample from Convergence Training’s e-learning course on the JHA that explains the hazard description and gives an example. Step 4: Come up with a plan for controlling each hazard associated with each task. Once you’ve written the hazard descriptions, now it’s time to brainstorm some hazard controls so the hazard never really does lead to an injury or illness. And remember what we said earlier-if you’ve identified a severe hazard, and/or one with a great chance of causing illness or injury, address it immediately. When you’re considering a list of controls, think of the following (and in this order): Elimination and/or substitution: If you can remove the hazard entirely, or put some form of substitute in place, do that. That’s the best way to deal with a hazard-make it go away. An example would be removing a sharp edge on the corner of a machine so nobody could get cut. Engineering controls: Engineering controls involve re-designing the work area so that the hazard is eliminated or reduced. An example would be enclosing a noisy motor inside a sound-proof box. Administrative controls: Administrative controls involve modifying the way people work around a hazard to reduce the risk. An example might be limiting the number of hours someone works lifting heavy boxes from the end of a conveyor belt. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE can be used to protect people who are working in the presence of hazards. An example would be giving a respirator to someone working near airborne crystalline silica. PPE should only be used as a last resort, once the other forms of controls listed above have been tried. PPE may be used in combination with the other forms of controls, too. Need more help on controls? Here’s a nice OSHA page on hazard controls and here’s an OSHA website on the Hierarchy of Controls. Watch our blog, too, we’ll be posting an article on the Hierarchy of Controls soon. When Should You Control Your Hazards? Once you’ve completed the JHA, start controlling them hazards, cowboy. Do You Have to Review and Revise Your JHAs? Yes. When Should You Review and Revise Your JHAs Review your JHAs and, if necessary, revise them: On a routine, periodic basis-maybe every year When an injury or illness occurs at a a specific job When there’s a close call or near-miss When the job changes When an employee suggests considering it Is a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) the Same Thing as a Job Safety Analysis (JSA)? This was the biggest issue of contention in that LinkedIn discussion I mentioned earlier. Some said that the JHA and the JSA were different terms for the same thing. I was in this camp. Others said the JHA and the JSA were different things. But these people didn’t necessarily agree how the JHA and the JSA were different. Some basically believed that the JHA was the process of identifying hazards and the JSA was the process of controlling hazards once they were identified. Others had other various explanations. If I had to make a decision based purely on the way that OSHA defines the JHA in their document, I’d have to say that I (and those who agreed with me that the JHA and the JSA are the same thing) were wrong. And I’d now say that those who said the JHA was the process of identifying hazards and the JSA was the process of controlling hazards were right. Although, even if I was technically wrong, if you backed me into a corner, I’d say I was right in spirit. Because while OSHA says the JHA is "a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur," they also go on to say "Supervisors can use the findings of a job hazard analysis to eliminate and prevent hazards in their workplaces" and "Ideally, after you identify uncontrolled hazards, you will take steps to eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable risk level." So I’d argue that the JHA concept includes at least an implicit assumption that you’ll work to control hazards after you recognize them. And, although I’m not a lawyer, if I played one on TV, I’d suggest that identifying a hazard and not controlling it may well put you in some legal hot water, not to mention the harm it could lead to. Additional JHA Resources After reading this article on LinkedIn, Samuella Sigmann, a lecturer and chemical hygiene officer at Appalachian State University (go Mountaineers!) told me about this document created by the American Chemical Society: Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories. Although it’s specific to research labs, it’s got a lot of stuff of general interest as well. Thanks to Samuella for the tip. The post What Is a JHA (the Job Hazard Analysis)? appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

In a recent post, we introduced ANSI Z490.1 and gave a quick overview of it and its seven sections. ANSI Z490.1 is important because it’s the national standard that lists criteria for accepted practices in safety, health, and environmental training. So if EHS training is part of your job responsibilities, it is definitely worth your time to get to know ANSI Z490.1. So we’ve decided to write a series of blog posts that provide more detailed overviews of the various sections of ANSI Z490.1. In this post, we’ll give you an overview of what’s covered in Sections 1, 2, and 3. These are smaller sections so we’re going to handle them in one post. Sections 4-7 will each get their own individual post. And then once we’re done, we’ll create a single blog post that compiles everything we’ve written. And if we get especially productive, we’ll create a downloadable ANSI Z490.1 Compliance Guide for you at that point too. But for now, let’s turn our attention to Sections 1, 2, and 3. Need help with your safety training program at work? We’ve got e-learning safety courses and learning managements systems (LMSs) for various industries, company sizes, and needs. Contact us to learn how we can help you. ANSI Z490.1 