How Correct Induction Training Can Reduce Health & Safety Risks
Whether you are bringing new starters into your business or are introducing visitors onto a construction site, having a clear, consistent and correct induction training is vital. It means that everyone is educated on any potential hazards or dangers, and could save you a lot of hassle and expense further on down the line. Inductions should also be carried out when new processes or equipment are introduced, and the responsibility of the employee changes.
Statistics have shown that within the first six months at a new job, workers are more than 3.5 times likely to have a reportable accident than someone who has been at the company for more than 5 years. It is important to remember that a new starter may not have experience of working within your industry before. They might not know the risks and hazards associated with the new working environment, and the desire to impress a new employer makes them more likely to take risks. So as an employer, how can you reduce the risk of injury? With an online induction of course.
6 Steps To Protect New Starters
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has created six steps to guide employers and help them put processes in place to protect new employees:
1. Capability
The first step is to assess how competent the new employee is when it comes to literacy and numeracy. Ask them whether they have worked in a similar environment before, and any previous experience that is relevant to the new role. This will give you an indication of how in-depth an induction you will need to provide them with.
2. Induction
Once you have carried out the initial assessment, it is then time for the induction. This can be carried out before the employee or visitor even arrives on site if you opt for online induction software. This can save lots of time as they will already be familiar with the Health & Safety risks before they even step foot on the premises. The online induction should show them examples of hazards they are likely to face on site, and where the safety assembly points are located.
3. Control Measures
These should already be in place before you take on a new member of staff, but the induction process is a good time to review these controls. They should protect all of your employees against risks and hazards, and you should also outline the importance of all staff reporting near misses as well as accidents. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should also be provided and regularly maintained. It is the responsibility of the employee to let you know if their PPE needs replacing.
4. Information
This is a bit of a broad point, but the angle the HSE are coming from is that any other information regarding hazards in the workplace should be explained. These should be specific to the job role that the employee is going to carry out, and should also include detail about the precautions that need to be taken to avoid danger.
5. Supervision
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the new starter is provided with adequate supervision, particularly during the early stages of their employment. Any issues that the employee has regarding their health & safety should be clearly communicated to their supervisor, who can escalate these concerns if necessary.
6. Checking their understanding
It is all very well giving a new starter a login to their online induction and letting them get along with it, but it is a good idea that the h&s induction software includes questions and answers as they go through it. This then solidifies their learning and gives you an indication of how well they have understood each subject area. Any questions they struggled to answer can then be addressed and explained in person when they arrive on site.
Online Induction Systems
Carrying out a physical induction can be an extremely time-consuming process, and also quite boring for the person in charge of explaining every potential hazard on the site. By moving your site inductions online you can save valuable time and money for your business. Particularly with larger organisations, it can be difficult to ensure all inductions are consistent and no minor details are left out. By moving this online you can rest assured that each new starter will receive exactly the same induction as the previous person.
If you are thinking about improving your induction training through the use of bespoke online software, give the team at Resolution Digital a call on 01724 376002 to discuss your individual requirements.
