Why is Health and Safety Training Important?
Certain industries carry risks and hazards which make it important to be safe on the job. Health and safety training is one way in which organisations are able to mitigate those risks – but is it important? Let’s unpack that.
What is Health and Safety Training?
To start, we should establish exactly what health and safety training is. This training is a programme offered by an organisation to its employees to equip them with skills and behaviours that will allow them to perform their functions correctly and, in particular, in a way which is safe for them and those around them.
Training programmes are regularly offered to whole teams at a time – as opposed to only training new staff as part of their orientation. For one thing, this is important since protocols may change as new equipment is introduced or as regulations change. But critically, it is important for all staff to receive this training on a regular basis in order to refresh them on how to keep safe on the job.
The frequency at which training is required to happen varies between industries and depending on the hazards your teams will face. Organisations often run full-day training sessions for whole teams at a time, instead of workshopping with individuals, since this is a more cost-effective way of providing the training.
Why is it important?
Health and safety training is important because it equips workers with the knowledge on how to perform their duties correctly and in the safest way possible.
There are two factors that play a part in why this is important – why the employee may see it as important and the from the organisation’s standpoint.
Why it is important for the employee
Like with any career, developing yourself provides a sense of achievement and accomplishment. As workers go through health and safety training, they are taught the best way to perform their duties and the correct way to use equipment. This is valuable information that can help them progress their career.
This training can, in some cases, also be the difference between life and death. The risks some workplaces present rely on employees being well-trained in how to manage and navigate them – failure to do so can have serious implications, escalating all the way up to loss of life in some serious cases. This makes it vital for employees to be familiar with and always following the health and safety training guidelines to ensure they are managing risks in accordance with company and legislature protocols.
Why it is important for the organisation
Employees are valuable assets to any organisation, and it’s important for organisations to protect and equip their employees to the best of their abilities.
In the event of an accident, the organisation’s health and safety training will be called into question and, should it be found to come up short, this could have serious legal consequences. This is on top of recruiting and training a replacement while the aftermath of the accident plays out.
Finding a Health and Safety Training Partner
To ensure compliance, organisations would employ a health and safety officer who is responsible for ensuring staff are regularly trained on health and safety protocols around the workplace. Apex Environmental understands how important this role is and how it can support them. Apex Environmental has partnered with Ezokuphepha Health and Safety to offer NQF-aligned qualifications in the following fields:
- Working at Heights
- First Aid Level 1 & 2
- Confined Space
- Legal Liability
- Safety, Health & Environment
- Stacking and Storage
- Hazardous Chemical
- Incident and Accident Investigation
- Fire Awareness
- Emergency Evacuation
These qualifications are ensured to follow latest legislation, meaning you can rest assured knowing that your staff will be empowered to navigate any manner of risk safely and correctly while onsite.
We thrive on building long-lasting partnerships with our clients and would encourage you to get in touch so we can discuss how we can be of assistance.