Section 1: Scope, Purpose, and Application Section one covers the basics. The scope of the standard is to create criteria for EHS training. This means you can evaluate the EHS training program at your workplace and then see if you measure up. It also means you can use ANSI Z490.1 as a model or template to create your EHS training program or improve your current situation. And by scope, they make it clear that they’re talking about the following aspects of your EHS training program: Development (which will be covered extensively in Section 4 of the standard) Delivery (covered in Section 5) Evaluation (covered in Section 6) Program management (covered in Section 7) Now’s a good time to look inward and give yourself a gut-check. How well do you handle the development, delivery, evaluation, and management of your EHS training program? Are you confident that you’re on top of things? If so, great. Give yourself an ANSI Z490.1 Gold Star. But if you’re not sure that you’re on top of all these aspects—or if you’ve never even thought about EHS training in this way—then it will definitely pay to dig deeper into this standard and learn what’s what. The purpose of the standard is to establish best practices and criteria for EHS training. The standard was written to provide people involved in EHS training a common set of criteria and best practices that they can use as a benchmark to evaluate their own training. It’s a good goal, right? Nobody likes being told or expected to do something "well" when there’s no firm definition of what "well" means. ANSI Z490.1 removes a lot of the mystery about effective EHS training by spelling things out for you. And it even gives you a process to follow. Nice! The standard applies to all providers of EHS training. Just involved in safety training? It applies to you. Just involved in health training? It applies to you. Just involved in environmental training? It applies to you. Involved in safety, health, and environmental training? You guessed it, it applies to you. Just involved in training development but not training delivery, evaluation or management? It applies to you. Just involved in delivery, evaluation, or management, but not the other parts? Again, and as you probably guessed, it applies to you. ANSI Z490.1 Section 2: Definitions The standard includes definitions of terms used within the standard. I like it when standards do this. If you’re reading along and come to some important word and wonder what exactly that means, you can refer back to the definitions section. That said, we’re not going to copy those definitions for you here. Buy a copy of the standard and check ‘em out. ANSI Z490.1 Section 3: Training Program Administration and Management Section 3 focuses on issues related to administration and management of your EHS training program. Integrating You EHS Training Program within Your EHS Program The section begins by explaining that the EHS training program must be part of an overall EHS program, and that the integration of the EHS training program should include: A clear understanding of who’s responsible/accountable for each aspects of the EHS training program (design, development, delivery, evaluation, and management) Adequate resources for trainers and trainees Competent professionals who use appropriate methods and techniques to design and deliver training and to lead trainings Selection of appropriate training delivery strategies that match the learning objectives of the safety training Strategies for determining if the EHS training is effective A process for managing the quality of the EHS training program, including managing the consistency of the program and continually improving the program An EHS Training Program Must Include These Aspects Next, the standard explains that your EHS training should include provisions for: Development of EHS training in an appropriate manner relying on best practices of the training industry, including things like a needs assessment, learning objectives, creating appropriate course content, formatting course content appropriately, creating and providing resource materials, and establishing criteria to determine when a trainee has adequately completed a course. This will all be covered in much more detail in our future post about ANSIZ490.1 Section 4. Training delivery by competent trainers in an appropriate training environment. This will be covered in much more detail in our future post about ANSIZ490.1 Section 5. Evaluation of EHS training to determine if it’s effective and the creation of a system for continuous improvement of the training. This will be covered in much more detail in our future post about ANSIZ490.1 Section 6. Managing and Administering EHS Training Resources The standard then spells out some pretty basic things your EHS training program should ensure, including the following: Budgets and money: You’ll need to having funding for all aspects of your EHS training program. Personnel: You’ll need people to administer and manage your EHS training program, and you’ll also need people with appropriate expertise to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate your EHS training. Knowledge: You’ll need to know the requirements for your EHS training program imposed by any federal, state, and/or local agency, and you’ll need appropriate technical information and resources for developing your training on specific topics. Facilities: You’ll need appropriate facilities where your trainings can occur. Technology: You’ll need appropriate training-related technology to use during your EHS trainings. This includes things like overhead projectors, equipment for your trainees to use during practice, and any necessary PPE. Records of training: You’ll need to create and store accurate records showing which trainees completed which training (and when). Training Program Evaluation Finally, Section 3 wraps up with some notes on