Having been a safety trainer for the past ten years, I can say a common issue that I often run across goes something like this:

A company has made or is preparing to make a large purchase of safety equipment and has decided that they now want to train their employees. Sometimes the company knows that it doesn’t have the necessary equipment for each training session and we are able to make preparations in advance to accommodate. For example, they may not yet have purchased all of the material to cover rescue-at-heights or confined space entries. They let me know this and I am able to bring the necessary material to help them fill in the gaps. This may also help them better identify what material they need to buy. No problems here.

Where we do find problems is when training is scheduled and those being trained have not taken the time to pre-plan with the trainer and determine their wants and needs, as well as what the trainer may need to bring.

This situation is less ideal because the trainer is not able to maximize the time and resources to make the experience as impactful as possible. Issues like this often shift the focus from training to spending time figuring out how they can acquire the right equipment to be trained properly.

The fix is quite simple–work with your channel partner, MSA Safety Professional or training instructor in advance of the training to manage expectations and fully-prepare yourself and your team. By doing so, you help maximize the experience and ensure the most robust training possible.

To learn more about training and how to fully-prepare in advance of a class, contact MSA at training@msasafety.com.

Written by: Chris Irwin, Global Training Instructor at MSA – The Safety Company