Training with Safe Operating Procedures

21 Jul Training with Safe Operating Procedures

Posted at 09:14h in Articles by Rachel Bell

Recently, we’ve seen an increase in purchases of safe operating procedures (SOPs). We see this as a positive uptake, as for too long companies have done little training with safe operating procedures, or if they have, it’s been basic at the best of times.

One approach to training is having the new employee work beside another employee who has been with the company for a while, and be shown what to do (because they have been doing it for years). The problem with this approach is that this can result in learning any bad habits or practices that the older employee has picked up.

Effective training achieves buy-in and confidence in employees’ staff retention, as well as increasing productivity while reducing costly accidents, waste, scrap, rejects, rework, recall, and dissatisfied customers.

The key benefits of having safe operating procedures for training are that they help a business:

Provide consistency of training;
Get the right message across to a trainee in a staged and planned manner; and
Include quality, safety, any policy issues, or special information that pertains to that type of training that’s being undertaken.

“Our business has safe or standard operating procedures, but what is the most effective method to apply them to get the best outcome and value from the training for the business and the trainee?

Plan, Do, Check, Act

A sure-fire method to carry out your training is to apply the proven PCDA cycle as the basis for conducting effective training:

Plan for it;
Do it or conduct the training;
Check for understanding; and
Act or correct any mistakes or misunderstanding until the trainee is competent and can be left on their own.

PLAN for the Training

When planning for training, train for a specific need:

A new employee;
Recent technology or legislative change;
New or modified machinery;
A change in the customers’ requirements;
As a result of an incident/accident associated with that machine; and/or
Product Quality issues.

Whatever the reason, make sure that your training is planned, and the training is enacted using safe or standard documented procedures.

Who is going to be the trainer?

An issue with using SOPs or any other documented resources for training is that too often the new or the experienced employee is handed the safe operating procedure, expected to read (and understand), and then placed on their own with the machine.

This is just trouble waiting to happen!

With New Zealand becoming a multi-cultural nation, it is critical that any training is planned to take into account the ability for new employees to understand the SOP and its content.

So, who is going to do the training for you?

A word of caution – do not expect someone who’s been doing the job for a long time, or a good employee, to be a good trainer. They might be good at their job, but not necessarily good at relating to others and showing them how to do the job.

The Training Environment

If the training is to be on the job, ensure that you have a facility that is quiet and that the trainees can hear what they need to hear and see what they need to see.

If the training is to be undertaken in an office, training room, or elsewhere, use technology like screens to enhance the uptake and understanding.

DO / CHECK / ACT – The Training

The Introduction (tell the trainee what you’re going to tell them)

This includes the importance of the training, its safety, and quality features.
Discuss what the topic or content will cover, and where it fits into the activities or production of the business operations.
Check that the trainees have a good understanding of written and verbal English, and can hear you.
Never make the training a mystery. Provide the trainees with a sample copy of the SOP, and explain how you will cover the points of the SOP in a logical and progressive manner.
Let them know that they can ask any questions or points for clarification as you work through the SOP.
Ask the trainees if they have had any similar training or past experience with the training topic.
If you have any physical samples of tools or documents, have these available at the training.
If the training is on or near any machinery, ensure that the trainee has the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
If there is a competency assessment at the end of the training, it is important that the trainee is told of this. I recommend that a copy of this is provided and explained at this stage, as it provides the trainee additional information, as well as makes them more aware of terminology, etc.

DO – the training with safe operating procedures

Don’t rush this critical stage of the training.
Pace the training to the trainees’ understanding of the information.
Explain what the three Levels of the SOP mean and address each section:
- Training Level 1 = includes the PPE, potential hazards and risks, possible harm associated with the hazards, and more urgent information – like guarding, etc.
- Training Level 2 = is the Safe Operating Procedure.
- Training Level 3 = (if there is one) is usually something more custom – like cleaning something specific, or adding on some additional components of machinery, etc.
For Training Level 2 of the SOP, explain each step, and any key points or supporting photo information.
Do not proceed to the next step, until the information is understood and tested on the trainees’ understanding.

CHECK – summary of the training

Check for the understanding of the training by challenging or asking questions on all levels of the SOP.
Use the SOP as your checklist for these questions. Reiterate any points of the SOP if they don’t understand, to reinforce the information.
If a competency assessment is to be undertaken allowing the trainees to complete and mark off when completed with them, it’s at this stage that you can correct any incorrect information.

ACT – after the training

Never throw the trainee into the deep end of the new task.
Tell the trainee who they can go to for help or information.
It’s at this stage that the “buddy system” can be implemented with another competent and experienced employee.
It’s important that the employee’s supervisor or manager checks on the trainee from time to time on their progress, and if required, to answer any specific questions about the work and its outcome.
Record the employee’s training, and plan for the next SOP training.