Mandatory & Statutory Health and Safety Training Courses for all Employees

The Health and Safety at Work Act, etc. 1974 requires every business and its employers to deliver whatever training, information, guidance and equipment to ensure the competence and safety of their staff.

Employers must make sure that anyone who works for them needs to know how to work safely and without riskingtheir health to themselves or others. Therefore, you musthave clear instructions and guidance for your staff to work safely.

This blog post explains why is adequate training vital, what the law says, who needs training and what are the best safety and health courses for employees in every organization.

Why Provide Safety & Health Training?

Providing safety and health training to the staff is an integral part of any workplace or organization. Adequate training ensures that the personnel is trained enough to implement the best control measures to mitigate workplace hazards.

Providing sufficient health and safety training helps employers:

Along with this, effective training:

Therefore, providing adequate training to train and equip staff with vital knowledge, skills and competence is crucial for any business and its employers, as well as to ensure a safe working environment.

The Law

The Health and Safety at Work etc. 1974, requires employers to provide whatever information, instruction, guidance or training is needed to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety and health of their staff at work.

This is further explained by the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which identify the situations where safety training is particularly essential. Proper training is required when people start work, when exposed to new or increased risks and when existing skills may need updating.

The Safety Representatives & Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and the Health & Safety Regulations 1996 require employers to consult their staff on their responsibilities on safety and health issues.

The Health & Safety Regulations 1990 ensure that learners doing the work experience are covered by health and safety law.

Do You Need to Provide Health & Safety Training to Your Staff?

Providing health and safety training can benefit an organization or a workplace in numerous ways.

Firstly, it is a legal duty to protect your staff to adequate levels of protection and training for the activities staff do and the environment they work in.

It helps meet legal compliance and to ensure a safe workplace for all.

Along with the legalities providing sufficient training can be helpful to build a good business reputation. It validates to your employees that they are valued and cared for. If employees feel safe and secure at work, they can stay for a longer period, but if they feel are unsafe or undervalued, they apt to leave. It can hurt a business’s reputation as well as trust.

Who Should Require Training?

This depends on the roles and duties of employers and their staff, but everyone must receive some form of health and safety training. However, companies should keep in mind their business need and train the staff accordingly, as every business type and needs are different.

Along with this, there are certain types of employees for whom safety training is vital. Such as new employees joining a workplace, existing employees who need to update their skills and knowledge or those who are more prone to accidents in the workplace.

Mandatory Health & Safety Training Courses

There are numerous mandatory and statutory health and safety courses that employers can provide to their staff to provide knowledge, skills and competence at work.

Some of the vital training courses are:

1.    Fire Awareness Training

The fire awareness training help individuals examine fire risks in the work premises and safety measures that should be in place to control them. The IIRSM approved course helps employers and their staff identify the causes of fire at work and ways to prevent them.

2.    Manual Handling Training

Manual handling training is vital for those whose work involves lifting and loading activities at work. It explores basic manual handling principles to reduce the risk of injuries, as well as, how to assess the task to work safely and efficiently.

3.    Asbestos Awareness Training

Anyone who comes into contact with asbestos as part of their everyday work requires asbestos awareness training. The UKATA approved course makes trainees aware of the likelihood and potential consequences associated with asbestos exposure and provides the safety measures to prevent the health risks if someone comes into contact with this deadly fiber.

4.    Working at Height Training

Falls from height are a major cause of workplace accidents and injuries that can put businesses in danger and places legal and financial claims on them. Employers must ensure that anyone who works at height on their premises must receive adequate and comprehensive working at height training to meet compliance and work safely.

5.    Fire Warden (Marshal) Training

All businesses and organizations legally require fire wardens in their workplaces. This is an ideal course to refresh fire warden knowledge and help trainees work towards compliance with the Fire Safety Order 2005.

6.    COSHH Training

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that anyone working with substances hazardous to health must receive comprehensive training and guidance to work securely with hazardous substances. The COSHH awareness training helps employees to adopt safe working practices to control and mitigate the risk to health.

Conclusion

This blog post is a thorough explanation of the mandatory safety and health training courses that employers must offer to their staff depending on their business needs and requirements. Comprehensive training is essential to ensure a safe working environment, build a strong business reputation and minimize the legal, moral and financial claims.

This post covers some of the vital training courses you should be giving to your employees.

 

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