Employees Are Concerned About Safety and Lack of Training

The idea that job retention is related to how safe an employee feels at work isn’t new, but it it’s coming up more often in general surveys.

Case in point is a recent survey from Vector, The State of Industrial Worker Safety and Well-Being report, which spoke to more than 600 full-time professionals across maintenance, production and operations, engineering, health and safety. The survey found that despite the value they place on safety, nearly half (46%) of workers believe their employer could be doing more to reduce safety incidents. 

Almost double that amount, 83%, said that their company's safety protocols feel like checkboxes rather than genuine commitments to employee well-being.

The good news is that 58% of those surveyed believe additional training would improve their workplace safety.

"Safety plays a critical role in the well-being and productivity of our workforce," said Clare Epstein, general manager of Commercial at Vector Solutions, in a statement. "We conducted this study to better understand the current state of safety initiatives, training, and technology within the industrial sector. The findings revealed that employers have a lot of room for growth when it comes to prioritizing the safety of their workers, especially with regards to providing staff with accessible and comprehensive safety training."

Additional findings from the report include:

In a turbulent economy, workers rely even more on training and safety precautions to keep them at their current company.

• 81% report that their training makes them feel more inclined to stay at the company
• 62% believe that good training improves job satisfaction
• 57% say that safety issues make more seasoned workers leave – which contributes to the skills gap
• 44% say that safety issues make it harder to hire – which contributes to the labor shortage and widening skills gap

Implementing training solutions does not necessarily mean that content is accessible to all employees. The report revealed that non-native English speakers are dealing with concerning disparities:

• Half of non-native English speakers say that their company doesn't offer training in their native language
• Non-native English speakers were 27% more likely than their native English-speaking counterparts to feel pressured to prioritize productivity over safety in the workplace
• Non-native English speakers were 127% more likely to say they do not feel comfortable reporting workplace hazards than native English speakers

When workers aren't given dynamic and up-to-date training materials, professional development lags resulting in knowledge loss, skills gaps, and a lack of retention of great employees.

• 100% say that safety training is essential for fostering a safe workplace
• 50% say that their company's training is not engaging, with those in electrical maintenance being 100% more likely than average to say this
• 29% of those who are unsatisfied with their training are considering leaving their job for this reason.