Employers are required to provide employees with a safe and healthful workplace according to the regulations developed and mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. OSHA, together with the U.S. Department of Labor, also mandates that employers must provide safety training programs for employees, along with the resources necessary to ensure a safe workplace.
The best safety training programs for employees are often provided by companies or nonprofits that have put together complete courses on safety training specific to certain industries. For example, those working in the electrical industry will be required to complete safety training that focuses on the inherent hazards and dangers specific to that industry, while those working with hazardous materials will be given a different safety training course.
While employers are required to provide safety training programs for employees, they usually have the freedom to select which course or programs they prefer. But choosing the best safety training programs for employees can be difficult. That’s why we’ve compiled a short list of some of the best safety training programs for employees as determined by a variety of reputable sources.
It should also be noted that OSHA and other safety training companies offer a wealth of safety training videos. Using a business-oriented video hosting and management platform like Viostream, you can easily put together a compilation of the best safety training programs for employees, enabling them to have continued access to training and video resources as needed.
Best Safety Training Programs for Employees
While the following list of safety training programs is definitely not all-inclusive, it does present an excellent place to start your research.
J.J. Keller
With nearly 70 years in the safety and compliance consulting business, J.J. Keller is an established authority on safety training and offers many of the best safety training courses for employees in various industries. The courses are very inexpensive, ranging from $25 to $80 per person. The courses and the company have received a wealth of good reviews, but this company also stands out due to its consultation services that employers can avail themselves of if they wish to draft their own internal safety policies.
National Safety Council
This nonprofit agency was founded in 1913 and, as such, is a well-established, highly reputable source of some of the best safety training courses for employees. With an extensive offering of courses, most of which are available online, the National Safety Council has ensured that many courses were specifically designed to meet OSHA requirements. Course prices vary significantly, but the average ranges between $25 and $50 per person.
Alison
This company got its humble beginnings in Ireland but has since expanded to provide e-learning platforms free of charge to companies all over the globe. Offering three levels of OSHA training, Alison also features workplace safety and health courses. While some courses don’t fulfill OSHA requirements, they can be a great, inexpensive supplement to some of the other best safety training programs for employees.
Udemy
Udemy offers a wide range of online learning courses, including OSHA courses focusing on workplace safety. The OSHA course costs $65 and comes with nearly 200 additional downloadable resources. The course is also offered for life — purchase it once for employees, and they can review it as often as needed.
Pryor Learning
Offering safety training seminars since 1970, Pryor Learning is another solid option in this list of the best safety training programs for employees due to its wide selection of training courses. The primary OSHA offering is a 30-hour compliance course, but there are additional seminars on HIPAA and OSHA record-keeping compliance. Note that Pryor Learning offers in-person training and not online classes.
Choosing the Best Safety Training Programs for Employees
Before choosing a safety training program, take the time to do ample research on those that are best suited to your industry and workplace needs. Additionally, you may wish to create your own safety training courses based on hazards and dangers in your workplace that aren’t generally covered in other training courses. You can do this easily by creating a series of safety training videos to share with your employees.
Videos are a great way to teach employees about health and safety in the workplace because they help increase employee engagement and retention of the information being presented. You can also make them readily available to employees at any time or location when hosting them on an enterprise video hosting platform like Viostream.
Viostream is an easy-to-use, cloud-based app that lets you store, synthesize, and share your video in one place. Ideally suited for offering training to employees, both in-office and working remotely, the video management and hosting platform features amazing analytics, dedicated video portals, and the ability to integrate with your LMS. Additionally, accessibility for all and the ability to generate comprehensive reports help you utilize your video content to optimal potential. Start a free trial today and ensure you maintain a safe and compliant workplace.