Justify the Use of a Needs Assessment in the Safety Training Program

Task 1:  Training & Development

Course Code: C235

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A1. Justify the use of a needs assessment in the safety training program. 

It is clear that with 3 serious on-the-job accidents, one of which was fatal, we need to assess where there are knowledge, skills, and abilities gaps and if those gaps are amenable through training. The roofing sector of our company is staffed by laborers with varied skill levels and languages, and we have high turnover due to the seasonal nature of the work. Because of the makeup of our workforce in this sector of our company, we are very susceptible to uneven levels of understanding, and a needs assessment could identify where the KSAs gaps are and from there we could decide how to address those gaps with a safety training program. Another issue our needs assessment can address is the number of safety violations found by OSHA. Were those violations caused by a lack of knowledge of regulations and protocol? If so, we can develop our training program to ensure that every worker has the working knowledge needed to stay safe on the job.

A1a. Advantages of Conducting a Needs Assessment.

•     A needs assessment can help us identify where KSA gaps are so that our training program can be targeted to those gaps instead of a more broad, time-consuming program. Because we have a high-turnover rate, we need to keep training costs at a minimum, and with targeted goals identified by a needs assessment, we can use our time and resources more effectively.
•      A needs assessment will provide us with facts to build our training program on rather than assumption. By knowing exactly where our KSA gaps exist, we won’t spend too much time on technique, for example, if the actual problem is workers not understanding regulations.
•   Along with identifying KSA gaps, needs assessment can give us a starting point or baseline to compare end-data to post-training. Knowing where we started and how far we’ve come can help us know if our training methods are effective.

A2. Discuss 3 reasons why companies may decide not to perform a needs assessment. 

Some companies might decide against a needs assessment for a few reasons, such as time, support, and cost.

•   Time-consuming: A needs assessment can seem like a hurdle to leap before training can take place, and in a time-sensitive position a needs assessment can seem like it would delay needed training. In our company, where we are facing the repercussions of injuries and death on the job site as well as OSHA violations, any delay in training can be worrisome. Also, because we have such a high turnover with seasonal workers, time is of the essence so our current workers can perform their jobs within guidelines during the possibly short time they are employed with us. Also, because roofing is a fair-weather friend, delaying training to conduct a needs assessment can significantly shorten the window we have to complete our projects with the proper training in place.
• Support: Any task is made easier by the support of management. If management is hesitant to take the time for a needs assessment, the company might forego the assessment to placate managers and avoid delays.
•       Money: Needs assessments can vary in cost depending on the methods used. Because the bottom line is the priority in any company, organizations need to be careful how they allocate spending so they can maximize shareholders’ wealth. They question they need to ask is “Is a needs assessment worth the cost?”.

A 3 & A3a. Identify 3 stakeholder groups that should be involved in a needs assessment and explain why each stakeholder group should be involved in the needs assessment

Group 1: Industry experts

Industry experts in our company can refer to experienced employees in our roofing sector, the roofing supervisors themselves. A needs assessment for a roofing supervisor safety training program must gather information from the roofing supervisors themselves. With on-the-job knowledge, these experienced employees can offer insights to both why violations are taking place and how best to prevent violations in the future. For example, if personal fall-arrest systems aren’t being used but are available, SMEs such as roofing supervisors can give us insight into why- do the workers not know how to use them? Are they uncomfortable, or do they hinder the work in any way? How can we work around those barriers to use to make sure these workers are staying compliant?