evaluating the EHS training program (which, again, is covered more in Section 6 of the standard and will be covered in more detail in our future post on Section 6 as well). Specifically, the standard says here that thee EHS training program must be evaluated periodically, and specific aspects that should be evaluated include: Training program management Training processes Training results Looking Ahead to Z490.1 Section 4 So that wraps up our overview of ANSI Z490.1 Sections 1-3. If you’ve gotten this far and feel like you’re still on solid ground, you’ve got a good start toward at least understanding what the national standard for effective EHS training is all about. When we return to this series of articles, we’ll give you a pretty detailed overview of what the standard covers in Section 4, which is dedicated to developing training materials. The post ANSI Z490.1 Sections 1, 2, and 3: A Brief Overview appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

There have been a number of changes that have to do with OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting forms and requirements. And on top of that, there are some deadlines and new "effective dates" coming up. The injury and illness reporting forms themselves-301, 300, and 300A-were a lot to know about. And keeping track of the new requirements for recordkeeping, reporting, and online reporting just add to that. So in this post, we’ll take a look at: What’s reportable and what’s not Who has to report and who doesn’t OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting forms for injuries and illnesses (forms 301, 300, and 300A) OSHA’s new online reporting and injury requirements for some employers Effective dates for the new requirements Deadlines for reporting Hopefully this will make everything a little easier to understand for you. Need help with your safety training program at work? We’ve got e-learning safety courses and learning managements systems (LMSs) for various industries, company sizes, and needs. Contact us to learn how we can help you. What Is a Recordable Injury or Illness? It’s a good idea to review what a recordable injury or illness is, including the stuff you have to keep records of and the stuff you have to report to OSHA. Read all about recordable injuries and illnesses here.  Remember that OSHA has changed the rules recently about what has to be reported, who has to report, and who’s exempt. Here’s an article that explains OSHA’s recent reporting and recordkeeping changes. What is OSHA Form 301? OSHA’s Form 301 is a form you should fill out every time there’s an injury or illness at your workplace. That means if you’ve had injuries or illnesses at the workplace, and you are not exempt from recordkeeping requirements, you should have done this by now. Read more about OSHA Form 301 here. OSHA exempts some companies from recordkeeping requirements, and those exemptions change January 1, 2015. According to OSHA: "However, there are two classes of employers that are partially exempt from routinely keeping injury and illness records.  First, employers with ten or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records.  OSHA’s revised recordkeeping regulation maintains this exemption. Second, establishments in certain low-hazard industries are also partially exempt from routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records. Starting on January 1, 2015 there will be a new list of industries that will be partially exempt from keeping OSHA records." Source As part of the upcoming OSHA changes, some companies will be required to submit Form 301 in a new online website. Please check out our recent blog post that gives you a sneak peek of the user interface of OSHA’s online injury and illness reporting website, and remember this change takes place January 1, 2015. Check this page from OSHA about recordkeeping for more information on the upcoming changes. What is OSHA Form 300? Form 300 is a log of all injuries or illnesses that have occurred during a specific year. You update Form 300 every time there’s a new injury or illness during a given year (unlike how you have to create a new Form 301 every time there’s a new injury or illness). And so it follow that you create a new Form 300 every year. You can read more about Form 300 here. As part of the upcoming OSHA changes, some companies will be required to submit Form 300 at that same new online website mentioned earlier. Please check out our recent blog post that gives you a sneak peek of the user interface of OSHA’s online injury and illness reporting website, and remember this change takes place January 1, 2015. Also remember that you must keep your own copy of Form 300 for at least five years. Don’t forget to read this page from OSHA about recordkeeping for more information a What is OSHA Form 300A? Form 300A is a summary of injury and illness data for a given year. You complete Form 300A early in a given year (2015, for example) and it includes data about injuries and illnesses in the previous year (2014, for example). You must complete and post Form 300A at your worksite by February 1 and you must keep it posted until April 30 of that same year. You also must keep Form 300A on file for at least five years following the year that it summarizes. The same is true for Form 300, as we mentioned earlier. Here’s an article about Form 300A. Conclusion: What To Do With Your OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting Forms and About Recent OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting Changes Now’s a good time to make sure you’re doing the reporting and recordkeeping you should and to make sure you understand the upcoming OSHA changes for 2015. First, find out if they affect you, and how. Then, whether you’re affected by the changes or not, make sure you’re compliant with all reporting and recordkeeping requirements imposed on your by OSHA. And, if you’re not, start changing that now. The post OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting Forms appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

