If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen –part 3 (Employee Training).

Quick question – why do you have to carry proof of insurance in your car?  Right!  It is to PROVE that you actually have insurance on your vehicle.  The cops aren’t going to take your word for it – they want to see a piece of paper.

Now apply that concept to employment.  Written documentation of employee training is required for a number of reasons:

1)      It helps reinforce to the employee that training is important.  If they know that their results (or even that they attended) will be documented, they may be less inclined to blow-off the meeting or ignore the teachings of the trainer.

2)      If you are approached by an interested party/client who requires training for your employees, this is documentation that will fulfill that purpose.  Documentation may be required by construction foremen who want to be sure your employees have had fall protection training OR clinic leasing agents who want to make sure that their tenants are trained in required evacuation procedure.

3)      Documentation of specific training may be required by an industry watchdog organization like OSHA, USDA, FDA, DADS, or a host of other acronyms.  Failure to produce proof of training for these organizations can result in fines, work-stoppages, or double costs (paying for the training and then paying again when you can’t prove the employees are trained).

4)      If an employee doesn’t follow the rules that they have been taught to follow (e.g. they drive a forklift forward down an incline instead of backwards down an incline) and is injured, documenting that you trained them properly can be aid in the defense that you were not negligent.

5)      How do you know if an employee has had their annual refresher training and is current in your Blood Borne Pathogens program unless you document the training?

So, how tough is this going to be?  Really it is pretty simple and there is often no “specific” process.  If you are using a third party service to provide training, they will typically provide this documentation for you as well as helping you keep up with what training you need and how often.  If you are doing it yourself, I recommend doing the following:

·         Keep a “master copy” of required training to act as both a reminder and a check list to make sure you provided the training.  Put the dates of refreshers on a calendar.  Remember that some training must be given to employees as initial training, and some must be refreshed either annually or periodically and all must be refreshed when there are changes to the original plan or methodology involved.

·         Use a sign-in sheet, but don’t leave it blank.  Use a print-out of the employee roster for the company OR the department affected.  This will give you a quick review of those who were not at the training (whether absent that day or simply unable to attend the training at that time).  This will also help you pinpoint that single employee that “always” seems to miss the training meetings.

·         Place a completion document (along with a copy of the outline of the training or results of any tests given) in the employees personal training folder stating that they successfully completed training X on this date and have them sign it.

Documenting training isn’t that difficult or time consuming.  But being able to provide proof that you did provide training can mean a safer worksite as well as one that runs into fewer bumps along the road of our heavily regulated and litigious society.