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Of the many positive aspects of working in the electrical construction trade, the ongoing learning opportunities are the most rewarding to me. While the basics of electrical systems, circuitry and theory remain pretty much the same, new technologies, materials and electrical code requirements constantly evolve. Staying up to date with these industry changes requires self-study, enhanced with classroom and on-the-job training.

Since 1929, the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center 鈥� NIETC 鈥� has been providing education and training to meet this demand. Our students, both journey and apprentice level, attend courses based upon National Electrical Code requirements, product standards and workplace safety. These courses have a direct bearing on their performance of correctly installing and maintaining electrical equipment.

Perhaps stated a different way, the students have to know and apply newly learned concepts or risk undesirable economic consequences 鈥� building fires, equipment damage, loss of job, etc.聽 They understand this relationship, so it is no surprise to find students actively engaged in the learning process when I teach code-based classes. This is a good example of one of Malcolm Knowles’ principles of adult learning: when students understand that they 鈥渘eed to know鈥� the information, they participate in the process. This naturally fosters a positive culture of learning.

Over the last decade, my work responsibilities have been primarily workplace safety and health related, and I cannot say that my student/instructor experience is exactly the same as described above when teaching safety classes. I will admit that making safety-training topics exciting can be challenging. However, it is the responsibility of a good instructor, including employer safety trainers, to illustrate why students need to know that the topic is important and necessary for workers, their employers and the industry.

A common theme within many past Constructing Safety articles has been the evolution and challenges organizations face when trying to strengthen their safety culture. I believe a key component of that mission has to include an evaluation of the culture of learning within the organization. Project managers, field supervisors and general construction workers can have completely different reasons for identifying with, and learning to execute, the strategies identified within upper-management’s safety culture programs.

While employees closer to upper management level positions can have a similar need-to-know learning principle 鈥� primarily due to their direct relationship with, and comprehension of, company leaders’ vision of culture change 鈥� boots-on-the-ground employees in many cases do not. This can be especially true for workers new to the construction industry, including transitory ones, or those tackling short duration projects.

Sure, they can quickly identify with the importance of a safe workplace for their own health and welfare, and can understand and follow basic safety rules and job-site protocols. However, they unfortunately can be completely disconnected from the time, money and efforts their employers spend to improve an overall company safety culture.

Training organizations like the NIETC are a resource that employers should consider to help educate new workers and motivate experienced workers to learn why change is important 鈥� for not only their benefit, but also for the construction industry at large.

Often there is more time in a classroom setting than on a job site, to explain the direct and indirect relationships of workplace injuries and elements of a continuous safety improvement process. In these classes, students tend to be more vocal about workplace safety programs than they might be when speaking directly with their employers. I often hear spirited comments from workers about job-site safety programs in a negative manner.

Examples include:

鈥� We only follow those rules when working at this job site or with that contractor.

鈥� Because someone got injured now we all have to wear more PPE (personal protective equipment).

鈥� I’m not ever reporting any near miss or minor injury. I (or our crew) will get in trouble.

鈥� Accident investigation is just to find someone to blame.

The list could go on, but I think it clearly illustrates that, while not the opinion of all, there is work to be done to enhance the mindset, or culture of learning, of employees like these. Each of those comments is an example of a roadblock for employers trying to manage safety beyond minimum OSHA compliance.

When the focus today is on the benefits of using leading indicators, like near miss / incident reporting and accident investigation for root cause identification and corrective actions to enhance safety performance, negative employee attitudes toward safety is a real concern and can impede progress toward safety success.

Creating a culture of learning can drive results in safety, work quality, and employee retention, as well as support safety culture development.

Barry Moreland is the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center safety director. Contact him at 503-501-5066 or [email protected]. The NIETC is a member of SafeBuild Alliance 鈥� a nonprofit organization working to achieve incident-free construction projects through the transformation of workplace cultures. For more information or to join, visit www.safebuildalliance.com.