You don’t have to read up on learning objectives for too long before you run into the name of Robert Mager and hear about his performance-based learning objectives. There are also sometimes called three-part learning objectives or behavioral learning objectives. Mager outlines his theory about the best way to create learning objectives in his classic book Preparing Instructional Objectives. You can read our review of Preparing Instructional Objectives if you’re interested, and we highly recommend reading the book, which is informative, quick, and fun. Otherwise, here’s the crux of what Mager has to say, below. First, he makes it clear that a learning objective is a statement of "what the learner will be able to perform as a result of some learning experience." If you pay attention to that, you’ll notice two very important things. First, the learning objective states what the learner will be able to do. It’s not a description of the course materials or something the instructor does. And second, it’s something the learner performs—some form of action that can be observed and verified. Those are the truly important aspects of the Mager objective. The rest is all about setting conditions for how the learner can perform the action and how the performance will be evaluated. But let’s step back and look at all three parts of a Mager objective. You’ll notice that although we just learned that the learner is the one who’ll be doing this, there’s no part that directly represents the learner, so you’ll have to keep that in mind. The Three Parts of a Mager Performance-Based Learning Objective According to Mager, a learning objective should ideally include the following three components: A performance (performed by the learner, remember) Conditions (under which the learner shall perform the performance) Criteria (by which the performance is evaluated by another) Mager admits that in some cases, "it is not always necessary to include the second characteristic, and not always practical to include the third," but he goes on to say that the more you say about them, the better your objective will communicate." (That point about communicating effectively is one that Mager comes back to again and again in his book, and we’ll come back to it again later in this article). Let’s look at each of those three components in closer detail. Performance In Mager’s words,the objective must specify "what learners must be able to DO or PERFORM when they demonstrate mastery of an objective." So, as we’ve said before, the key is the learner must do something. But you’ve got to be careful when you’re writing an objective so that you write a performance that you can somehow observe, and you must tell the learner how their performance will be evaluated. Or, as Mager puts it, "the most important and indispensable characteristic of a useful objective is that it describes the kind of performance that will be accepted as evidence that the learner has mastered the objective." Because there’s an emphasis on having the learner do something that someone else can observe as evidence, it’s important to avoid learning objectives like "know" and "understand." How can you tell if someone "knows" or "understands" something? Instead, restate the objective so that the learner has to do something (like "state" or "list" or "explain") to demonstrate that he/she "knows" or "understands." For example, let’s look at the two sample objectives Mager offers as his first quiz of the reader. You’re supposed to pick the correctly written learning objective that includes a performance someone else can witness or evaluate. Which of the two following learning objectives do you think is better? (Remember, these are directly from Mager’s book.) Be able to write a news article. Be able to develop an appreciation of music. If you selected "Be able to write a news article," you picked the right one. That’s an action that someone can later evaluate and clearly tell if it’s been performed or hasn’t been performed. On the other hand, how would you know if someone has developed an appreciation of music? What are the clear signs of that-or is that too abstract? Mager would say there’s no clear way to know if someone has developed an appreciation of music. Conditions The next thing to do is to state the conditions, if any, in which the learner must complete the performance. The conditions will tell the leaner things like the following (look for the italicized parts of the objectives below): What can I use while doing the performance? (For example: Given 100 toothpicks and some glue, construct a suspension bridge.) What will be denied to me? (For example: Perform the multiplication tables up to 20 without the of a calculator.) In which conditions will the performance have to occur? (For example: Run a 100-yard dash on a muddy field.) Remember that Mager said you may not always need to add conditions. As always with Mager, he suggests using them if they make things more clear and remove ambiguity. Mager’s big on being clear and he’s down on ambiguity, and that seems reasonable. Criteria Finally, the third part of a Mager three-part, performance-based learning objective is the criterion or criteria. Or, as Mager puts it: "Having described what you want your students to do, you can increase the communication power of an objective by telling them HOW WELL you want them to be able to do it." Here are some examples (again, look for the italicized parts of the objectives below): Identify four out out five product defects on a moving manufacturing line. Close ten boxes in a minute. Mager notes that it may not always be practical to include criteria in a learning objective. When that’s true, don’t include them. Conclusion: The Learner, the Three Parts, Plus Communication Power (Clarity, Conciseness, and Lack of Ambiguity) And that’s about it in a nutshell. If you keep in mind that the objective states something the learner should do after training, remember to include its three parts (when required)-performance, conditions, and criteria-and maximize your communication power to your learner by keeping things clear, concise, and removing ambiguity, you’ll be headed in the right direction with your learning objectives. Of course, it couldn’t hurt to buy the book. It’s got a lot of helpful practice exercises and it’s a fun read to boot. The post Robert Mager’s Performance-Based Learning Objectives appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

