Health and safety training - achieving competence and genuine worker involvement

Report of the event held on 18th August 2011 at Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy

1. Thanks to Karen McDonnell, POOSH Scotland for organising this event.

Agenda

2. The event was chaired by HSE Board member, Hugh Robertson. Speakers were:

Hazel Harvey, Executive Director Membership, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) - Hazel provided an insight into competence, IOSH membership and the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) reinforcing the importance of accessing competent advice.
Harry Cunningham - TUC Education Officer - Who provided an overview of training available for safety representatives
Fraser Allan, Head of HSEQ , CBES Ltd - a member of RoSPA's Higher Performers Forum. Provided an overview of how CBES Ltd have used their extensive suite of in-house training programmes, and formal/informal on-site contacts to improve the competencies of their own staff and those of their contractors to the benefit of both parties.
Jane Macdonald, HSE Adviser, FMC Technologies Ltd, a member of RoSPA's Higher Performer's Forum, who gave an insight into their team, based approach to worker involvement and how this has been harnessed to assist in the development of new approaches to training within the organisation.

Invitations & attendance

3. 548 invitation letters were sent 2nd class from HSE to non public sector duty holders in the Fife area (from organisations on the HSE and LA databases). A total of 84 letters were returned as undeliverable. 50 guests, including duty holders and PHASS members attended.

Publicity

4. The event was featured as a news item on HSE's website and a listing on the events page. It was also included in the HSE Scotland e-bulletin issued on 14th July.

Feedback

5. 20 feedback sheets were returned from non-PHASS members. One was anonymous.

Responses:

How did you hear about this event?

6. 14 attendees had heard about the event through the HSE invitation (70%); two attendees heard through the Local Authority (10%); one heard through the Federation of Small Businesses (5%); two saw the event on the HSE Website (10%); one did not specify.

Aims

7. The aims were to assist businesses who want to learn more about how to provide effective health and safety training in the workplace, the need for competent health and safety advice and the benefits of involving employees in managing health and safety.

8. On a five box tick scale: 19 attendees (95%) thought the aims were partially or fully met. One attendee thought that the aims were partially not met (4th box). No-one considered the aims to be "not met".

Additional comments

9. Some attendees stated that they would be interested in further training and would investigate any opportunities which may be available locally. One attendee expressed an interest in obtaining related safety qualifications i.e. NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate and IOSH membership. Although feedback was generally favourable, one particular attendee thought that the audience at the event was possibly too diverse.

Costs (not including HSE or partner staff and travel costs)

10. Postage: £137.00 (HSE)

Buffet & refreshments: £ Paid for by Scottish Chamber of Safety

Venue - free

Follow up

11. The duty holder attendees will be sent a follow up e-mail with information, for example, about:

Health and safety courses and the employer programme available in Fife - Fife Council
Link to details about the local Fife Safety Group
Link to the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives website
Link to HSE Scotland website and specifically the "What works in worker involvement" report by RoSPA for HSE - which includes Scottish case studies.