The purpose of this article is to give you a complete overview of how to write a Hard Hat Training course. Because of the many steps involved in creating a deliverable product, you should plan to spend a considerable amount of time on this process. There are 5 main phases that you will have to complete before you’ve finished the project:
Tracking Progress & Meeting Deadlines
Together with your assistant manager and your editor, you will set deadlines for each step of development. Your assistant manager will also set an overall deadline for completing the course.
After the assistant manager has approved your outline, you (and any team members you are collaborating with) should come up with a timeline for your project. When you are satisfied with your goals and deadlines, take them to your coordinator for approval.
Trello
Trello is a project management visualization tool that we use to track progress on various projects within the company. Before you begin building a training course, your supervisor will create a Trello board for your project that you can use to keep track of deadlines and milestones.
There is also an additional Trello board pinned to Teams under Course Workflow. You will use this board to show the other departments in the office which phase of development your course is currently in. You won't need to document every minute detail of the project here; rather, it is meant to be used to inform members of the web department and customer experience department of when they need to step in. It's important that everyone in the office stays up-to-date on the status of our products, so you should always keep your course’s card updated on this Trello board.
Microsoft Teams
You will have a channel for your course in Microsoft Teams. In this channel, you can communicate with your editor and supervisor about information specifically related to your project. You can also share files, links, and other important resources.
Note: If you ever feel like you are going to miss a milestone, let your supervisor know. They will help you adjust your goals and create new milestones to keep you on track for your deadline.
Researching
Once you have been assigned a new project, your first step is to learn as much about your training topic as possible so that you can begin to work up an outline for the course. As you conduct your research, think about the type of audience you will be writing for.
Important: Editors should also research the training topics of the projects they will be editing. This helps them acquire a working knowledge of the topic so that they can effectively assess whether the project meets the needs of the end user.
As you learn more about the audience (also known as the end user), you will be able to understand why they need to receive training on this topic. This knowledge will help you define some learning objectives for the course.
Note: Learning objectives are statements that define what the end-user needs to know or be able to do by the end of the course in order to work safely and effectively. You can use learning objectives to evaluate whether your project is meeting the needs of the end user.
There are a number of mental exercises you can complete to fully understand your end user. One such exercise is running through the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why).
- Who are you addressing?
- What kinds of tasks are associated with this topic?
- When do these tasks take place?
- Where do these tasks take place?
- Why is it important that your end-user understands this topic?
Compile Information from Reputable Sources
As you research, you need to be cautious about which sources you use. Because we are a regulation-compliant safety company, you should turn to the official safety regulations first and foremost for information. Read the latest OSHA regulations and any other standards published by industry authorities (EEOC, EPA, etc.) regarding your training topic.
As you find information from reputable courses, remember to save PDF copies of them into your personal writing folder. These will eventually be included in the training kit.
Important: When there are regulations associated with your topic, you must incorporate those into your course. Certain topics, such as crane operations or confined spaces, will have very specific standards that you have to incorporate into your course. Other topics, such as Stop the Bleed, will not have specific standards. In these cases, you can refer to the OSH Act of 1970 (also known as the General Duty Clause).
Beyond the regulations and standards, you should also search the internet to find additional information from reputable sources. Websites with .gov, .org, and .edu in the URL are typically the most reputable. You may also find the following resources helpful as you get started:
- OSHA Accident Profiles: You can type keywords into the “abstract” search bar to find case studies documenting the main hazards associated with your topic
- NFPA
- ANSI
- NIOSH
- Operator's manuals (for courses about tools and machinery)
- Related courses in our training catalog
Information about the regulations and standards will create the framework for your training, but you will need to fill it in with other information as well. Specifically, you should research common hazards associated with the job task and how the end user can control or mitigate these hazards.
Example: If you were assigned to write a course about concrete construction, you would start by looking up the federal regulations associated with concrete work. You would discover that 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Q is all about concrete and masonry construction.
After reading this subpart, you would start researching the hazards concrete workers face. Some main hazards you would find are silica dust exposure, skin exposure, falls from heights, struck by objects or machinery, and powerline contact. Because of this, you would then research how to protect one's self from these hazards or how to avoid them. You would then write about each of these topics and how they can be avoided in your training presentation.
Outlining
Once you understand what your topic entails and who it's meant for, work with your editor to create an outline for the course.
You do not need to create a complex and detailed outline right away. Instead, focus on identifying the modules, chapters, and some of the important topics. You will continue to do research as you write your course, filling in any informational gaps you may have missed. Your outline will give you a framework for organizing the information that you find later on.
Training Structure
Before you develop your outline, it is helpful to understand the general layout that our courses follow. They always begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. In between the intro and conclusion are a series of modules.
