Ask It!
Why Asking Questions is Important
When you're leading a safety training session, asking questions isn't just a good idea—it's a powerful strategy. It keeps the group engaged, helps you figure out what they really understand, and makes the learning stick. In a field where clear communication can literally save lives—like avoiding one of the 85,000 forklift injuries reported annually by OSHA—questions turn training into a two-way conversation. When you ask effective questions, you give participants a chance to think, speak up, and connect the material to their own work experience. Benefits from asking questions in training include the following:
- Encourages Active Participation: When you ask your group questions, you're inviting them to get involved instead of just listening. This gets them thinking and sharing. For example, if you're covering hazard awareness, ask, "What's one hazard you've seen in your work area?" That simple question makes the content more personal and gets them reflecting on their own safety habits.
- Use questions like, "What safety risks do you deal with on a daily basis?" to spark relevant discussion.
- Ask participants to share short stories or examples—they often help others in the room relate to the topic.
- Assesses Understanding: Questions also give you quick insight into what your group does or doesn't understand. Let's say you're reviewing PPE requirements. Ask, "Can someone tell me when gloves are required on site?" If no one answers, or someone gives the wrong answer, you'll know it's time to explain it again in more detail.
- Try yes/no questions for quick checks, like "Is hearing protection required when noise levels exceed 85 decibels?"
- Follow up with "Why?" or "When have you used that?" to dig a little deeper.
- Promotes Critical Thinking: You want your team to be able to think through situations, not just memorize rules. Ask questions that make them analyze or evaluate scenarios. For example, "What would you do if you noticed a blocked emergency exit?" or "What risks do you see in this photo of a confined space job?" These kinds of questions help them apply what they've learned to real problems.
- Use photos or videos of workplace setups and ask, "What's wrong in this picture?"
- Pose scenarios like, "You're about to enter a confined space—what steps must come first?"
- Builds Rapport: Questions also help build a friendly, open environment. When you invite responses and genuinely listen, people feel more comfortable—and that helps you as the trainer too. If you're nervous about speaking in front of a group (which is totally normal), interacting with the group can make it feel more like a conversation than a lecture.
- Say things like, "That's a great point," or "Thanks for sharing that" to show appreciation.
- Encourage quiet participants by asking, "Anyone else have an example from their team?"
- Identifies Knowledge Gaps: As people answer your questions, you'll start to see where they're strong and where they're unsure. If someone can't explain how to lock out a machine, that's a sign to revisit the lockout/tagout process. You might think you've covered a topic well, but their responses will show what actually stuck.
- If confusion comes up, pause and say, "Let's take another look at this step together."
- Use their feedback to decide if certain topics need more time in future sessions.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-1. Why might a trainer ask, "What is one hazard you have seen in your work area?"
You forgot to answer the question!