Employee Training Instructions
The CVMA Guide to Cal/OSHA Compliance provides several training modules on common hazards encountered in veterinary practices. Included below are common topics encountered in many veterinary practices. You may choose to use some or all of these training modules but should keep in mind that they are not all inclusive of training that may be needed for your practice employees.
Training can be provided by various means. Use one or more of the following as training aids:
- Job Safety Analysis and Code of Safe Practices
- Training manuals
- Staff meetings on safety related issues
- Routed memos
- Safety materials from your suppliers, diagnostic labs, or insurance agent
- Safety posters
- Safety movies/videos
- Training by outside sources such as your insurance company, fire department, police department, other agencies or regulatory consultant.
Keep copies of your training materials in a central location to make future training sessions easier to organize. Your Code of Safe Practices should serve as a basic training aid. CVMA Form 10 – Notice to Employees can be downloaded, printed and given to all employees or posted in a central location.
Document, document, document! Keep copies of the memos, fliers, lesson plans or outlines you use in your training program. Have employees sign a dated attendance record and keep all of these items together in the “Training” folder located in the Cal/OSHA section of your filing system. CVMA Form 5 – Group Safety Training Documentation can be used to document group training sessions and CVMA Form 6 – Individual Employee Safety Training Documentation to document individual training. Employees with 10 or fewer employees may simply keep a log of training on CVMA Form 7 – Log of Employee Training.
Training records must be maintained for a period of at least one year. Exceptions can be made for employees terminated before completing one year of employment. In this case, a copy of the training records may be given to the employee and the originals can be kept on file.
