One of the things I love about what I do is knowing that the training HSI provides not only helps our clients be more successful, but it also helps employees in their personal lives. In the case of safety awareness month, much of our safety training could be shared with family members to help keep them safe as well.

As of 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau reported the average family consists of 3.14 persons. While math is not my strong suit, this is pretty easy. If you spend $1 per employee per month on training, but they share the training with their 2.14 family members, you are getting a whole lot of value for that dollar! (See how I skipped the math in that example?)

Safety Training for Home and Work

In honor of June being safety awareness month, here are a few examples of HSI safety training videos that have applications both at work and home.

Driving Safety

The obvious targets for this topic are your drivers who handle deliveries, maintenance, grounds keeping, and salespeople. In most US cities, the majority of your employees commute to work by driving themselves. Our courses cover distracted driving (please put your phone in the trunk while you drive), bad weather basics and alcohol and substance abuse. Don’t you think your teenagers might benefit from this information as well?

Fire Extinguisher Safety

Yes, any employee working around machinery and power tools needs to receive training on fire extinguisher safety. Your office employees may have secret space heaters, overloaded extension cords, or they may inadvertently stacked combustible materials (files and papers) too high and too close to a sprinkler. All employees could benefit from fire extinguisher training.

Everyone in your family should also know the locations of all the fire extinguishers. (Personally, I have two, along with two fire ladders.) The units should be easily accessible and not be buried under the clutter in your kitchen pantry or garage. Check the class (A, B, C, D, or F?) and review how to pull the pin, aim, and squeeze. While you’re at it, check the expiration dates. Not only will your 3.14 family members be grateful, so will your 1.6 dogs and 2.1 cats.

Electrical Safety

In your workplace, your electrical safety training should cover PPE, grounding, arc flash, wiring, GFCI, and OSHA requirements. These courses typically apply to maintenance and warehouse workers, and the construction and real estate development sectors.

All employees can benefit from some general electrical safety training that covers how to avoid electrical hazards, how to identify a lock or tag on an electrical panel, proper use of surge protectors, and to be alert for damaged cords.

Employees (and family members) should know when to speak up. If you see something, say something. A colleague was plugging a Roku unit into an outlet in her home that was hidden by a TV mounted on the wall. When she touched the outlet it was so hot, it felt like it burned her fingertip. When she removed the TV from the wall, she found the outlet was slowly melting from the inside. A clear fire hazard. She flipped the breaker to that room, called an electrician. They found faulty wiring.

More Safety Tips for Home and Work

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Watch out for ice, water, grease, or debris that may cause slips. Watch out for clutter in aisles or walkways, extension cords, hoses, open drawers, and boxes, all of which are trip hazards. Pay extra attention when working on a ladder or walking down the stairs.

Carbon Monoxide

Also known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an odorless gas. In the workplace, risks come from internal combustion engines you find in forklifts and diesel engines. At home, carbon monoxide can come from anything like a heater, clothes dryer, or fireplace. It’s pretty simple to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home: plug it in. And check the batteries.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE in the workplace can include hardhats, face shields, goggles, coveralls, and safety shoes. Basically, anything you wear to protect you from workplace hazards. PPE at home might include wearing gloves when working with paint or chemicals. Or wearing closed-toe shoes and sunglasses when you cut the grass, not flip flops! You need to be prepared when a shard of wood comes flying out at your foot or face.

Emergency Exits

Training on emergency exits is about situational awareness. Knowing where the exits are located will help you make the right decision in the moment. At work, home, sporting events, movie theaters, concerts, etc.

My colleague reads spy thrillers. She says that when the main characters go to a restaurant, they always sit with their backs against the rear wall and note where all the exits are. They need to be able to make a quick exit if the villain shows up, there is an explosion or even an assassination. The average person isn’t living like Jason Bourne, but knowing where the exits are is still a practical skill.

Safety is Important All Year Round

I wanted this post to commemorate June as safety awareness month, but the reality is it’s important every day. It’s important for your employees and that they are trained. It’s also important for their families. That’s why we created a flyer you can print off and share with them to share with their families. It’s a simple checklist they can run through at home.

I think you will also find this blog post helpful if you are thinking about cleaning your gutters and ceiling fans or organizing that pile of sweaters on the top shelf of your closet: 10 Ladder Safety Tips for Work and Home.

Additional Resources

• Sample a few of our safety training videos.
• Learn more about all of our safety training topics.
• Safety training doesn't just apply to warehouse and factory workers. Read more in our blog "Office Safety Training for Employees."