The Best LMS Software Can Help You Save Lives
Save lives, money, and time!
A Learning Management System, or LMS, is used to manage all steps of the training process in a company. This includes scheduling the best courses for each job position, delivering content to employees, and measuring progress individually. However, the best LMS software can also save lives by equipping workers with the knowledge and skills to prevent fatal accidents. When an organization uses an LMS, it can provide a detailed profile of each employee. This not only includes courses completed and skills acquired but also pending training. For example, risky tasks like driving heavy equipment cannot be assigned to workers who are still receiving training. In fact, companies can face legal action and major fines if they assign certain activities to unqualified personnel.
An LMS has an upfront cost, like any company improvement tool, but dealing with accidents due to incompetence is much more expensive. According to several industry studies, safety investments can return up to three times their value in avoided accident costs, and while the prevention of injuries and fatalities cannot be described in terms of money. An LMS is characterized by its flexibility, which means it can be used for the training process of safety professionals. The best LMS software goes beyond delivering courses and applying tests – it also keeps track of employee skills and safety training ensuring that nobody is given work outside of their skillset.
Here are four ways that an LMS can save lives and make your company safer;
1) Improve Health and Safety Administrative Processes
An onboarding process is always necessary when a company hires new employees. In heavy industries like construction and mining, this includes getting familiarized with safety programs and company policies. Many job positions also involve legally required training, which applies regardless of other skills and experience. Recently hired employees are often subject to a long list of training requirements. These can be mandatory under local industry regulations or required internally due to poor or incomplete training is much more expensive. Managing this process without software can be difficult and confusing, especially in organizations with a large team. However, an LMS streamlines the training process, while helping with compliance. In workplaces with many hazards, an effective onboarding process will protect its employees. When new hires are fully aware of all risks and safety protocols before they start working, accidents are much less likely to happen.
2) Improve Training
LMS software not only manages the training process, but it also ensures that training is converted into knowledge and skills. For example, an LMS can deliver courses in an online format, so employees can choose the schedule when it is the most convenient for them. This way, there is no need to pause work and gather all participants in a single classroom. The flexibility offered by an LMS does not mean the training process is less effective, it is more effective when an employee can complete it on their own time.
Some software has the ability to give exams under controlled conditions by way of virtual and remote proctoring. Progress is reported individually for each employee, and training can be customized accordingly. An LMS can reveal if there are workers who must improve a critical safety skill, so they can receive additional training ASAP.
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3) Reduce Accidents
If you ask a safety manager about the best ways to prevent accidents, worker involvement will most likely be on the list. Each worker who receives safety training becomes an unofficial inspector who can help prevent accidents. However, there are three important steps to reach this point:
- Workers must be aware of the importance of safety. For example, if they know that falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in their job, they will be extra careful when working at heights.
- Workers must know how to identify hazards. You cannot avoid a threat unless you know it exists. General safety awareness is important, but workers must also know exactly what to look out for on each job site.
- Workers must know how to protect themselves effectively. Another important skill is knowing how to avoid hazards effectively. For example, personal protective equipment is only effective when worn correctly, and employees must be trained on how to use it.
An LMS can be used to train workers based on these three steps: general safety awareness, specific workplace hazards, and how to protect themselves effectively.
4) Save Money
Accidents can have human consequences that cannot be quantified in money. However, safety investments will offer measurable savings financially. As previously mentioned, each dollar invested in safety can return over $3 in avoided accident costs. Safety training is the ethical thing to do, but is also an excellent decision from a purely financial standpoint. Having well-trained employees is one of the best ways to reduce accidents at work, and this can be accomplished more easily with an LMS.
Conclusion
The best LMS software is not only a training tool but also a safety improvement system. The onboarding process for new hires becomes more efficient, and this includes all the safety training necessary for each job. An LMS goes beyond training management since it also delivers the actual content and competency assessments. By ensuring that employees have the safety knowledge and skills needed for their job, an LMS saves lives. There is also a return on investment since the costs of all avoided accidents are converted into savings.
