What Is Health And Safety Training?
Health and safety training has become essential given the risks in manufacturing. These workplaces have hazards that can’t be ignored due to the use of machines. There are also risks, such as asbestos and slips, present on a construction site. All the employees have to be acquainted with such risks so that no inexplicable accidents happen.
Asbestos is a dangerous material because the human system can’t neutralize it. It can cause a lot of deadly diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Hence, company personnel must be trained to take actions, such as wearing a suitable PPE kit, while working on construction sites that have used such materials. The use of asbestos in construction has been banned since 2000, but it was used before that time along with other materials.
Why Is Health And Safety Training Required Repeatedly?
Employers can’t choose to be satisfied with the steps taken for health and safety. This is because any new employee can fall prey to an accident. Hence health and safety training must be a continuous process. Moreover, as time passes by, new health and safety training challenges arise. Hence there should be procedures established to detect new risks. When the organizations set up documentation for health and safety training, comprehensible language should be used.
What Are The Benefits?
Health and safety training can make your company a better place and increase workers’ productivity. When employees know how they have to work to prevent any accidents, their concentration is greater. They have clear instructions about working with machines and in other unsavory conditions involving chemicals. The organizations have proper written procedures for the workers; they have easy tasks before them. The employees don’t waste time on trial and error and use their working hours precisely just for work. So, there is no wastage of manpower to figure out how something is to be done.
When health and safety training is not imparted in a company, they lose crucial employees due to accidents and have to expend time on finding substitute employees, who have a learning curve. Companies have to understand that health and safety training is crucial because they also have to pay heavy damages to victims if any accidents occur. Companies that have failed to comply with any norms for such purposes have had to pay fines amounting to millions in recent times.
Why Is First Aid Needed?
Apart from providing proper health and safety training to employees, it’s also a company’s job to ensure there are adequate arrangements for first aid service in the company. The employees need health and safety training to assess whether they need a first-aider in the company, who also needs to take some training. Their training levels will depend on the results of a training needs assessment, including profiling any risks in the workplace. Hence any first-aider is given training so that they have the appropriate knowledge on how to handle injuries.
An employer also needs to research when any training provider for a first-aider is suitable for the role. The employer can ensure that such training providers have been certified and recognized. Although the conditions at a company might not require a first-aider, there must always be an appointed person as per HSE who can take care of any problems. Such employees can be trained in a first aid course. Even if a first-aider is present, such a trained employee can help them in exigencies.
These are the reasons why a first-aider is needed in a company. Health and safety training videos can show whether any employer needs a first-aider or not.
1. Breakout Of Fire
Fire has been a common problem for many organizations. It can happen for many reasons, such as not using the extension cords properly when liquids are kept near them, and they spill, causing a fire. So, to douse an electrical fire, it’s better to use an extinguisher rather than water. Sometimes, the business might also be using faulty equipment, like a multi-assembly outlet, which can cause an electric spark and a fire. Hence, it’s better to make sure that all the equipment is up-to-date. There should not be a loose wire anywhere connected to a switch that is not turned off. Other causes of fires in an office include flammable materials not being stored properly. So, employees need health and safety training on how to store such materials.
The employer needs to train employees on the mandatory evacuation steps if a fire occurs. A simulation showing 2D characters is better for this. Till the firefighters arrive at the scene, everyone should have been removed from the place because any injuries can have disastrous consequences. An employer can be even sued for the same. A first-aider is required in companies where employees can be prone to injuries, such as burns, at the workplace, and a needs assessment assists an employer in knowing about this. It’s also crucial that an employer have proper fire alarms in place to alert employees about a fire. When they are not informed in time, they might not be able to escape. Hence, the fire alarms need to be active at all times; they should be tested for functionality.
Health and safety training is also crucial for the company’s security personnel because fires can also be caused by arson. Hence any ex-personnel holding some grudges against the company should not be allowed entry. The majority of office fires in the UK have been caused by arson. There should be CCTV cameras installed in every part of the building so that any unwarranted activity at night can be monitored in any place particularly vulnerable to arsonists. The company must be cautious in maintaining proper nighttime vigilance.
2. Pre-Existing Diseases
First aid is also required in cases where an employee is suffering from ailments like epilepsy and asthma, which require immediate attention.
Hence health and safety training is pivotal for avoiding undesirable circumstances.
Originally published at creativtechnologies.com.
