Many companies often underestimate the importance of safety training. The value of safety training is only truly understood when accidents happen in the workplace. However, by implementing thorough and valuable safety training for your workforce, you can help prevent accidents from happening in the first place. In the UK, some safety training is mandatory and enforced by law under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This act requires you to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of your employees in the workplace.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require additional training in certain situations where risks are increased, for example when starting a new job, working with new substances, or when current knowledge and skills need refreshing. Training helps reduce the risk of accidents, save lives, and prevent accidents while also ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
Thousands of workplace deaths each year could be prevented if employers took the time to provide adequate safety training for their employees. Safety training isn’t just a good idea; it’s the law. Some employers argue that training is unnecessary because the employee in question had many years of experience with the given word. However, years of experience will mean that they most likely know how to perform a task, but do they know how to perform it safely? Do they know what is required of them by federal law? If employers want to avoid costly fines and keep their employees safe, they need to provide adequate safety training for all personnel.
Additional Benefits of Safety Training
Proper training is essential to keeping your workers safe and aware of the potential hazards they may face in their line of work. However, in many cases, specific required training will not be enough. Your employees should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter by properly adjusting a harness, having a clear understanding of fall clearance, connecting to anchor points properly, and performing satisfactory inspections of the equipment. If the training is deemed inefficient, it will be due to employees not being able to properly demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter.
This also applies to you, the instructor, the manager, or the business owner. For those of you who have never donned a fall protection harness before, go get one and, with no instruction, put it on. You would be surprised at how much practical knowledge you can acquire by familiarising yourself with the equipment your employees use on a regular basis. Try to put yourself in your employee’s shoes, answer their questions before they come up and provide practical advice and actionable information.
Conclusion
Safety training is an important part of any workplace safety program. By providing employees with the knowledge and skills they need to work safely, employers can help reduce the number of workplace accidents and injuries.
There are many benefits to proper safety training. First, it can help to improve employee morale and motivation. When employees feel confident in their ability to work safely, they are more likely to be productive and engaged in their work. Second, safety training can help to reduce workplace accidents and injuries. By teaching employees how to identify and avoid potential hazards, employers can help to create a safer work environment. Finally, safety training can help to save money. By preventing accidents and injuries, employers can avoid the costs associated with workers’ compensation claims, lost productivity, and legal fees.
Our compliance consultants are here to help you determine which training your employees may need. We offer a variety of training bundles that can be customised to meet your specific needs. We also have retaining health and safety packages available to help you manage your compliance obligations. Our consultants are always available to offer advice and support when you need it.