We just finished reading Robert Mager’s Preparing Instructional Objectives, the classic book on learning objectives that’s also part of the six-book collection, The Mager Six Pack. (Yes, we bought the whole six pack, and you’ll be seeing book reviews about all of them over time). Mager’s Learning Objectives The book begins by explaining what a learning objective is ("an objective tells what the learner will be able to perform as a result of some learning experience") and then lists three things a learning objective should include (a performance, conditions, and criteria). This three-part learning objective, including something that the learner should be able to perform, the conditions under which the learner should be able to complete the performance, and the criteria by which the performance is judged, is typically known as Mager’s Performance-Based Learning Objective, Mager’s Behavioral Learning Objective, or Mager’s Three-Part Learning Objective.  For more information about this, check our article on Mager’s learning objectives. Quick Review of Mager’s Preparing Instructional Objectives For the rest of this post, we’ll focus on telling you more about some general features of the book. It’s short: It’s only 136 pages long, and those aren’t text-heavy either. If you’re a fast reader, it may take you only a few hours in a single sitting. I ’m a slow reader, but it still went quickly enough for me. It’s well-written: Mager uses a clear, direct, conversational tone that makes it easy to understand his points. It’s fun: This is not a standard book that you read in a linear, page-after-page fashion. Instead, pages often end with Mager posing a question to the reader, and you’re instructed to bounce ahead to various other pages based on the answer you’ve chosen. It’s almost like those "invent your own novels" brought about by postmodernism. It’s funny: Mager’s a funny guy, and there are plenty of jokes within the book to keep you chuckling. I read a few passages out loud at the house and they got some laughter at the dinner table as well. Reading this book makes you think some kid got lucky when they got Mager as an uncle, grandfather, or school teacher. It includes lots of practice exercises: As all instructional designers should know, adults learn well from active learning exercises. Mager knew this too, and he’s included many exercises for you to test your understanding and your own ability to write learning objectives. It includes checklists: Mager wrote up some checklists so you can use them later to evaluate the learning objectives you write on the job—and make them better. These are handy. It’s recommended: Summing up everything we just said, we give this book a big thumb’s up and recommend it to you. If you do buy it, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Keep your eyes on our blog for more articles about the other titles in the Mager Six Pack, for our more in-depth discussion about Mager’s three-part objectives, and for our lengthy post on learning objectives, which includes a free download. That lengthy post on learning objectives we just mentioned includes a discussion of Bloom’s Taxonomy, something Mager takes a bit of a good-natured pot-shot at in his own book. There are one or two pretty specific and important differences between Mager’s approach to learning objectives and the one outlined in the post that discusses Bloom’s Taxonomy, but all told there are more similarities than differences. Check both methods out and let us know what you think. The post Book Review: Robert Mager’s "Preparing Instructional Objectives" appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

If you’re in safety or EHS, you may have heard of risk management. Maybe you know exactly what that means. If so, great. But maybe you don’t, and maybe you’ve wondered. If so, this post is for you. We’ll explain what risk management is and how risk management and safety are related. Let’s start by defining some terms. ISO 31000, the international standard about risk management, includes the following definitions: Risk-the effect of uncertainty on objectives Risk management-coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with respect to risk Now let’s look at each of those a little more closely in the sections below. Want to improve the risk management and safety training at your work? Convergence Training has a series of learning management systems (LMSs) to help you import, create, assign, deliver, and track safety training of any type. And, as part of a "blended learning" solution for safety training, you might want to consider our e-learning safety training courses. Risk The definition from ISO 31000 says risk is "the effect of uncertainty on objectives." Let’s break that down a bit. The average business has any number of objectives. These include things like creating a new product, making a profit, and ensuring safety (but there are lots more, as you’d imagine). Various things can have an effect on a business’s chances of meeting each of those objectives. Those effects, in which the outcome can depart from expectations, can be either positive or negative. So yes, risk management studies