Adapting to a Distanced Training Approach

A lot has changed in 2020 and will continue to do so as the coronavirus has now become an everyday part of our lives. Employee training has also begun to adapt to the new norm of physical distancing to protect ourselves and others. I have attended a lot of fun, and hands-on, environmental, health and safety (EHS) trainings such as Confined Space Entry/Rescue, HAZWOPER, Fire Extinguisher Use, and Visible Opacity Reading for emissions. To make these types of EHS trainings available and safe for the current climate, we have looked towards an effective virtual approach.

For as many engaging trainings as I have participated in, I have sat through just as many dull and monotonous online and classroom trainings. So how can we make a virtual training effective and engaging to the users? Environmental Standards can work with your company to create a customized virtual training experience. The training can be tailored to include specific operations, procedures, equipment, and plant locations that reflect what your employees see every day on the job. We can combine regulatory requirements with company-specific procedures to ensure the standards of your organization are upheld and exceeded.

Environmental Standards can also include interactive case studies within the virtual training program.  Case studies will include real-life examples of non-compliance events that resulted in regulatory fines, employee injuries, or damage to the environment. The case studies provide an opportunity to train on how those events can be prevented, as well as to explore how a similar event could potentially play out in your facility. With audio and video technology such as FaceTime, Google Glass, or video recordings, we can bring your workplace to life in the virtual classroom. For example, as part of your hazardous waste training, we can incorporate a virtual walk-through of your facility’s hazard waste storage as the topics of waste identification, labeling, storage, and disposal requirements are being presented.

Many trainings may have been put on hold or rescheduled due to COVID-19. With so many unknowns still surrounding this virus and how it will continue to affect our lives, organizations must plan and prepare to operate with the hazard of COVID-19 present. Training is an essential element to employee safety and the protection of the environment. Employers have a responsibility and a requirement to ensure their employees are adequately trained to perform job tasks. We understand the difficulty of providing adequate training in the midst of a global pandemic, but we have a solution to help.

To learn more about our virtual EHS compliance training offerings or if you have questions for our EHS professionals, please contact Cody Dye or Shaun Gilday.