What is Corrective Action Training? The What, When, How, and Why


Written by: Jill Schultz

Date Posted: 07/24/2025

Corrective action training is a crucial tool used across industries—from transportation and construction to manufacturing and general workplace environments—to address safety concerns and improve employee performance. Whether it’s a truck driver with repeated traffic violations, a construction worker ignoring fall protection protocols, or a warehouse employee mishandling equipment, corrective action training helps prevent minor issues from escalating into serious incidents.

What is Corrective Action Training?

Corrective action training, also known as remedial training, is a brief, targeted session designed to address specific behaviors or performance issues. It is typically used in response to an incident, accident, violation, or complaint.

For example:

When Should You Use Corrective Action Training?

The goal is to intervene early—before a pattern of unsafe behavior leads to a serious accident or regulatory violation. Training should be conducted as soon as practical after the issue is identified.

In any industry, a single observation might warrant a reminder. But after a second related incident, it’s time for a structured training session. Even if the employee is on a tight schedule, a short meeting can be arranged to address the specific concern.

How Do You Implement Corrective Action Training Effectively?

  1. Monitor and Identify Issues: Use safety audits, incident reports, accident reports, citations, and supervisor observations to identify employees who may benefit from corrective action training.
  2. Target the Training: Keep the session focused and brief—typically 5 to 10 minutes. Address only the specific behavior that needs correction. Online training platforms (e-learning) are an excellent way to deliver these targeted sessions efficiently. They allow employees to complete training at their convenience, ensure consistency in content delivery, and make it easier to track completion and comprehension.
  3. Follow Up: Continue monitoring the employee to ensure the behavior improves. This shows commitment to safety and provides documentation of progress.
  4. Link to Disciplinary Policy: Make sure employees understand the consequences of repeated violations. If an individual continues to disregard safety protocols after corrective action training, the next steps—such as additional training, formal warnings, or disciplinary measures—should be clearly outlined and consistently applied.
  5. Document Everything: Record who was trained, what was covered, who conducted the training, when it occurred, and how long it lasted. This documentation is essential for compliance and liability protection.

Why Use Corrective Action Training?

There are two major benefits:

  • Increase Safety: Addressing issues early reduces the risk of accidents, injuries, and costly downtime. It also fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across all industries.
  • Reduce Liability: If an incident leads to legal action, having a documented corrective action training program can demonstrate your organization’s commitment to safety and due diligence.

Key Takeaway

Corrective action training is a proactive approach to workplace safety. It helps correct minor issues before they escalate, protecting both employees and the organization—whether you're managing a fleet of trucks, overseeing a construction site, or running a manufacturing facility.

Worker viewing J. J. Keller corrective action training video on responding to heat-related emergencies, reinforcing construction site safety compliance.
Need Corrective Action Training? J. J. Keller Has You Covered!

Whether you're managing a fleet, overseeing a construction site, or ensuring safety in a warehouse, J. J. Keller® Corrective Action Training delivers fast, effective solutions to address safety and compliance issues before they escalate.

  • Transportation: Targeted microlearning courses for drivers covering violations like speeding, tailgating, distracted driving, and hours-of-service rules—all in under 5 minutes.
  • Workplace Safety: Brief, focused training on PPE, forklift safety, lockout/tagout procedures, and more to help prevent OSHA violations and reduce risk.
  • Construction: Address key safety issues like cargo distribution, cave-in protection, heat-related emergencies, and chemical safety with fast, targeted training.
START TRAINING FOR FREE Explore the Training Library

Why J. J. Keller® Training?


Robust Online Training Library

ROBUST ONLINE TRAINING LIBRARY

Access the industry’s largest online training library, consisting of 950+ unique E-Learning courses, 500+ customizable training resources, and more.

Streaming Video for Added Impact

STREAMING VIDEO FOR ADDED IMPACT

Make the most of your classroom training sessions with 300+ hi-res training videos developed by adult learning specialists.

Easy Access Anytime, Anywhere

EASY ACCESS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Enjoy maximum flexibility in and out of the classroom with 24/7 access to hundreds of titles and our free mobile app for training on the go.

Expert Content You Can Trust

EXPERT CONTENT YOU CAN TRUST

Backed by 70 years of industry experience, our courses center on actionable learning objectives and receive regular updates from our in-house experts to reflect the latest regulatory changes.

Free Recordkeeping and Reporting

FREE RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING

Easily track which employees have been trained on which topics and when, and identify any lapses in your training program – at no added cost.

Invaluable Management Resources

INVALUABLE MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

As an administrator, you’ll gain exclusive access to the J. J. Keller® Training Knowledge Center, where you can reference word-for-word regulations, ask our experts specific compliance questions, and more.