Workers must be provided with all relevant health and safety information about their jobs and their workplace. The information you provide must be easy to understand and should include:
- potential risks associated with their work
- how to work safely
- the safety policies and procedures in place
- how to raise a WHS issue, and
- how to deal with emergencies.
Following 3 basic steps help will help you to ensure your workers are appropriately trained and supported:
- provide induction and workplace health and safety training for new workers
- train workers for their specific tasks, and
- provide ongoing training and supervision.
What type of training? How much and how often?
The type and amount of training required for each worker will vary.
Consider the individual needs and characteristics of your worker and the type of work they do. For example, young workers entering the workforce may need additional information or training for new skills, such as how to identify and respond to risks.
You also need to consider the characteristics of the workplace, and the level of risk involved in doing the work.
Training can be a mix of formal and informal processes.
Some workers will need to do formal training and assessment to do their work safely. This includes workers who:
- operate high-risk equipment, such as a forklift or tower crane
- work in high-risk places, such as a construction site, and
- have a particular workplace role such as a First Aid Officer.
Other workers may only need informal, on-the-job training such as ‘buddy’ or mentor training. On the job training could include:
- explaining or demonstrating tasks in ‘real time’
- providing practice opportunities
- giving feedback on performance, including addressing mistakes in a constructive and helpful way, and
- encouraging workers to ask questions.
No matter what type of training you choose, you must make sure the information and training provided is clear and easily understood by workers. For example, you may need to include additional translations, diagrams and further demonstrations of tasks for workers for whom English is a second language.
Training is an ongoing process and should be regularly monitored and evaluated.
Regular refresher training will help your workers remain informed about workplace health and safety, including any changes in work practices or procedures. You need to continuously assess the effectiveness of your training processes and adjust as necessary to address any gaps or emerging needs. You also need to consult workers on the ongoing effectiveness of the training they receive.