both things that affect objectives in a positive sense AND things that affect objectives in a negative sense. (Still, it’s probably most common to think of risk management and to perform risk management for risks that have negative effects.) Risk Management ISO 31000 not only states that risk management is the set of "coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with respect to risk," it also fleshes that out for us a bit. According to the standard, the risk management process includes the following activities related to risk: Communicating and consulting Establishing a context Identifying Analyzing Evaluating Treating Monitoring Reviewing We’ll look more closely at several of these aspects below-especially risk identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, and risk treatment. Risk, Risk Management, and Safety As noted above, risk and risk management apply to many different parts of a business or organization. For example, risk management is big in finance, and if you read up on the Enron scandal or the recent Great Recession, you’ll run into references to the risk management departments of the companies involved. Likewise, pharmaceutical industries take great interest in risk management, and when a class of drugs called NSAIDs (this include ibuprofen) were found to elevate the risk of cardiac problems, the risk management departments at these companies sprung into action. But in this article, we’re primarily interested in risk management and how it applies to EHS and safety. In particular, to risks with a possible negative effect-pretty much what OSHA calls a hazard. Here’s OSHA’s definition of a hazard drawn from an OSHA guide to the job hazard analysis: "A hazard is the potential for harm. In practical terms, a hazard often is associated with a condition or activity that, if left uncontrolled, can result in an injury or illness. " So in the context of safety or EHS, risk management is primarily concerned with identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and "treating" the risk to avoid, control, reduce, accept, or transfer the risk. That’s what we’ll focus on for the rest of this post. Identify the Risk Risk management begins with risk identification. Let’s begin by seeing how ISO 31000 explains this phase (we’ll do the same thing with the other phases listed below too). Risk identification is "process of finding, recognizing and describing risks….it involves the identification of risk sources, events, their causes, and their potential consequences."  And since we’re talking about safety and hazards, let’s see what ISO 31000 has to say about hazards: A hazard is "a source of potential harm" and a hazard "can be a risk source." How does a safety expert identify risks (what we’re calling hazards in this safety-specific example)? The job hazard analysis is a good place to start. Read our earlier blog post about the job hazard analysis or check out this OSHA guide to the job hazard analysis for more information on that. Analyze the Risk Once you’ve identified a risk, it’s time to analyze it. Here’s the description from ISO 31000 : Risk analysis is a process undertaken to "comprehend the nature of risk and to determine the level of risk." 31000 also states that "risk is often expressed in terms of a combination of the consequences of an event…and the associated likelihood of occurrence." To put that into every day language, once you’ve identified a risk, analysis includes the process of determining: What are the chances that the risk or hazard will cause some kind of problem (an injury or illness in safety and health terms, a leak or release or expose in environmental terms)? This is often referred to as the probability or likelihood that the hazard will lead to a negative effect. If the risk DID create a problem, how big of a problem would that be? This is often referred to as the consequence or severity. These two ideas-the likeliness that the risk or hazard could cause cause harm and the severity of the consequences-are often displayed in a risk matrix. Risk Matrix You can create a risk matrix to represent the likelihood and severity of a given risk (or hazard). The matrix is typically set up to allow you to analyze two different characteristics of the risk. These are the risk’s likelihood (or probability) and its severity (or consequences). Each can be categorized from lesser to greater, as shown below. Likelihood or probability (these go in order from least likely to most likely) Rare Unlikely Possible Probable Very likely Severity or consequence (these go in order from least severe to most severe) Minor Serious Major Catastrophic/critical The risk matrix is often presented in a table, as shown below. Minor Serious Major Catastrophic/Critical Very Likely Probable Possible Unlikely Rare As you’d guess, for each risk (or hazard), you’d determine the likelihood and the severity and check the appropriate box in the table. For example, here’s risk that’s happens only rarely and would lead to only minor harm. Minor Serious Major Catastrophic/Critical Very Likely Probable Possible Unlikely Rare X And, here’s a risk that is very likely to occur and would lead to a catastrophe. Minor Serious Major Catastrophic/Critical Very Likely X Probable Possible Unlikely Rare The risk matrices shown above are just one example of how you can do this. You and/or your organization may make your own, and here are a few others to consider: US Department of Defense Risk Matrix (see page 11) ISO 17666: 2003 Space Systems: Risk Management Evaluate the Risk Once you’ve analyzed the risk, perhaps putting it into your risk matrix, it’s time to evaluate. Here’s how ISO 31000  explains evaluation: Risk evaluation is the "process of comparing the results of risk analysis with risk criteria to determine whether the risk and/or its magnitude is acceptable or tolerable." In other words-once you’ve analyzed the