It’s felt in many businesses that, by providing staff with training in health & safety, they have everything they require to cope with a catastrophe. The truth is that, irrespective of the industry you’re in, employees need more than simply the basics in health & safety and risk assessment. You need to provide your staff with a capable supervisor, not to mention equip them properly and give them the chance to practice.

Your employees need a great supervisor to keep an eye on the work area, but this person must also play an even more important role on the floor. Whomever you choose as the supervisor must see their health & safety training as important and be able to get everybody feeling enthusiastic about it. On top of following all of the rules and regulations, a supervisory role also includes overseeing employee performance levels. This is a hard task. In depth industry knowledge is needed for a supervisory position as well as a high standard of familiarity with current regulations regarding safety, risk assessment and CPR. It’s just not sufficient to supply your staff with health & safety instruction. Your employees must get practical experience of risk assessment and the identification of hazardous areas. They need to know how to eliminate hazards not to mention knowing what to do when the unexpected happens. Not until these procedures become second nature are employees properly educated.

Safety equipment is just as important to the well being of your staff as any training. Should they discover they don’t have equipment that is needed, or even find out that some of the supplies are not working properly when they actually need them, the education your employees have already completed is wasted. It is essential to perform conscientious checks on a regular basis to verify that you have all of the required gear as well as checking that everything is being properly cared for. If an item is in less than perfect working order, get it mended or call out a service professional as quickly as possible. Health & safety instruction is essential for the safety of your staff, but in addition they also require the correct gear, the chance to practise, and a supervisor who has infectious enthusiasm. Only then will following all the safety regulations become part of the workforce’s working habits rather than an inconvenience that staff have to attempt to remember.