Introduction & Conclusion
Your outline should always cover your introduction and conclusion, which are treated as separate modules. Within the introduction, there are two main components you must include:
- The hook: This comes at the very beginning of your training and helps to grab your reader's attention. For most courses, this will be a compelling case study. However, in some cases, you may find a history of the topic or statistics are more appropriate. Unlike other case studies throughout your training, the one in the introduction should not usually be followed by a lengthy explanation of what went wrong. This is because the end user doesn’t have enough context yet to determine what went wrong.
- The roadmap: This is a brief summary of the modules that will follow. It helps the reader anticipate the topics they will be studying throughout your training. You should usually put the roadmap near the end of your introduction.
Your conclusion does not need to be as heavily structured as your introduction. You can use it as a place to briefly recap the general information covered in the course.
Modules, Chapters & Topics
Our courses are broken into three levels of organization: modules, chapters, and topics. Modules should have a defined focus. To organize information within the module, you can use chapters (although they are not required) and topics (which are required).
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Module A module contains all of the information about a general topic or central theme of the training. At the end of each module, you should include at least one case study that pertains to the safety information conveyed in that module. Additionally, you will need to write quiz questions to test the end user on how much they retained from that module. |
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Chapter Within each module are several chapters, which divide the module into more focused, but still somewhat complex concepts. Chapters are an optional level of organization for modules with a lot of information. |
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Topic Both modules and chapters are comprised of topics, which represent the most specific pieces of information in the training. Courses should include a topic for each basic idea. |
Example: In a course about rigging and signaling operations for cranes, you may have a module about sling types. Within that module, there are six different types of slings you are going to discuss, but you group them into three chapters: “Synthetic Slings,” “Wire Rope Slings,” and “Chain Slings.” Within each of the chapters are topics about specific weaves and inspection considerations.
Approval
Once you’ve completed the rough outline, you need to have it approved by the assistant manager or coordinator during an outline review meeting. During this meeting, you will present the outline, and the assistant manager or coordinator will assess whether it targets the correct end user and contains the necessary information. They may recommend some revisions before you can proceed to the next step.
Note: Once your outline is approved, you should do your best to stick to it. However, it's possible that you will need to adjust the organization after you have started writing. Be sure to check in with your editor any time you feel like you need to deviate from your outline.
Writing
The next step in the development process is writing. During this step, you will write the PowerPoint slides and written exam for your course. All of your written content must follow the corporate style guide. The following articles will be helpful for you to review when you have questions:
- Common Usage & Grammar Rules
- Alpha List
- How to Use the AP Stylebook
Note: You should collaborate with your editor throughout the writing process to discuss questions or the need to deviate from your approved outline.
File Paths for Saving
Before you begin writing, save a copy of the PowerPoint course template or Heavy Machinery course template (whichever is more applicable) to your personal writing folder. You will also need to copy the kit template into the USA kits folder and rename it the official name of your training course. These templates are located here:
- For the PowerPoint template: K:\5__Writing\2-Templates\New HHT Template
- For the kit template: K:\5__Writing\2-Templates
You can save these to the following locations:
- For the PowerPoint, locate your personal folder in here: K:\5__Writing\1-Writer Folders
- For the kit folder, save it here: K:\2__Kits\1 - KITS\1 - USA Kits
Both the PowerPoint presentation and the kit folder should use the name of the training topic as listed in the Course Master List. For the kit folder, you should replace any spaces in the file name with hyphens (e.g. "CPR-and-First-Aid"). This makes it easier for the web department to host kit files on the online store.
Note: If you are rewriting a course, you will alter the existing kit folder for that course, rather than creating a new one.
Using the Proper Style & Voice
The main goal for our training courses is to translate dense regulatory statutes into accessible content that our end users can learn and practice. As you write, keep the end user at the forefront of your mind. Include only relevant information geared towards keeping the end user safe and healthy.
The tone you are trying to use is educational, professional, and precise. The following are some tips for adopting the proper tone for our course content.
Use short, simple sentences that clearly convey the central idea.
- Incorrect: The most important things you should do when faced with an emergency situation in which someone is having a cardiac arrest is to stay calm, call 911, and begin CPR, because, according to the American Heart Association, only 46% of cardiac arrest victims get the immediate help they need from bystanders before professional help arrives.
- Correct: Only 46% of cardiac arrest victims get the help they need from bystanders before professional help arrives. So, when you see someone go into cardiac arrest, you should stay calm, call 911, and begin CPR.
Take time to explain why it’s important for the end user to adopt a safe practice.
- Incorrect: Hard hats are important to wear on construction sites.
- Correct: While working on a construction site, you should always wear a hard hat to protect your head from falling or flying objects.
Define everything the end user will need to know to understand the topic. Do not assume prior knowledge.
- Incorrect: An important way to protect yourself from arc flash hazards is PPE. Inspect your PPE before each shift to ensure it is safe for use.
- Correct: An important way to protect yourself from arc flash hazards is by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is special clothing or equipment that is specially designed for use around a specific hazard. You should inspect your PPE before each shift to ensure it is safe for use.
Put regulatory information in simpler terms. Avoid directly quoting it in the course.
