Is Online Fall Protection Training Effective?

Imagine that you just have completed a 2-hour fall protection course online and you have received a certificate for your wall. However, you feel a little confused and concerned. You're confused because the certificate is very formal in its appearance and has many references to OSHA, but you don't think you did much to deserve it. You're concerned that tomorrow you may be walking high steel and this certificate is your defense that you know what you're doing.

There are a myriad of options available to employers who are considering how to deliver fall protection training. All options have their pros and cons. One training method takes advantage of technology and delivers fall protection instruction or education through computer-based training (CBT) programs.

Different media for fall protection training have existed for a long time, as evidenced by the number of training videos available. CBT programs also have been around for a while, but only recently have they begun to be used to deliver fall protection training. Some even allow participants to download certificates when they have completed the training. Using CBT for fall protection has its merits, but there also are concerns about fall protection CBT.

Regulatory agencies offer little direction about the specific amount of time that must be spent on fall protection training, let alone the manner in which it is conducted or the content. In defense of these agencies, fall protection training changes from one employer to the next and within specific industries depending on the work to be performed at heights, so it is very difficult to set minimum training requirements. Like any training program, employers should understand requirements of the work being conducted and plan their training accordingly. The ANSI/ASSE Z359 Fall Protection Code — specifically, ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2007 (Minimum Requirements for a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program) — provides employers with more direction about how to set learning objectives for fall protection training programs. Once an assessment of training needs is conducted, the manner in which the training is delivered can be addressed.

BENEFITS OF COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING

From an education point of view, CBT has merit. CBT is one of the only ways to guarantee that the same information is delivered the same way every single time the course is conducted. Training with a traditional instructor can stray from the objectives and include meaningful conversations among participants in one course and not in another. Courses can be at the mercy of the individual instructor's opinions, beliefs and schedule. A CBT program, however, provides the same content from one student to the next without straying from the topic.

Discussions about CBT can go both ways. Do you achieve a higher quality of education by keeping the course static, or does an instructor add value to the program by having discussions, answering questions in real time and discussing other related topics?

For certain students, CBT is the preferred method of instruction. Students can read at their own pace, go back and forth through the program, and review the information as many times as necessary for them to understand it.

A traditional classroom and instructor-led program does not provide the same level of flexibility for each student. If students do not speak up or do not understand the lesson topic, they often are left behind because the course must stay on a schedule. This is one of the main arguments for CBT.

For CBT to be effective, the student must be interested in the topic and have some personal motivation to study, review the material and understand it. CBT programs often fall victim to “clicking through” by the students without any time spent on the content. This is so common that some CBT programs are being programmed to identify the “clickers” and take steps to prevent abuse. With instructor-led courses, students are unable to ignore the instructor speaking directly to them or requiring them to attend and participate in course content.

SBT AND FALL PROTECTION

Discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of CBT versus traditional classroom training can be extensive, and it is easy to see the merits of both methods. Within the scope of fall protection training however, there is a big difference.