Yes you do! Whether your organisation is a large or small employer, or you are self-employed you need to ensure that you’re up to date with the way in which to identify any hazards and control any risks that are present in your place of work.You can get assistance from your relevant trade association, local Chamber of Commerce, or the HSE. You have responsibilities in respect of consulting your employees, or representatives of your employees, on health and safety issues. Health and safety courses such as NEBOSH and IOSH managing safely give guidance on these issues. We have more specific courses such as asbestos awareness training and now asbestos online training available for workers who may come into contact with hazardous substances.
If you employ managers and supervisors they will almost certainly require a degree of ongoing training. They must understand what is expected of them in regards to health and safety and how to deliver it effectively to the rest of the work-force. Managers and supervisors must understand the health and safety policy, what there role is within it, and how health and safety is to be managed. They perhaps also require training in unique hazards of your business and how to control any risks associated with these processes.
Employees require training also. Every individual who works for you, including self-employed workers, need to know how to operate safely and without any risks to their or others health. In the same way as supervisors, they must know about the health and safety policy, all arrangements for implementing it, and the role that they play. In addition, they should also be aware of how to raise any health and safety concerns with you. You should always take into account the capabilities, training, knowledge and experience of employees and ensure that the applications of the work do not go beyond their capability to accomplish their job without risk to themselves and others.
Some workers may have specific training requirements, for example new recruits need induction training to demonstrate how to work safely, including first aid arrangements and information on fire drills and evacuation. Also, people who are changing job roles or taking on extra responsibilities have to be aware of all recent changes to health and safety and the their implications.
Young workers too are nearly always vulnerable to incidents and often need special attention paying to their needs. Therefore, young employees’ training must be a priority. It is also very important that new, inexperienced or young employees are competently supervised.
Often employee’s skills could be updated by way of refresher training if this is available from your training provider.
The company risk assessment should pick up on any additional particular training requirements. For example, safe working practices when working at height from cherry pickers and scissor lifts will be explained in detail on the IPAF Training course.