Health and safety training expectations PDF KB

Health and Safety Instruction and Training University Expectations for the Provision and Recording of Health and Safety Instruction and Training Underpinning Principles  The health an

Health and Safety Instruction and Training

University Expectations for the Provision and Recording of Health

and Safety Instruction and Training Underpinning Principles

 The health and safety instruction and training needs of all members

of staff and students should be identified and appropriate

instruction/training provided

 The responsibility to ensure that health and safety

instruction/training needs are identified and actioned rests with strategic managers (SPARG), Heads of School and Department and

‘next level’ heads of division/section etc The actual activity can be delegated through the normal line management chain but

responsibility for ensuring compliance rests with strategic

managers

 Records of all health and safety instruction/training should be kept

at School/Department level, should normally be in writing and should contain confirmation, by those receiving the

instruction/training, that it has been received and understood

Context

The university’s arrangements for providing and recording health and safety instruction and training have been reviewed by our insurers as part

of a planned audit process The auditors have made recommendations for improvements in the way we identify instruction and training needs and record training activity and certain recommendations have been accepted

By following this guidance Schools and Departments will be satisfying the recommendations

University Expectations

The university is committed to the provision of a healthy and safe

environment to facilitate interesting and challenging work and study The following statement, giving more detail on the health and safety instruction and training expectations outlined above, is contained within the health and safety web page “Arrangements for Health and Safety Management”

“Health and safety related training will, so far as possible, be planned and organised with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders However, responsibility for appropriate health and safety training for key personnel

and day-to-day operational activity rests with the Head of School or

relevant senior departmental manager

RGU will determine and specify relevant health & safety training

requirements for key staff at all levels The EPR process and discussions with Line Managers highlight training requirements and appropriate

training will be provided, where there is a requirement by RGU or the School or Department.”

The specific responsibility of Senior Managers to meet this requirement is detailed below in the extract from the supporting web page “Management Structure”

“Strategic Managers, School, Department and Unit Heads, and

Department and Section Heads are, as part of their contract of

employment, responsible for ensuring that all activities under their control are carried out in accordance with the University Safety Policy, standards and procedures; and in compliance with statutory provisions, by:

 Ensuring staff are competent and capable of performing their duties

to the required standard and adequate training is provided to

ensure competency is maintained.”

What is H&S Training?

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) define training as:

“… helping people to learn how to do something, telling people what they should or should not do, or simply giving them information Training isn’t just about formal “classroom” courses.”

Health and safety instruction and training can take a wide range of

formats depending on the target audience and the topic being addressed

It can range from structured, formal events through to team briefings or

“one-to-one” on the job training or even the provision of written

information It would include:

 General induction and orientation on first appointment

 Specific instruction and/or training for the role and activity

 Refresher instruction and/or training where this is appropriate to the activity

 Instruction and/or training where the environment and/or location for an activity, processes, procedures, equipment changes

materially

 ‘Tool box’ talks providing information and/or instruction to a team

 Internal/external courses or other instructional events

 Formal training for a wider group organised at university level

 E-learning

 Similar and equivalent instructional/training activity

Who Needs H&S Instruction and/or Training?

Every member of staff requires some degree of H&S training As a

minimum this should consist of the instruction and/or training embedded

in the university induction process which contains links to the H&S policies and procedures as well as the fire safety training module This induction should be supplemented at local school or department level if additional elements or features exist in that specific environment

Additional instruction/training will also be required for many staff

members depending on the more specific tasks which these individuals will be undertaking This additional requirement should be determined at the local level by the manager/team leaders in control of those activities, considering the hazards, associated control/mitigation measures and residual risks arising from those activities

Students also require health and safety instruction/training and it is

expected that they will undergo a structured induction process at the start

of their studies, appropriate to their environment Also that any post induction instruction/training, required for undergraduates, will be

embedded in their course of study

In the case of postgraduate students the post induction

instruction/training requirements may vary widely and will have to be determined at school or institute level The requirement will depend on the academic discipline of the student and the range of tasks undertaken

by that individual as part of their studies It will usually be necessary for the head of school or institute director or research team leader to identify the instruction/training needs of each individual in conjunction with the student and their other academic supervisors The exception would be where the postgraduate student is part of a taught cohort and the

assessment of their needs can be treated in the same manner as an

undergraduate student

How Do You Identify The H&S Instruction Training Required? Induction training

All schools and departments should ensure that the common university induction process is followed and recorded The induction training

checklist should be extended to include the essential and particular

training which they have decided is required in their area of control and for the specific role

The expectation is that induction instruction and training will normally be completed during the first few days of employment or taking up a new position This is essential where there are known specific risks that the employee may be immediately exposed to

The aim is to ensure everyone has the information they require on the:

 Hazards and risks they may face

 Measures in place to eliminate, mitigate or otherwise deal with those hazards and risks, including approved safe working practices

 How to follow any emergency procedures which may apply

Specific H&S Instruction/Training Needs

The head of school or department should ensure that more specific H&S instruction and training needs within their area of control are properly assessed This exercise can be conducted within the units by the line management chain under the supervision of the local senior manager, subject to being satisfied as to line management competence The

expected output of this assessment is that the core instruction/training needs for each individual in their role, and the environment they operate

in, are identified, undertaken and recorded on completion

The individual plan and record should incorporate a suitable and realistic forward instruction/training plan which is actioned within an agreed and stated timescale according to priorities established by the assessment The plan and record should thus allow for refresher instruction/training, a regular review of training needs and the future development of the

individual All of this necessarily must also take account of evidence of prior competent experience but there is normally no role in the university where refresher instruction/training is not needed from time to time Examples of specific/additional instruction/training needs could include:

 specific laboratory based procedures

 waste handling

 manual handling training

 gas bottle handling

 operation of wood working machines

 operation of lasers/x-ray equipment etc

 use of cryogens

 use of gases, chemicals

 use of other specialist equipment

 particular aspects of electrical safety

 selection and use of PPE

 procedural, regulatory instruction/training such as risk assessment training, Legionella controls, asbestos awareness, GMO protocols, etc

It is not possible to give a prescriptive list of instruction/training requirements as roles and the environment within which they

operate, vary so much This is why proper assessment of need is essential

This specific/additional training should be prioritised and planned on the

basis of risk and operational requirements but it is expected that such instruction/training will be carried out over a period of weeks or months

as the individual settles into their new role Where there are identified gaps for existing staff it would be expected these would be similarly

prioritised according to risk but still ‘planned in’ on agreed timescales as

individuals or in groups

Records of H&S Instruction/Training

A record system is required to document the H&S instruction / training needs identified for each individual or group and to demonstrate that all the required training has been provided or that an agreed programme is

in place to complete it

The H&S instruction/training record is an individual record and therefore should transfer with the individual it concerns should they move to a new

School / Department / Unit within the university It is expected that this record will be held at local level but with broadly common content which will allow the compilation of information when required by the university, our insurers or an external regulatory body An example of the suggested

common content is attached As long as the content is covered the format

is less important just now as, in due course, we will move to a university-wide common on-line record system in a common format also

The H&S instruction/training record should be signed by the individual it concerns to confirm that they have received and understood the

instruction/training given In addition, the record should be

counter-signed by their direct line manager to confirm that appropriate

instruction/training has been provided The head of the school or

department should review the instruction/training plans and records of staff within their area of control at regular intervals and ensure that any outstanding actions are closed off within the agreed timescale in the plan Further guidance and advice from:

Dr Harris Cooper, Head of Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Contact: 01224 262086 h.r.cooper@rgu.ac.uk