O/E’s Fortune 500 manufacturing client needed to provide its plant floor workers with Environmental, Health and Safety Training that met the U.S. government’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) guidelines. O/E installed computer kiosks to provide a cost-effective and convenient way for their client to deliver training to thousands of employees who not only worked on multiple shifts, but also did not have access to a desktop computer.

Troy, MI (EMWNews) July 28, 2008 — O/E’s Fortune 500 manufacturing client needed to provide its plant floor workers with Environmental, Health and Safety Training that met the U.S. government’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) guidelines. In 1994, O/E installed computer kiosks to provide a cost-effective and convenient way for their client to deliver training to thousands of employees who not only worked on multiple shifts, but also did not have access to a desktop computer.

The original solution provided plant floor employees with access to self-paced Health and Safety Training. The video intensive courses were installed and run locally on each kiosk workstation. This required each station to be updated and serviced individually. With the advent of Web-enabled Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and continued advances in computer and learning technology, the original kiosks have extended their maximum life.

“Given the advances in technology and the options now available, we have a great opportunity to help our client by implementing a sustainable kiosk solution. With hardware replacement programs and the ongoing LMS service/maintenance updates, our client can expect to extend the useful life of the course content and the kiosk workstations,” says Michael Stolnicki, VP of Operations. “Considering the alternatives, choosing to reinvest in the kiosk solution is still a low-cost option. O/E will be updating the basic platform and deployment structure along with the 18 courses that make up the Health and Safety Training Program.”

One foundational change to bring the kiosks up-to-date was equipping each plant that housed kiosks with a wireless capable network. O/E also outfitted each of the 113 kiosks with new computer hardware and software. The kiosks will be connected to a centralized server that will store and run the Health and Safety Training courses along with an LMS which will track enrollment, completion, and testing data for each learner. Changes made on the centralized server will be available instantaneously, and plant trainers and administrators will be able to access learner data through the online reporting capabilities of the new LMS. In the future, new SCORM-compliant courses or revised courses can be easily added on all kiosk stations through centralized updates.

O/E is also converting the original courses and reprogramming them to a Web-friendly, SCORM-compliant format that optimizes current course development standards, ensures interactive learning, and simplifies the implementation and deployment to the plants. One skilled trades safety trainer said, “I think this is a great decision. The courses have always been well received, but now they will be even more interactive, and we will be able to easily make updates that reflect current OSHA guidelines. The reinvestment in this training program reiterates the importance of safety in this plant and at our company.”

O/E Learning, Inc.

Established in 1984, O/E Learning designs and develops new training and performance improvement programs, as well as converts existing programs to different forms of delivery including Web-based, instructor-led, virtual classroom, CD/DVD, and mobile devices. O/E’s diverse services range from organizational development initiatives to professional certifications in safety, quality, and employee involvement. The privately held company is headquartered in Troy, MI. Leverage Life, a wholly owned subsidiary, is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA and focuses on providing corporate Concierge, Wellness, and Work/Life programs. Learn more about O/E at: www.oe.com.