6 Powerful Reasons to Embrace Online Safety Training

In today’s fast-paced world, “the way we’ve always done it” just doesn’t cut it, especially when it comes to safety. If you’re still reserving conference rooms and flying in instructors, you’re not just wasting time—you’re losing money! Online safety training has shifted from a “nice-to-have” novelty to an absolute “must-have” powerhouse. If you’re still on the fence, here are the top 6 reasons to love online safety training that will make you want to make the switch.

1. Saves You Money: One of the biggest ways that online safety training helps you cut safety training costs is by reducing the need to hold all of your safety training in the instructor-led, classroom. Instructors not only charge you for the training itself, but other costs to consider are line items such as travel time, meals, venue rental, and (most importantly) all the employee time away from their actual jobs.

2. Saves You Time: According to a Brandon Hall Group HCM Outlook 2017 Survey, studies indicate that eLearning has the potential to reduce overall training time by 40% to 60%. This helps organizations cut down on various expenses, as mentioned in #1. For employees, it means they can complete their training in small, manageable chunks instead of losing an entire 8-hour day to a single session. This flexibility increases productivity, which in turn leads to greater profitability for the company.

3. Help Boost Revenue: This one’s a shocker, right? But it’s true! 40% of organizations say online training has helped them increase revenue levels. In addition, companies that offer this method of learning have generated more than 25% higher revenue per employee. Why? Because a better-trained, more efficient, and safer workforce makes fewer costly mistakes and is more productive.

4. Enables Social Distancing & Flexibility: Unfortunately with the pandemic, businesses have needed to adjust the way they train their employees. This method of training gives employers and employees peace-of-mind, as they can learn what is required, without potentially putting individuals in danger. This benefit has lasted, giving companies the power to train remote workers, new hires, and satellite offices without any logistical nightmares.

5. Gives Workers Flexibility to Train at Their Own Pace: As previously mentioned, if you do hire an instructor to come and teach on-site, that provides a very narrow window of employees to absorb and retain vital safety training information. What if they’re a slow reader? Or a fast one? Online, self-paced learning allows employees to learn when and where they can, absorbing the information at their own speed. In 2019, self-paced learning and instructor-led virtual training were some of the top training methods used (Mimeo, 2019).

6. Instant Gratification & Consistency: When you sign up for online video safety training, you don’t have to wait for an instructor to show up. Employees get instant access to the exact information they need, right when they need it. This also guarantees *consistency*. Every single employee gets the *exact* same high-quality message, every single time, with no variations. Courses are structured, and if you pick the right online safety training company (hint, hint) your employees will remain engaged, due to our videos being accompanied with additional presentations and quizzes.

Why Online Safety Training is a No-Brainer

Making the switch to online safety training is no longer a question of “if,” but “when.” It’s more affordable, more flexible, and more efficient than traditional methods. It empowers your employees to learn at their own pace while providing your company with a consistent, trackable, and scalable solution for safety and compliance. It’s a win-win!

Common Questions About Online Safety Training

Is online safety training as effective as in-person training?

Yes, and in many cases, it’s *more* effective! Studies show that online learning can increase knowledge retention rates by up to 60%. This is because it allows employees to learn at their own pace, revisit complex topics, and learn in a distraction-free environment, which is often better than a crowded, hours-long classroom session.

Is online safety training OSHA-compliant?

Absolutely. OSHA accepts online training (or “computer-based training”) for a wide variety of its standards. The key is that the training must be interactive, and employees must have access to a qualified trainer to ask questions. A good online safety training program will have these features built-in.

How does online safety training save money?

The savings are huge! You eliminate the costs of hiring an instructor, travel fees, and venue rentals. More importantly, you drastically reduce the *indirect* costs of lost productivity, as employees no longer need to be pulled off the job for a full day of training.