When is training a waste of time and money? According to Steven Pereira, a CSP and owner of Professional Safety Associates, Inc., it could be when training will not solve the problem. Two nationally recognized training references, OSHA's Model Training Guidelines and the ANSI Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental Training (ANSI/ASSE Z490.1-2001), both suggest that a training needs-assessment be performed to determine if training will correct the performance problem.
If personnel know what to do, when to do it and how to do it, but do not perform up to expectations, training may not solve the problem. It may be they don't have the correct tools, materials or equipment to do the job. Likewise, it could be a motivation or discipline issue.