Production agriculture is suddenly on OSHA and the EPA’s radar. Ag employers, even those with as few as 10 employees, must have documentation that they are providing required safety training. OSHA increased its fines by 80 percent in 2016 across the board, and additional training requirements are being imposed on ag businesses, with more stringent regulations added on a regular basis. On top of this, businesses will soon be required to report all injuries immediately, rather than just the most severe incidents.
To simplify these record-keeping and reporting obligations, Good Day’s Work, a web-based learning management system, has implemented new enhancements to its system. Good Day’s Work combines an expanding library of employee safety-training videos in English and Spanish with automated tracking and reporting tools that any agribusiness can use to maintain a sound workplace safety training program, with or without a safety specialist on staff.
New features include expanding the video course offerings to nearly 60 titles, improved video streaming for low-bandwidth users, broadened report options to simplify tracking, and expanded classroom training options.
To help its customers meet OSHA’s impending report regulations, Good Day’s Work has developed digital OSHA 301 injury reports and one-button generation of the OSHA 300a, saving many hours of staff time each year.
“Employers who are not familiar with these reports and OSHA’s training requirements need to become fluent in these regulations soon,” says Don Tyler, president and co-founder of Good Day’s Work. “These new demands for compliance have been planned for a long time and are not going away.”
Safety training is a great investment. “Studies show that every dollar invested in a safety program returns $4 to $6 in reduced insurance premiums, medical expenses, labor downtime and the cost of OSHA citations,” Tyler says. “Our customers are realizing these benefits and reporting that their employees’ attitudes about safety have improved significantly within a few months of implementing our system.
“I know that safety training can be a challenge, so I made sure to provide course content and a presentation style that relates to any age employee, regardless of their learning style, technological preferences or personality,” Tyler continues. “Most employees prefer training that is concise, engaging, relevant to their industry and easily accessible through any mobile device or in a classroom setting.”
Good Day’s Work video courses include all the OSHA-required and ag-specific topics covering the main hazards for crop operations, feed mills, grain terminals, livestock producers, chemical/seed/fertilizer retailers, veterinary clinics and seed producers. It also provides all the National Pork Board safe animal handling and toolbox videos, and a complete series on safe cattle handling. Another new feature provides the ability to upload a customer’s own training materials and documentation such as employee handbooks, operator’s manuals, SOPs, safety policies, veterinary protocols, in-house videos and onboarding documentation.
For more information or to request a free trial, contact Good Day’s Work, LLC at (844) 439-7233, www.GoodDaysWork.ag or don@gooddayswork.ag.