November 20, 2020 Essential Health and Safety Training to Stay Compliant

Check out these key areas and decide if your employees are fully competent or require further training.

Workspaces are nothing less than a second home for employees. But irrespective of that there are numerous possibilities that we might get them trapped in an unsafe situation, especially in the manufacturing industry. And in such cases, it is impossible to find a solution unless you and your staff are well trained. These situations may include accidents and fire hazards that might be hard to anticipate.

It is essential to train your staff in some crucial health and safety areas to stay compliant. Employees must have basic knowledge of general health and safety at work in order to minimize illness and workplace accidents. Below mentioned are a few key areas in which employees must know to navigate any danger that they may face at the workplace.

Check these and decide if your employees are fully competent or require further training.

Infection Control & COSHH Training

As a critical part of complying with the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) regulations, it is now crucial for every staff member to have sufficient knowledge about this. By this training, you will be able to handle and treat people who get unwell because of being exposed to harmful substances. Besides, it is essential for people working in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector and also the ones that involve handling toxic materials. Since employees in these professions are more prone to injuries and accidents occurring through deadly and toxic chemicals, COSHH and Infection Control training is a must.

Additionally, if you are taking the COSHH training leniently, you are putting yourself as well as your staff members at the risk of catching infections or chronic diseases. A vital part of this training is to be able to identify the products that are being used around you and which out of them can pose a potential hazard on exposure.

First Aid and Life-Saving Training

We have all had first aid training at least once in our school days. It not only helps us to keep ourselves safe but also gives us the confidence and knowledge to act when others need help. Although some of the training sticks with you for life, it is advisable to get these skills refreshed every year. The human body is extremely susceptible to injuries as well as illnesses, and it’s hard to predict when we might suffer from one. Therefore, a necessary amount of knowledge like dressing a wound, performing CPR among others is essential until medical arrives.

Furthermore, it helps in reducing the severity of injuries occurring in the workplace as it creates a quick response and can be life-saving as well. Well, first aid not just about giving medical help. It also means to create and spread positivity around you so that there is no panic and the situation is handled with utmost ease and caution.

PAT Testing

Portable Appliance Testing or PAT Testing is an examination conducted to ensure that the electrical appliances at workplaces are safe to use. Considering that over 12% of domestic house fires were caused by electrical appliances, as per some recent reports, it is incredibly essential to have sufficient knowledge of this. And the same applies to offices and industries where there are a lot of workers, and a substantial amount of electronics are installed all around.

In fact, British law (the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989) makes it imperative to check all electrical appliances on a regular basis to prevent industrial accidents. Besides, it involves visual checking of appliances and cables in an industrial unit or regular office. And these checks must be made by a competent person, with decision-making powers.

Fire Safety

Fire outbreaks are one of the most common kinds of industrial hazards. On top, most cases of fire outbreaks remain unknown. Especially in manufacturing units, tons of cables and machinery are prone to catch and spread the fire from a single spark. And in case of industries involving chemicals and flammable materials, things get pretty intense.

Therefore, being compliant with fire safety norms has been made a legal responsibility by the British government. The design, safety and maintenance of fire equipment is thoroughly regulated, and hefty fines are imposed in case of noncompliance.

Besides, the wiring and appliances are also to be checked regularly. And portable safety equipment like fire extinguishers also needs replacement post their inspiration.

Manual Handling Training

Manual Handling Training is essential for workers that are required to do specific physical activities like lifting, pulling, pushing, etc. that involve risk of injuries. And it might be surprising, but almost a third of workplace injuries arise from manual handling activities.

Although classically delivered in person, modern times might require a manual handling online course to be done, to the same quality and can become useful if physical work is not possible. The workers are made aware of how certain body angles may cause a fall or injury. For instance, they must be aware of the anatomy of their spine. They are also trained in the right way to lift weights and handle heavier weights without self-injury.

Final Words

No matter how safe the buildings and the workplaces claim to be, there is always a risk of injuries, fire or an accident that can be dangerous to life. For these situations, a person also has to be well-trained and practiced in all the critical areas concerned with health and safety. And to ensure that no industry stays aloof to these measures, the government has set specific regulations that are legally enforced.

Besides, these compliance measures are mutually beneficial for both the workers and employers. So do ensure that these are taken care of at your workplace, and everyone stays happy and safe.

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