In this blog post, we delve into an insightful conversation with Dave Declerq from Recticel, a leader in insulation solutions, to uncover how they tackled safety training challenges with innovative game-based learning. Learn how Recticel transformed mandatory safety training into an engaging and effective experience, boosting employee participation and retention while ensuring a safer work environment. Dive into their journey and discover the remarkable impact of these strategies on their operations.
Prioritizing Safety in Insulation Production
Recticel specializes in high-risk insulation products for industrial buildings. With over 32 years at Recticel, Dave Declerq has witnessed significant changes and innovations. As a COMAH site, Recticel prioritizes safety due to the flammable and toxic materials they handle. Dave manages logistics and safety, overseeing a team of 40. Traditional classroom training methods were ineffective, prompting Recticel to explore innovative, engaging solutions to ensure comprehensive safety training without disrupting daily operations.
Engaging a Diverse Workforce in Safety Protocols
Traditional safety training methods were falling short due to their disruptive nature and lack of engagement. Employees, swamped with their daily responsibilities, found it difficult to take time out for classroom sessions, leading to poor attendance and retention. The diverse workforce, which includes managers, blue-collar, and white-collar workers, needed a training approach that could adapt to various learning styles and schedules. Additionally, coordinating training sessions for employees working round-the-clock shifts, including nights and weekends, added complexity. These challenges highlighted the urgent need for a more dynamic and flexible training solution to uphold safety standards without hindering productivity.
Engaging Employees Through Real-Life Safety Simulations
Confronted with the limitations of traditional safety training, Recticel embraced a groundbreaking solution: game-based learning. This innovative approach transformed tedious safety sessions into dynamic and engaging experiences. Initially met with skepticism, Dave Declerq and his team soon realized the potential of integrating games into their training regimen. By creating interactive simulations that mirrored real-life scenarios at their facilities, employees could engage with safety protocols in a more meaningful way. This method allowed workers to train during brief downtimes, fitting seamlessly into their schedules without pulling them away from their critical tasks. The result was a significant boost in engagement, retention, and a proactive approach to safety, revolutionizing how safety training was perceived and implemented at Recticel.
Launching on Safety Day: A Strategic Rollout
Implementing game-based learning at Recticel was a strategic and well-coordinated effort. Dave Declerq and his team began by customizing safety games to reflect the unique challenges and environments of their facilities. They visited various plants in Belgium, capturing images of key machines and setups to create realistic and relatable training scenarios. This personalized approach ensured that employees could easily identify with the training content, making it more effective.
The launch of the safety games was synchronized with Recticel’s annual safety day, providing an opportunity for all employees to experience the new training method firsthand. The positive reception was immediate, with even the most skeptical employees finding the interactive games engaging and informative. The flexibility of the game-based approach allowed employees to train during short breaks, reducing the disruption to their work routines.
To further integrate the training into daily operations, Recticel installed iPads and laptops on the shop floor, enabling easy access to the games. This seamless integration meant that employees could participate in training sessions without having to leave their workstations, ensuring continuous engagement with safety protocols.
The implementation phase also involved collaboration with unions and department heads to address any concerns and ensure smooth adoption across all levels of the organization. This thorough and inclusive approach not only facilitated a successful rollout but also established a solid foundation for ongoing safety education at Recticel.
Significant Reduction in Safety Incidents
The implementation of game-based learning at Recticel brought significant benefits and a noticeable impact on the company's safety culture. Employees were more engaged in their training, leading to improved retention of safety protocols. The interactive and enjoyable nature of the games made safety training less of a chore and more of an engaging activity, fostering a proactive attitude toward safety.
One of the key advantages was the flexibility the games offered. Employees could participate in training during brief downtimes, ensuring continuous learning without disrupting their workflow. This approach not only increased training completion rates but also ensured that safety remained a constant focus.
The realistic scenarios and familiar environments depicted in the games helped employees relate to the training content more effectively. By seeing their daily workspaces and typical safety challenges mirrored in the training, employees could better understand and apply the protocols in their actual work settings.
Additionally, the game-based system provided valuable data on training performance. Dave Declerq and his team could track progress, identify common mistakes, and tailor future training sessions to address specific gaps. This data-driven approach ensured that training was both relevant and effective, further enhancing the safety culture at Recticel.
Overall, the shift to game-based learning resulted in a more engaged workforce, better safety practices, and a significant reduction in safety incidents, marking a substantial improvement in Recticel's overall operational safety.
Setting Industry Benchmarks with Innovative Training Solutions
Looking ahead, Recticel is committed to expanding its game-based learning approach to encompass all safety training programs. Inspired by the success of their initial implementation, the company plans to integrate Play it Safe’s tools to create and manage customized training content across all their facilities. This expansion aims to standardize safety protocols and ensure consistent training quality worldwide.
The flexibility of the Play it Safe platform allows for continuous updates and additions to the training modules, ensuring that they remain relevant and effective. Recticel intends to leverage this capability to address emerging safety challenges and incorporate feedback from employees, enhancing the training experience further.
Additionally, the company is exploring the potential of extending game-based learning beyond safety training to other areas such as quality control and operational efficiency. By doing so, Recticel hopes to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across all levels of the organization.
The ultimate goal is to create an immersive and engaging learning environment that not only enhances safety but also drives overall excellence in their operations. With these plans, Recticel is poised to remain at the forefront of safety training innovation, setting a benchmark for the industry.
What Safety Managers Can Learn From Recticel’s Case
Looking at Recticel’s safety training transformation, Dave Declerq shares how game-based learning is able to help safety managers to reshape their training approach to guarantee employee safety, engagement, and operational excellence.
1. Increased engagement and retention: game-based learning transformed traditional safety training from a tedious task into an engaging experience. This led to higher participation and retention of safety protocols among employees.
2. Realistic, relatable simulations: the games were customized to mirror real-life safety scenarios at Recticel’s facilities, allowing employees to better understand and apply safety practices in their actual work environments.
3. Flexibility and integration: the training fit seamlessly into employees' schedules by allowing them to engage in safety training during brief downtimes. It also integrated easily into daily operations by providing iPads and laptops on the shop floor, reducing the need to disrupt work routines.
4. Improved safety culture: the interactive nature of game-based learning fostered a proactive attitude toward safety, significantly improving the company's safety culture and reducing safety incidents.
5. Data-driven customization: the game-based system provided valuable data on employee performance, enabling Recticel to track progress, identify common mistakes, and tailor future training sessions to address specific gaps.
6. Reduced disruption to operations: employees could train without leaving their workstations, ensuring that safety training didn’t interfere with productivity, especially given the 24-hour shift structure.
7. Industry benchmark setting: the success of game-based learning at Recticel has led the company to plan for expanding this approach across all their facilities, aiming to standardize training, address emerging safety challenges, and potentially extend to other operational areas.
8. Continuous improvement: the Play it Safe platform used for game-based training allows for updates and expansions, ensuring that safety training evolves alongside new challenges and employee feedback.
In sum, Recticel’s adoption of game-based learning led to increased training effectiveness, better safety practices, and significant operational improvements.
