Erin Henderson
I have been asked this quite a few
times lately so let’s get one things straight – there is a reason
you take safety courses and a reason you recertify them every three
years. You are not the exception.
Training is a great job. We get to work
with people from a variety of different fields and spend our days in
the classroom explaining something we’re passionate about. My
training career started with first aid. I was trained and experienced
in paramedics, but my school schedule didn’t allow me hours that
emergency medicine could work within so teaching became my safe haven
for output of ideas and skills. I do believe I’ve saved lives
through all the people I certify.
But every class I teach (especially
with recertification) I get the same question. ‘Why do I need to do
this class… again?’ And the answer is always the same, ‘to save
a life.’
This is asked in every class – fall
protection to fire watch. So many of our students come in wishing the
class would be as short as possible or even ask to challenge the
exam.
But that’s not the point. Maybe you would know enough for a
written test, maybe. But there are other factors that play a role in
your training and it’s about time you them seriously.
Information change: Every few years there are changes made
to the legislation which effects your training. Occupational Health
and Safety is still a very young field and the kinks are still being
worked out. It is also an industry driven field which means we are
constantly amalgamating information from work sites in Alberta –
YOUR worksites to make safer policies. The Red Cross changes every 5
years based on emerging research and every year we see more
improvements.
Information loss: How much do you remember from high
school? I am willing to bet there are some small concepts that
haven’t been used in a while that would be hard to find. Your brain
is miraculous, but not perfect. It lets unused information slide out
and makes alterations to other bits of knowledge. Your training is here at missionsafety.com to provide you with the initial knowledge, but also to restate
what you need to know every three years to keep it all fresh and
available when needed.
Common sense: Let me tell you, common sense is
surprisingly uncommon. Every aspect of life would comply with this
but dealing with industries that have high injury rates to begin
with, you see an incredible amount of bad ideas. We are saying every
part of the outlined class schedule because on the off chance that
you didn’t think of one small thing, you could cause major
problems. And since I’m not allowed to yell, ‘Don’t be an
idiot’ at my class and call it a day, just listen! We have enough
stories of things going wrong, we really don’t want you to be one.
Stories and Sharing: Finally, there is
a thing called class participation that no one seems to think exists
outside of elementary school, but has a huge impactS on your life. As
your trainer, I am certified and have endless streams of stories
about workplace accidents or statistical facts, but the most
important aspect of learning is becoming involved with the
information. You are here to ground the concepts and make
internalized changes in your behavior that will keep you safe. Taking
part in the class makes the material specific to you and lets you
conceptualize yourself using it – a big step towards what we want
out of you
Your Trainer: And finally – you are dealing with
another human being in their work. I don’t come onto your site and
ask if I can just tape the pipe together and go. My co-workers and I
are here to perform a task we are trained to do. We will be giving
you all we can while you are our student and having some respect for
that can go an awfully far way in making that class dry or engaging.
If you can respect our work for the day you are in the classroom we
will be much more enjoyable to have at the front of it.
So remember, next time you are taking
safety training: There is a reason for you to be there, and take the
time to learn everything you can. So enjoy having a day spent with
likeminded people and with a trainer who is excited to offer you all
the knowledge they have. Take this chance to grow as an employee and
stop questioning the necessity. It is essential, and we look forward
to your next recertification.
