In the world of business, accidents happen, and the consequences can be devastating. Allow me to share a personal story to emphasise the importance of proactive measures and the role video training can play in safeguarding your enterprise.
How the IDDDR Mindset Will Protect Your Business in an accident
Let me begin by introducing myself and my background. Although my online presence may suggest that I am primarily associated with the world of video training software, I actually started my professional journey as a carpenter.
After successfully completing my apprenticeship, I ventured into building and established my own scaffold company.
During my early days as an apprentice, I had a memorable incident that altered my perspective on the construction industry. While working on a project, I had set up two A-frame step ladders with a plank between them, allowing me to reach a height of approximately three and a half metres. It’s a method many tradies may be familiar with when working on fascia and gutter installations.
However, fate had other plans that day. The ladders slipped out from under me, and in a desperate attempt to save myself, I grabbed onto the gutter. Thankfully, I wasn’t seriously injured, but the incident left a profound impact on me. It became evident that something needed to change in the construction industry.
Thus, I embarked on a journey to create a revolutionary wall hung scaffold system. I developed a product called Edge Deck Scaffold.
The product gained commercial success, and I franchised it internationally. However, five years ago, I made the decision to sell the entire venture.
Turning Points and Lessons Learned
During my journey, two significant accidents occurred within my business. Reflecting on those incidents still fills me with unease. One involved an electrocution incident on one of my scaffolds, while the other resulted from a simple mishap where a worker fell down a stair void.
The second accident, in particular, had a profound impact on me. My leading hand, engaged in a conversation with the building owner near the unprotected stair void, took a step back and fell through. Witnessing these incidents compelled me to take a step back and reevaluate my approach.
Whether you’ve experienced an accident in your place of business and can relate, or whether you simply worry about it happening, allow me to share my experience, not to frighten or intimidate you, but to shed light on the lessons I learned along the way.
The aftermath of an accident goes beyond the immediate physical harm inflicted upon the individual. It affects their family, their colleagues, and the entire work environment. Furthermore, there is a significant responsibility to demonstrate to the authorities, such as Safe Work Victoria in my case, how your business operates. How do you train your employees? Do you provide them with an opportunity to contribute to the training process?
Fortunately, I had established a very effective system, however I didn’t use any video training tools at this point. I documented toolbox talks through photographs, and we had a suggestion box where employees could offer their ideas. I produced training manuals and brought in trainers to deliver the material. Countless training days on site and in the workshop. I was always researching or delivering new material to keep the team up to date. I wish I had the Multiply ME video training software in place as it would have solved a tone of time and heartache.
Unfortunately, it took a decade for the consequences of those accidents to unfold fully. Ten years of uncertainty, wondering about the outcome and potential ramifications. It was during this period that I realised the immense burden of uncertainty that no business owner anticipates when embarking on this journey. In Australia, accidents resulting in serious harm can lead to severe penalties, even imprisonment. It is a matter of utmost gravity.
The IDDDR Mindset: Protects your business like a body armour
Out of these experiences, I developed what I now refer to as the IDDDR mindset—a powerful methodology that acts as a protective armour for your business. IDDDR stands for :
Identify – This means to constantly Identify opportunities to improve in your company. We call these IDOPS (Identified Opportunity) and they are the first important step in this new video training platform.
Develop – Develop the IDOP into material that will support the team. This is the second step of creating videos for the workplace when using Multiply ME.
Deliver – Deliver it to your people. One of the biggest video training benefit is the material is digital and communicates the message with consistency every time its delivered to your staff
Document – Record that it happened so both employer and employee are aware. This is another massive video training benefit because it’s so much clearer than reading a document.
Review – Review the data and Identify areas to improve. This is done through the video training software so decisions can be made based on data.
This is a proven 5 step flywheel that will keep everything you care about safe in the toughest circumstances.
This is the foundation to Multiply ME.
Firstly, being proactive means predicting potential issues within your business and addressing them before they escalate into full-blown problems. This is where video training platforms come into play. By creating authentic user generated video training for the workplace and deploying them to your people, you provide invaluable support, preparing them for potential challenges ahead.
In addition to proactive measures, it is crucial to demonstrate that you have done everything in your power to prevent incidents. Regardless of any unfortunate event, your aim should be to confidently display that your business took every possible measure and you can absolutely do that with the video training tools and reports on this platform. This was precisely the expectation placed upon me during the legal proceedings. The court scrutinised whether my business had genuinely gone above and beyond to prevent the accidents.
Protecting your business with the IDDDR mindset is simple, it saves time and money and builds more confident self lead teams even when you need to be away from the business. Video training for the workplace acts as the first line of defense, shielding your enterprise from potential harm. It is a comprehensive solution that embraces both proactive measures and the ability to showcase your dedication to safety and going above and beyond..
Take what you will from my experiences but please don’t learn the hard way…consider implementing the IDDDR Mindset and the Multiply ME video training platform or a similar methodology. Protecting your employees and ensuring a secure work environment is not just a legal obligation; it is a moral responsibility. Let this video training platform be the cornerstone of your business’s protective insurance, empowering your workforce to navigate challenges with confidence and resilience.
Remember, accidents may be unexpected, but preparation is the key to safeguarding your business and preserving the well-being of your most valuable asset—your people.