risk to determine its likelihood and its severity, are you willing to "live with it" or do you want to do something to address the risk? Risk evaluation includes a process of ranking the risks in terms of their magnitude-the biggest risks to the smallest risk-and comparing them against a set of risk criteria to determine which risks should be addressed. Here’s what ISO 31000 has to say about risk criteria: Risk criteria are "terms of reference against which the significance of a risk is evaluated…risk criteria are based on organizational objectives and external and internal context…risk criteria can be derived from standards, laws, policies, and other requirements." Considering our two examples above, a risk that’s a near certainty to cause harm and that would lead to catastrophic consequences is something you wouldn’t find acceptable or tolerable. By contrast, if something’s very unlikely to happen and would cause only a minor issue if it did occur, you probably would find that risk acceptable or tolerable. Treat the Risk With the risk identified, analyzed, and evaluated, it’s time to consider treating the risk. What does that mean? Here’s how ISO 31000  states explains risk treatment: Risk treatment is a "process to modify risk…risk treatment can involve avoiding the risk by deciding not to start or continue with the activity that gives risk to the risk, taking or increasing risk to pursue an opportunity, removing the risk source, changing the likelihood, changing the consequences, sharing the risk with another party or parties, and retaining the risk by informed decision." Let’s look at a few of those treatment options in the context of safety. First, consider "retaining the risk by informed decision." This would be a situation in which you’ve decided you’re willing to accept the risk and do nothing to modify it. This would probably be something like a risk that happens only rarely and that leads to minor consequences. Next, consider "sharing the risk with another party." An example would be getting an insurance policy to cover your building in the event of fire. Finally, consider "avoiding the risk by deciding not to start or continue with the activity that gives rise to the risk." An example of this would be recognizing that a production process results in dangerous off-gassing and halting production. Since you’re presumably a safety expert if you’ve read this far, we assume you can think of your own examples for "removing the risk source," "changing the likelihood," and "changing the consequences." As a group, the risk treatments that deal with negative consequences are often referred to as risk mitigation, risk elimination, risk prevention, and/or risk reduction. We discuss those in further detail in the next section. Risk Treatments for Safety: The Hierarchy of Controls In safety, there ARE some risks that you’re willing to tolerate, but there are lots that you’ll want to "treat" by controlling them. One standard way to select a control (or several controls) for a specific hazard is by working through the hierarchy of controls. The idea behind the hierarchy of controls is to work though different classes or types of controls when you’re trying to figure out how to control a specific hazard. Those types of controls are listed in order within a hierarchy. You should try the first type of controls-shown at the top of the list below-before you go on to the second, third, and fourth type of controls. With that said, here’s the hierarchy of controls: Elimination or Substitution Engineering Controls Administrative Controls Personal Protective Equipment So, for every hazard you’re trying to control, you’d consider elimination or substitution first, engineering controls next, administrative controls after that, and then finally personal protective equipment (PPE). In some cases, you’ll use more than one type of control, and PPE should be considered only a last means of controlling a hazard. Here’s a helpful OSHA document if you want more information on the hierarchy of controls. And keep your eyes on our blog for an upcoming article on the hierarchy of controls. Risk Management Standards and Guides We’ve referenced ISO 31000 throughout this article, but there are several different risk management standards. Here are a few: ISO 31000 Risk Management - Practices and Guidelines  OCEG "Red Book" 2.0 GRC Capability Model BS 31100 Code of Practice for Risk Management COSO Enterprise Risk Management-Integrated Framework Ferma 2002: A Risk Management Standard Solvency II: 2012 Risk Management for the Insurance Industry To top that off, here’s a nice comparison of the risk management standards above. Risk Management and Safety: Your Experiences and Thoughts? We’d be curious to know your own exposure and experience with risk management. If you’re involved in safety at work, does your company have a risk management program? Either way, do you use some or all of these techniques described above at work? What are your experiences with them?   The post Risk Management and Safety appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

