By Luke Lazar, Contributing Author
Traffic control professionals play a critical role in maintaining our nation’s infrastructure.
While construction workers inspect and repair roads and bridges, traffic control professionals protect them and ensure motorists keep moving safely through work zones.
A commitment to training and developing this part of the workforce is crucial. From distracted drivers to speeding motorists and even upset residents, these frontline team members are responsible for the safety of construction partners and the community.
Companies should utilize technology to find ways to meet their deskless workforce where they are and build ongoing engagement and connection that enhances their safety skill sets.
Over the course of my 30 years in safety and risk management, I have seen the benefits gained when companies apply a proactive lens to their safety efforts. Just as the expectations of our workforce continue to change and the way team members receive and interpret information evolves, technology continuously transforms the tools at our disposal.
Enter microlearning — an engaging technique that delivers focused and informative content to participants in three-to-five-minute modules. The bite-sized learning modules can be accessed via an app on each employee’s smartphone and completed at their convenience. This allows employees to participate in educational training at a time that fits their schedule, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction.
By using microlearning to gamify safety education and make learning fun, companies can increase knowledge retention, long-term adoption, and engagement among their workforces.
Microlearning modules can be created by leadership to focus on concepts that are relevant to their teams. Whether introducing new, company-wide safety processes and procedures or creating short lessons to refresh employees’ knowledge on previously covered topics, the trainings can be tailored to each organization’s needs. Microlearning also can address performance concerns in the field.
From the concepts that are covered to the multimedia options that are available (such as videos, pictures, and quizzes), microlearning provides a lot of flexibility. This customized content is key to keeping traffic control professionals and motorists out of harm’s way.
At the conclusion of a microlearning module, leadership can view data to determine completion rates, scores, and employee engagement to identify areas where workers may need additional education and training or areas where they excel.
Layering mobile technology into existing training programs can test and monitor the workforce’s knowledge level to ensure safety, compliance, and quality.
As technology advances and companies look for unique employee education and safety training methods, microlearning should not be overlooked. Deskless team members will adopt new tools that help them advance their skills and stay connected.
I encourage all companies and safety professionals to take a proactive and modernized approach to safety — to keep dispersed and deskless employees, clients, and motorists moving safely each day. R&B
Luke Lazar is the vice president of risk and safety at Flagger Force.
