Ouch Training

We provide effective training that will:

• Help to make your employees more Health and Safety aware
• Promote the avoidance of accidents and illness
• Help to avoid the financial cost of accidents and illness

Health and Safety and the law

A strong Health and Safety culture should be a priority for everyone. It can help prevent accidents and avoid the suffering caused by work-related illness. It is a legal requirement to provide the required information and training to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees. This means that as an employer, you have to do everything possible to ensure the workplace is a safe and healthy place, taking into account the cost and time involved.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are necessary to identify problems for both employees and others affected by the business. Risk assessments can highlight the action required to comply with Health and Safety law; this will inevitably include training and the provision of relevant information.

Remember too that you must have an up-to-date Health and Safety policy if you employ five or more people.

Health and Safety Training

The provision of Health and Safety training helps you to:

• create a safe, healthy environment
• develop a positive Health and Safety culture adopted by all
• discover ways of improving the management of Health and Safety
• meet legal requirements

View Health and Safety training as an evolving and integral part of your organisation, because all work environments are subject to change and skills need updating on a regular basis.

Who needs training?

EMPLOYERS

You need to be able to identify and control the risks in your workplace and pass on this information to your employees.

MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS

Managers and supervisors need to know what they are expected to do regarding health and safety and how this should be carried out. They need to understand your health and safety policy, how they fit in to this and how to manage the risks. They may also need training in specific work hazards and how risks related to these should be controlled.

ALL EMPLOYEES

All staff should know how to work safely and without risk to health. They also need to know about the Health and Safety policy, their role within this and how it will be implemented. They need to know that any Health and Safety concerns can be raised and will be noted. Some employees will also have specific training needs, for example:

• Induction of new staff regarding first aid and fire awareness
• An employee changing roles within the organisation or taking on new responsibilities with health and safety implications
• Young employees who are vulnerable to accidents should receive priority training and supervision.
• The updating of existing skills

Self-Employed People

Remember if you use sub-contractors or freelance workers who are treated as self-employed by the Inland Revenue, they may be treated as your employee by the HSE, so they may need appropriate protection.

Lone Workers

It you are an employer it is your duty to assess any risks to lone workers who may work for you and if you have five or more employees significant findings must be recorded.

If you work for yourself you should take reasonable care of yourself and others who may be affected by your work and you should co-operate with anyone who employs you.

Health and Safety in the Office

You may consider offices to be ‘safe’ environments, but workers are still at risk from a number of health conditions such as stress and upper limb disorders. There are also risks from electricity and some hazardous substances. The effects of bad Health and Safety practice in the office may not be apparent immediately but in the long term the effects can be permanent and damaging.

Getting the right training for your organisation

Follow the five stages below to help your organisation get safe:

Stage One: Decide what training you need

• Identify the skills and knowledge needed for people to do their job in a safe, healthy way.
• Study the history of injuries, near misses or illnesses
• Look at risk assessments to see where providing information and training could help to control risks
• Gather views from employees
• Consider how health and safety is managed, who is responsible for what and the cost to the business if something went wrong. Awareness training for directors, managers and supervisors would help to identify hazards and the means to control them.

Stage Two: Decide on your training priorities

• Is it a legal requirement to carry out specific training (e.g. first aid)?
• Top priorities may include providing more information or training to avoid serious injury or illness or giving training to help the greatest number of staff. New staff and those changing jobs should always be a training priority.
• Ask staff what they think is needed

Stage Three: Choose training methods and resources

• Ouch Training Team are able to offer a wide range of effective courses to suit your needs and it is important to consider how best your staff can be trained. Training methods include providing information, training in groups or individually and computer-based learning.
• Ouch Training Team can help on a number of levels including Health and Safety consultancy to ascertain risks and how they can be controlled.
• Some government-assisted loans and awards from other bodies are available to help your organisation meet the cost of training.

Stage four: Deliver the training

• Ensure the information is easy to understand and that a variety of training methods are used. Ouch Training Team trainers offer a practical and varied learning experience to ease the acquisition of skills.
• Preparation is a vital part of effective training particularly regarding resources and venues. Ouch trainers are experienced in delivering enjoyable well-prepared courses.

Stage five: Check the effectiveness of the training

• Do employees understand what you require of them?
• Can they now work safely without risk to health?
• Are they actually working as they have been trained?
• Has there been an improvement in health and safety performance?
• Has feedback about the training been good?
• Is further information or training needed?
• Was the most suitable training method used?
• What improvements can be made?
• Has there been a change in behaviour and practice?

Source: Health and Safety Training – what you need to know, HSE