If you check the meaning of a workplace hazard then a brutally simple definition comes up .. it’s a hazard in the workplace. Really. Not too helpful that then. It could be said that virtually anything could be considered a hazard if it’s likely to cause harm, but that’s still not a particulary good explanation. So, let’s break this down. The initial online search brings up a Belgian Footballer but since there’s no intention to play football any time in the future I doubt it’s a Hazard we need to cover in this blog. Diving in deeper it reveals the word is a noun (childhood days called this a naming word) that applies to anything likely to cause harm. So now we are getting there - harmful things are in every workplace, be it in the office or out on site.

Health & Safety Team

It’s the role of the Health and Safety team to ensure the people working or visiting the workplace remain safe. You and everyone else working in an organisation might be aware that a carpet square is loose and know to avoid it, but what if a visitor trips and in doing so triggers a chain of events causing them a severe injury – what could that mean in terms of dealing with a difficult situation - a possible HSE intervention, a damaged reputation, lost customers, lost business and so on? Transfer that idea out onto a busy construction site, or steel plant. A trip over a carpet is unlikely to be dramatic, but imagine walking into an unguarded pool of molten steel or into the path of a swinging crane carrying a pallet of bricks. Suddenly the need to be aware of the hazard is no longer a joke is it?

Protecting The Workforce

The protection of the workforce and visitors could be handled by posters everywhere but whilst there have been some great poster campaigns how effective would they be in the longer term? Similarly, a visitor would usually be accompanied, but would you want to be constantly reminding them to avoid the hazards – of course not! So, this is where an effective online induction will offer not only hazard awareness but bring to so much more to the attention of the end user. Account holders within the system will be presented with precise advice relating to the workplace they are visiting or will be working at, with an in-depth explanation of the key hazards. Thinking back to the unguarded pool of molten steel, which is likely an extreme example, it’s a perfect opportunity to point out before they arrive on site, for example, that they will need to ensure guards are erected before any work commences. Here at Resolution Digital, we have a strong reputation in developing digital online induction systems that elevate hazard awareness using an effective combination of video and questioning to impact the key learning points. If you would like more information about how this concept can elevate your own training and induction please get in touch now.