As L&D departments start to expand and further specialize their training programs and course offerings, it’s imperative that they don’t forget the training basics.

Here are three types of training employees should experience, regardless of their role or industry.

1. Safety Training

Thousands of employees are injured or even die each year while on the job. At the bare minimum, your employees should know how to operate machinery safely, and they should know where all the fire exits are. They should also be aware of how to better prevent slip-and-fall accidents. Basically, they should know what your response plan is for emergencies and how to handle day-to-day incidents relevant to their workplace environments that offer safety risks.
For more information about what to include in your safety training, read “What’s New in Health and Safety Training 2018?”
Additionally, active shootings accounted for 79% of workplace homicides in 2016, which is a significant increase from previous years. So, within your safety training program, you should seriously consider implementing active shooter drills and training your staff what to do if there’s an active shooter.
Read “Shootings and Violence in the Workplace: What You Need to Know: Part 1” and “Part 2” for more details.

2. First-Aid Training

A lot of employers forget to offer this sort of training because they think it’s obvious. But if you were to ask your employees where your first-aid kit is, would they be able to locate it right away? And if they could locate it, would all the supplies in it be replenished, not expired, and usable to them? Would they know how to tend to basic injuries? Do they know how to administer CPR in case someone accidentally chokes on his or her lunch in the break room?
In addition, employees should also be well trained in how to handle individuals going through opioid withdrawals, as the opioid epidemic is starting to invade the workforce.
Read “Does Your Workplace Need First-Aid Training?” for more information about what to include in your first-aid training.

3. Unconscious Bias Training

Recently, Starbucks had to close 8,000 of its stores to conduct unconscious bias training for its employees after two customers were wrongfully arrested. And since then, employers across the country are following suit.
Unconscious bias training is becoming necessary because many employees hold unconscious biases of other individuals with a different gender, race, etc.—biases that they’re not often aware of but that still affect how they interact with customers, clients, and fellow coworkers.
Read “What Is Unconscious Bias Training?” for more details.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, which will list four more types of training employees should experience, regardless of their role or industry.