Using safety videos in staff meetings and training sessions can be a great way to illustrate and reinforce key points that employees need to remember. Purchasing videos, however, can become expensive very quickly. While it may not be possible to find no-cost options for all of your training needs, there are some free sources for safety videos that you may find to be helpful.
Department of Labor YouTube Channel
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has a YouTube channel featuring free videos on a variety of topics, including some that are safety-related and specific to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. Since government publications are in the public domain, you are free to use any videos provided by this source in your training programs.
A few examples of videos that are available from DOL channel include the following options:
- Proposed Rule to Better Protect Miners' Health: An overview of the End Black Lung campaign introduced by The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of the Department of Labor to prevent the occurrence of black lung disease in miners
- OSHA Addresses Texting While Driving: Overview of OSHA and other government agency perspective on the safety hazards posed by texting and driving and how they can be avoided
- OSHA Examines Fatal Shipyard Accidents: Video about actual fatal accidents in shipyards provided to help similar organizations reduce hazards
- OSHA Revised Hazardous Communication Standard: Overview of the 2012 updates to the long-time Hazard Communication Standard to include Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for standardized classification and labeling of chemicals into U.S. standards
- Respirator Safety: Procedures for putting on and taking off respirators, as well as how to conduct a user seal check to ensure that respirators have been properly donned
- Respiratory Protection in Construction: An Overview of Hazards & OSHA's Program Requirements: Critical information that construction workers need to know about respiratory safety and protection requirements
- Secretary Solis Discusses the Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers: Brief tips on staying safe when working outdoors from the Secretary of the Department of Labor
- The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks: Clarification of the differences between respirators and surgical masks and identifying circumstances under which each is required
Llewelyn Technology
Llewelyn Technology produces the Workplace Safety Show video series, in which company executives discuss timely safety-related issues. You can watch the latest episodes at the New Safety Show Episodes page on the company's website. You can also watch previous episodes via the Llewelyn Technology YouTube channel. Past shows include topics like Workplace Safety Trumps the Bottom Line and Removal of Arc Flash Hazards.
National Safety Compliance
National Safety Compliance offers a variety of helpful videos via its YouTube Channel, which is the oshasafetytraining channel. While specific subject matter selections like Hazard Communication and Slips, Trips and Falls are preview only, a complete Introduction to OSHA video is available. It provides basic information about OSHA, including standards, record-keeping, enforcement and more.
Engaging Training Resources
Incorporating videos into your workplace safety training efforts can be a great way to engage your employees via the use of multimedia. However, plopping your employees down in front of a computer monitor or video screen to watch a video certainly isn't sufficient. To use videos effectively - particularly brief no-cost versions - it's critical to supplement them with information about company policies, interactive discussions, scenarios, and question-and-answer sessions. Remember that the key to laying the groundwork for employees to take safety seriously is for them to see a commitment to safety from the company - and this starts with providing ongoing, effective training on this important topic.