Baby, it’s cold outside. (I like that version, don’t you?) Cold weather has arrived once again, and it’s a good idea to consider how well prepared you and your workforce are for the lower temperatures. Dealing with the cold may seem like common knowledge that we’ve all got under our belts, but the fact is that every year people suffer from hypothermia, frostbite, trench foot, and other cold-related problems. So, we’ve pulled together some helpful resources about cold stress, frostbite, working in the cold, and generally keeping safe in the cold. They’re drawn from various sources, including OSHA, the Department of Labor, AAA, National Public Radio, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and more. Hopefully you’ll find one or more of these helpful. Stay safe and stay warm! Need some help with your safety training solutions? Convergence Training has a series of learning management systems (LMSs) to help you import, create, assign, deliver, and track safety training of any type. And, as part of a "blended learning" solution for safety training, you might want to consider our e-learning safety training courses. OSHA’s Winter Storms Safety & Health Topic Page OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide Tips to Protect Outdoor Workers in the Winter from DOL Tips for Driving in the Snow from AAA Tips for Surviving in Your Snowbound Car in an Emergency Frostbite Tips from NPR More Tips for Keeping Safe in Cold and Snow from the American Academy of Pediatrics The post Cold Stress: Safety Resources for Working in Cold Weather appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

We work with lots of companies who are continually trying to improve the efficiency of their workers, machines, and work processes. This is critical to them because they need to create more product and spend less doing it. Overseas competition has made this need even more pressing, especially since labor costs are often significantly less for companies operating in other nations. As a result, our customers want to help their workers because more knowledgeable, skilled, capable, and efficient. One customer in particular summed up what many different customers have told me when he said "I want to help my machine operators become machine engineers." (If you’re out there, Steve, hello-hope you’re doing well.) When he said he wants his employees to become "machine engineers," one of the things he means is that he wants his employees to be able to recognize and troubleshoot production problems to keep machinery operating at peak efficiency. But how can a company help their employees improve their troubleshooting skills? One way is through process training. Check out our off-the-shelf process training e-learning courses for pulp, paper, tissue, and corrugated manufacturing, and look into our learning management systems (LMS) for delivering, assigning, tracking completion, and running reports on those process training e-learning courses. Improve Troubleshooting Skills with Process Training What is process training, you ask? Process training is training that explains how a process works. For example, I lead training sessions that teach new customers how our Convergence Training learning management systems (LMSs) work, and those sessions include a "process training" component in which we explain how the various smaller parts of the system work together. Or, to give a manufacturing/industrial example, process training would explain the process by which a company creates a product. For example, Convergence Training creates a lot of process training materials for companies in the paper, pulp, tissue, and corrugated industries (click those links to see course lists and samples from each library). These process training materials help employees at these facilities quickly learn how the various processes and machines at their workplace function and interact to create their company’s final product(s). Of course, process training can be valuable in any industry, not just the ones mentioned above, and we create process training for companies in many different industries. How Process Training Helps Employees Improve Troubleshooting Skills There are many benefits to providing process training to employees. One of them is that the process training will help the employee develop troubleshooting skills more rapidly (and those troubleshooting skills will be more effective, too). Providing process training to workers has been shown to improve their troubleshooting skills. This is because it’s easier for a worker to correct a problem (or increase the efficiency of a machine) if the employee knows how the machine works and how it contributes to the production process as a whole. Some Process Training Examples from Convergence Training’s Retail Training Libraries Here’s an example of process training from our paper manufacturing training library: Here’s an example of process training from our pulp manufacturing training library: Here’s an example of process training from our tissue manufacturing training library: Here’s an example of process training from our corrugated manufacturing training library: More to Come On Process Training Keep your eyes on our blog, as we plan on writing more about creating training materials to help teach employees the processes involved at their workplace. It’s our goal to provide some tips and guidelines that will help you create your own effective process training materials and help improve the troubleshooting skills of your employees. Notes:  1. To learn more about how process training can improve troubleshooting, check the following two books by Dr. Ruth Colvin Clark: Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement (most notably the chapter titled "Problem-Centered Instruction" and its discussion of the "Sherlock" training program on pages 298 and 299) and Developing Technical Training: A Structured Approach for Developing Classroom and Computer-Based Instructional Materials (most notably the chapter titled How to Teach Processes, where she explains that "if a technician is faced with a problem on some equipment, more effective troubleshooting will result from an understanding of the technical equipment process."). We have a book review of the second of those books here. 2.  As explained in Clark’s book Building Expertise (mentioned above), effective training for troubleshooting should include "(1) an understanding of the device, (2) specific procedures involved in performing tests and interpreting the results, and (3) troubleshooting heuristics." See page 299 of her book.   The post Improve Troubleshooting Skills with Process Training appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.