Training

This Technical measures document refers to issues surrounding training and how it can be used to minimise the foreseeable risks of a major accident.

See also Technical measures documents on

The relevant Level 2 Criteria are 5.2.1.6 (38) j and 5.2.1.12(68)c

General principles

The following aspects should be considered with respect to Training:

Human factors;
Poorly skilled work force;
Poor communication skills; and
Unconscious and conscious incompetence.

The following issues may contribute towards a major accident or hazard:

Insufficient training schemes in place to address necessary staff training;
Operation of plant carried out incorrectly;
Maintenance of plant carried out incorrectly;
Unauthorised maintenance carried out by unauthorised persons;
Unable to recognise hazardous situations;
Not understanding and fulfilling the requirements of a work permit system;
Not understanding how to use the technologies in place that control hazardous operations;
Incompetent staff designing and operating hazardous processes; and
Not knowing the safety procedures to following in the event of a major accident and hazard (sounding alarms, communication routes, emergency evacuation procedures, fire assembly points).

Contributory factors for an assessor to consider concerning all aspects of training

The Safety Report should address the following points:

The Organisation's perception of training (Investment or cost?);
The Organisation’s ability to analyse training needs and training priorities;
The Organisation’s training strategies, plans, policies, objectives and schemes;
Resources available for training;
Whether training details of all employees are kept on file and reviewed;
Are the trainers sufficiently competent enough to deliver the training requirements;
Whether training is on-going; and
Types of success and performance indicators.

Specific training details

The following groups below are likely to require specific types of training courses, which are summarised below under each group sub-heading.

Decision Makers and Managers;
Responsible persons(including professional design/process engineers);
Safety professionals;
Process operational staff (including engineers);
Contractors;
Maintenance staff; and
Quality control staff.

Specific training details that are required by decision-makers and managers include:

Academic qualifications and relevant experience;
Managing safety health and environmental management systems;
Managerial responsibility for safety and loss prevention;
Hazard identification (fire/explosive, chemical and physical);
Reporting accidents;
Fire prevention and protection;
Relevant technical training courses to recognise hazardous substances and equipment;
Information technology;
Emergency procedures and planning arrangements;
Training of personnel; and
Good house keeping.

Specific training details that are required by responsible persons include:

Academic qualifications and relevant experience;
Hazard identification (fire/explosive, chemical and physical);
Safe systems of work (permits to work, maintenance systems, safe operating procedures, safe use of work equipment, safe handling of hazardous/flammable substances);
Commissioning, de-commissioning, re-commissioning (after maintenance), shut-down and start-up procedures;
Emergency quenching and isolation procedures of processes/plant;
Fire prevention and protection;
Relevant technical training courses to recognise hazardous substances and equipment;
Information technology;
Emergency procedures and planning arrangements;

Specific training details that are required by safety professionals include:

Academic qualifications and relevant experience;
Hazard identification (fire/explosive, chemical and physical);
Relevant technical training courses to recognise hazardous substances and equipment;
Control of contractors;
Emergency procedures and planning arrangements;
Managing safety health and environmental management systems;
Information technology;

Specific training details that are required by process operational staff, contractors, maintenance staff and quality control staff include:

Academic qualifications and relevant experience;
Training specific to plant (operating procedures/maintenance procedures/analytical methods for quality control);
Fire fighting; equipment use and location;
Information technology;
Hazard identification (fire/explosive, chemical and physical);
First aid measures; equipment use and location;
Rescue methods; equipment use and location;
Accident reporting systems;
Correct use of PPE and RPE;
Safe systems of work (permits to work, maintenance systems, safe operating procedures, safe use of work equipment, safe handling of hazardous/flammable substances);
Emergency quenching and shutdown procedures of processes/plant;
Lifting and manual handling techniques;
Emergency arrangements (alarm raising, recognising warning signs, escape routes and assembly points, spillage procedures, toxic/flammable gas release procedures); and
Good house keeping.

Major hazards

Major hazards could arise from the following:

Incompetently managed safety management systems;
Unauthorised employees carrying out hazardous tasks;
Hazardous processes performed by incompetent process operators;
Maintenance being performed incompetently; and
Non-compliance with quality and safety procedures.

Guidance relating to training

The following HSE publications can be used as guidance material relating to safety issues surrounding training:

HS(G)48 Reducing error and influencing behaviour
An examination of the roles of organisations, jobs and individuals in industrial safety and a practical guide to control.
Paragraph 15 refers to the need for training of employees in modern large scale industries. Unplanned events occurs requiring human interpretation and judgement need to be foreseen and managed.
Paragraph 16 refers to abnormal situations arising and how a positive training culture can be beneficial in complex, unusual situations. The behaviour and attitude of an employee as a result of training should be an inherent aspect of an organisation’s training objectives.
Paragraph 23 refers to the necessity of training to prevent employees tackling a hazardous environment in an unorthodox fashion. It emphasises the importance of a positive safety culture and how training fits in with this.
Paragraph 29 refers to an accident in 1979 at Three Mile Island nuclear power station and how inadequate training was a major cause.
HS(G)65 Successful health & safety management
Inset 2 refers to personal factors of employees such as skill and attitude and how they can be modified with training.
Inset 6 refers to the importance of training in order to effectively implement and develop a successful health and safety policy. Also, the amount of supervision required during training must be assessed by management. Management must assess the level of risk associated with the training event.
Inset 8 refers to how training is required to develop the skills and attitudes of an employee so that they can perform their tasks competently and safely. It illustrates a training management system which can be used to address training needs and measure and monitor the effectiveness of them.
HS(G)71 Chemical warehousing: the storage of packaged dangerous substances
Paragraph 52 refers to the necessity of training to recognise the dangers of storing hazardous substances and how risk assessments should be used to evaluate training and retraining needs.
HS(G)176 The storage of flammable liquids in tanks
Paragraph 218 refers to the need for training employees to react to spills, leaks, fire and emergency evacuation situations.

Case studies illustrating the importance of training

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