Jerry Dolinsky is the CEO of Dozuki, a leading connected worker solution for enterprise-level manufacturing companies.
In the manufacturing industry, safety is not just a priority—it’s a critical concern that directly impacts employee retention, production output and overall operational efficiency.
Minor mistakes can lead to significant (even fatal) risks, making it essential for companies to establish a proactive safety culture from the outset.
The urgency of addressing safety concerns is underscored by the 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries reported in the manufacturing sector in 2022 (Bureau of Labor), a significant increase from previous years. These frequent injuries lead to reduced productivity, causing downtime and exacerbating labor shortages, highlighting the pressing need for advanced safety interventions.
Ensuring that new employees are competent on their first day is not just about reducing the learning curve—it’s about preventing accidents before they happen.
The Importance Of Day One Competency
Day one competency ensures that new hires can perform their tasks safely and efficiently from their first day on the job. In a high-stakes manufacturing environment, there is no room for error; the consequences of mistakes can be severe.
Traditional training methods, like classroom sessions or passive learning, often fall short in preparing new hires for the complexities of the manufacturing environment. These approaches can leave gaps in knowledge, creating an illusion of understanding where employees believe they comprehend a process but fail to execute it correctly in practice. This gap can have dangerous implications, particularly in environments where safety is paramount.
Leveraging Digital Tools For Effective Onboarding
To build a proactive safety culture, companies must move beyond traditional training methods and embrace digital tools that provide real-time, interactive and hands-on learning experiences. Digital training materials offer a more engaging and effective way to onboard new employees, allowing them to learn by doing.
Interactive digital tools allow new hires to engage directly with the processes they will encounter on the factory floor. These tools provide step-by-step guidance, complete with visual aids, real-time feedback and quizzes to test their comprehension of the work instructions.
This ensures that employees understand each task thoroughly before proceeding and are assessed on their knowledge before being allowed to execute job assignments. After proving comprehension through quizzes, new hires are evaluated by a trainer or supervisor who observes them performing the tasks. The trainer’s assessment is logged, and once the worker demonstrates proficiency, they can operate independently with confidence, becoming productive and safe team members more quickly.
This hands-on approach enables new hires to follow mission-critical procedures from day one, with supervisors confirming their adherence at key moments. Workers gain a thorough understanding of procedures like quality checks and equipment sanitation, significantly reducing the risk of contamination and increasing safety and competence on the factory floor.
Fostering Continuous Learning And Improvement
A proactive safety culture doesn’t end with day one competency; it requires an ongoing commitment to continuous learning and improvement. According to the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 90% of organizations are concerned about employee retention, and providing learning opportunities is the No. 1 retention strategy.
Digital tools play a crucial role in this process by offering employees access to on-demand training resources, real-time assessments and a platform for continuous feedback. By equipping operators to provide feedback on the procedures and work instructions they specialize in, companies foster a sense of ownership among their workforce.
When this feedback is incorporated into the documented process, it creates a cycle of continuous improvement. Workers who feel their knowledge is respected are more likely to take greater ownership of their roles and contribute further to enhancing operations. This culture of continuous improvement starts on day one, with new hires given a way to be heard, ask questions and engage digitally with the processes, ensuring they are actively involved in the company’s growth and success.
Bridging The Knowledge Gap Between Generations
As noted in The State of Knowledge Management in 2023, 50% of manufacturing firms will be increasing budgets for knowledge management and sharing to reduce information silos. This statistic highlights the growing importance of standardized training and knowledge sharing in ensuring that all employees are equipped to contribute to a safer, more efficient workplace.
Veteran workers with years of experience in critical tasks, such as operating hydraulic presses and managing precision welding processes, are essential to maintaining safety and productivity on the factory floor. But as these skilled employees approach retirement, companies face the risk of losing their deep expertise.
To address the challenge of knowledge transfer as seasoned workers retire, companies are increasingly implementing digital tools to capture and preserve this critical expertise. Outgoing experts are paired with incoming workers in knowledge capture teams to create detailed digital work instructions. These instructions cover everything from setting up and calibrating stamping machines to inspecting weld seams for quality control. Instructional videos and interactive training modules allow new hires to learn directly from the experience of their predecessors.
This approach not only ensures that valuable insights into maintaining equipment, optimizing production lines and adhering to safety protocols are effectively transferred but also makes the new generation feel valued early on in their journey. By leveraging their comfort with digitization, the incoming workers help capture and preserve the knowledge that might otherwise be lost to retirement, ensuring continuity and sustained operational excellence.
Protecting Your Workforce Going Forward
Building a proactive safety culture in manufacturing requires more than just a commitment to safety—it demands effective onboarding, continuous learning and standardized training. By leveraging digital tools, companies can ensure that new hires are competent from day one, maintain consistent safety standards and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Investing in digital transformation is not just about staying competitive—it’s about protecting your workforce and ensuring that every employee is equipped to contribute to a safer, more efficient workplace.
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