- Incorrect: According to the OSH Act of 1970, “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”
- Correct: In accordance with federal regulations, your employer is responsible for providing you with a workplace that is as free from hazards as possible.
Focus on being educational and informative; avoid overly dramatic or silly language.
- Incorrect: The mighty wind blew with a vengeance through the scissor lift, tossing the newly-hired employee only 20 years of age 175 feet into the air before he fell, dropping through the sky, tears streaming from his eyes as he anticipated his collision with the dewy grass.
- Correct: Employee #1 was operating a scissor lift one day on the worksite. It was a windy day, and one particular gust threw Employee #1 off balance. He tripped and fell over the railing of the scissor lift. Tragically, the impact of the fall killed him.
Adding Media
As you write your PowerPoint presentation, you will need to find relevant images to help illustrate the information on each slide. Refer to the Finding & Citing Media article from the corporate style guide for more information about where to find usable media.
Requesting New Pictures & Video
When we don’t already have relevant images in the M-drive, you can request them from the media team. By the time you are done with your first or second module, you will most likely have an idea of the pictures and video you will need. Make a list of these and send it to the media team so they can schedule a time to stage photos and videos. For more information on this, check out Picture Requests and Adding Videos on Zendesk.
Requesting New Graphics
If you need graphics for your presentation, you will need to request them from the media department before the halfway point of the deadline to give the graphic designers enough time to create them. For more information on requesting graphics, take a look at the Requesting Graphics article on Zendesk.
Important: If you request graphics later than the halfway point, the designers will not be able to make them on time. This means your course will not be completed by the deadline. You will be held accountable for that.
Reviews
To ensure that you are on the right track, you should send each module to your editor for review as soon as it is finished. Your editor will use the four-pass method to give relevant feedback and suggest changes you should make to the text.
Once you have implemented the editor’s feedback, you will need to schedule a module review. At a module review, you will present the module to a group that will include your editor and assistant manager, as well as your manager or coordinator, if necessary. This will give everyone a chance to see what you have been working on and discuss any issues that may have been passed over during editing.
After implementing the feedback from the module review meeting, you may start the next module. Once all the individual modules have been written, edited, and reviewed, it is time for the final edit. Your editor will go through the entire course using the four-pass method. Any feedback they have must be integrated into the course before it is finalized.
Editing
This section primarily addresses the role of the editor in the course writing process. Any time that the editor reviews a module or the entire course, they will do four passes, focusing on different qualities and issues with each pass. The four passes are commonly called:
When you are editing someone else's training, your job is to help the writer create the best course possible. As you edit, you can fix minor copy issues and all other issues you find during a proofread yourself. Greater issues with the content or tone should be sent back to the writer to correction. You should also send any pervasive copy issues back to the writer.
Instead of the editor assuming full responsibility for the training, we hope to see the writer and editor working together to perfect it. Try to think of the editing process now as being more cyclical than linear. You should send the presentation back as many times as it takes to create a polished draft.
Content Editing
What is this training about? The focus of the content edit should be the organization and relevancy of the information. During the content edit, look for things like organization that doesn't feel organic, sudden changes in the implied audience or a lack of an audience altogether, and information that isn't clearly explained.
Copy Editing
What do the sentences say? The focus of the copy edit is on how the actual sentences function within the training presentation. During the copyedit, look for sentence-level errors like awkward phrasing, passive voice, and nominalization.
Formatting & Photos
How does the training look? During this pass, you should consider how all the visual elements of the training come together. The formatting issues you should look for include irrelevant images, grainy images, incorrect fonts/font sizes, etc.
Proofreading
During the proofread pass, you should be looking for any minor textual issues. Make doubly sure the training adheres to the company's rules for grammar and usage. You can use the Common Usage & Grammar Rules article as a reference.
Leaving Feedback
As you complete these four passes, you will need to find a way to leave feedback for the writer in a way that helps them clearly understand the issue and think of a solution. In most cases, highlighting the problem and leaving a comment in PowerPoint is sufficient. However, the writer may have a preference for how they would like to receive feedback. Communicate with them to determine which way will be best.
Important: The writer will need to delete any comments made by the editor in the PowerPoint. If these aren’t removed before finalizing the course, they will show up in the kit PowerPoint that gets sold to our customers. Yikes!
Finalizing
After you have accounted for all the feedback from the final edit, you will request a final review with the assistant manager and manager, which is similar to a module review, but it covers the entire training presentation. This can be a time-consuming process, but it is essential to ensure the quality of the course. Again, after review, the feedback needs to be integrated into the course before you proceed to the next step of the process.
If you have followed these steps and finished the Kit version of the PowerPoint. You will be ready to publish the course in an online format. This process can be found in the Zendesk article Publishing in iSpring. Following publishing, you will finish compiling the rest of the materials for your kit based on the article Creating the Kit on Zendesk. After that, you'll publish the online version of the course to the Talent LMS, which is outlined in the article titled Uploading/Updating a Course to the Talent LMS.
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