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Workplace Safety Training: A Proactive Approach To Workers' Compensation For Employers

Employers are required by New York and federal law to have some form of workers’ compensation for employees once the business reaches a certain size. This insurance is designed to help protect workers on the job and ensure that injuries don’t send them into financial ruin. However, workers’ compensation for employees only comes into play once something has already gone wrong. Workers’ compensation is necessary and beneficial, but it is essentially remedial. Wouldn’t it be much better to prevent accidents and injuries before they even happen?

This is why workplace safety training is so vital to health and safety in the workplace. Workplace safety training equips employees to address the hazards of their jobs and avoid unnecessary risks. Training employees to respond to dangerous situations or potential hazards of their position can help avoid injuries altogether, reducing the need to use workers’ compensation for employees. While this does not remove the need for workmans’ comp, it can increase the morale of the team by avoiding injuries and help the business financially. 

An experienced New York workers’ compensation lawyer from Schwab & Gasparini may be able to elaborate on the benefits of workplace safety training. Consider scheduling an appointment today by calling the relevant office at (315) 422-1333 in Syracuse, (518) 591-4664 in Albany, (914) 304-4353 in White Plains, or (914) 304-4353 in Hudson Valley for details.

What is Workplace Safety Training?

Workplace safety training is equipping employees with the knowledge and skills they need to avoid hazards in the workplace. Many fields of work, particularly those that work with heavy machinery, bring unique safety hazards with them due to the nature of the work. These hazards could injure employees and lead to workers’ compensation claims. Workplace safety training aims to avoid these altogether by informing employees of the danger, teaching new skills to avoid or mitigate the risk, and equipping them to keep others safe as well. 

Workplace safety training can take many forms, including quizzes, online resources, one-on-one training with a supervisor, and more. However, the end goal of workplace safety training is to reduce the risk of injury on the job, thereby reducing claims for workers’ compensation for employees. This is especially important with building projects in the construction industry. 

Types of Workplace Safety Training

There are many types of workplace safety training, and these training programs are often occupation-specific. Employees who work with heights, heavy machinery, lifting heavy objects, or respiratory hazards may require additional training. Some types of training for these employees may include hazard awareness, training on personal protective equipment, or fall protection. However, there may also be training to equip trainers to adapt and reinforce the safety policy to help proactively avoid accidents. Workplace safety training is also constantly evolving, providing new resources and hazard information as new hazards in the workplace are discovered. Understanding what safety program is necessary for a business is key to equipping employees with safety best practices. 

Workplace Safety Training Expectations in New York

New York’s Workers’ Compensation Board has certain expectations for workplace safety training. Employers are generally required to provide and equip employees with the skills and tools they need to do their jobs safely. Not only will adhering to these requirements reduce workplace accidents and improve employee morale, but they may also protect employers from paying avoidable workers’ compensation for employees. Many employers also benefit from creating a safety policy and clarifying safety guidelines in a place that is easy for employees to reference. 

These requirements may include standard training for employees to inform them of hazards, but these safety expectations go much further than that. Supervisors may be expected to have additional training to enforce the rules in the workplace and adapt the training materials for specific situations. Personal protective equipment is also a key part of workplace safety equipment, and some of this equipment may require additional training. More training programs may be required for specific work roles or pieces of machinery or equipment.

Consider speaking with an experienced New York worker’s compensation lawyer from Schwab & Gasparini to learn more about training expectations and workers’ compensation for employees. 

Impact of Training on Workers’ Compensation For Employees

While implementing workplace safety training can help satisfy regulations from organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), it can also offer benefits in workers’ compensation for employees. Insurance expenses can be challenging for employers, particularly when there are regular claims for accidents and injuries. Workers’ compensation treats the symptoms but does not touch the disease. Workplace safety training can help prevent accidents, which can reduce insurance expenditure for businesses. 

Benefits of Implementing Proactive Safety Training

Proactive measures to promote workplace safety training can benefit a business in numerous ways. Workplace safety training can help avoid accidents and injuries on the job, keeping employees safe and happy. Additionally, with effective training, a business could boost efficiency and production by teaching employees best practices that can improve the quality of work while also equipping them to handle hazards safely

The other added benefit is that workplace safety training can reduce the cost of workers’ compensation for employees. Employees generally file claims after incidents at the workplace, and employers are usually liable if there were steps they could have taken to prevent this outcome. These preventable accidents that lead to injuries could avoided with proper training and equipment. Therefore, it is in the employer's best interest, as well as federal and state regulations, to have a robust safety training program for employees. 

A New York Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help

Workers’ compensation for employees can be challenging for employers to understand and can lead to significant costs for the company if claims are made consistently for injuries. However, workplace safety training is one tool available to business owners to help prevent these accidents and avoid unnecessary costs. This is just one of the many benefits that workplace safety training can afford employers and business owners. Crafting an impactful and effective safety policy and training program is a wise investment, particularly when it comes to workers’ compensation for employees. 

For those business owners wishing to create an effective safety strategy, a skilled New York workers’ compensation lawyer from Schwab & Gasparini may be able to help. Consider scheduling a consultation to discuss New York workplace safety training requirements and craft an effective safety training plan. Call now at (315) 422-1333 for Syracuse, (518) 591-4664 for Albany, (914) 304-4353 for White Plains, or (914) 304-4353 for Hudson Valley.

Mon Jun 2 2025, 12:00am