Capabilities and training
- What capabilities do employees need to have?
- Where training is particularly important
- Training is not a substitute for risk control
What capabilities do employees need to have?
To comply with the law, employees need to have the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their duties safely.
Organisations should take into account their employees' capabilities, to ensure the demands of the job do not exceed their ability to do the work without risk to themselves or others.
Everyone in an organisation requires adequate health and safety training. Training helps people gain the skills and knowledge, and ultimately the competence, to carry out their work safely and without risk to their health.
Training isn't just about formal 'classroom' courses - it can be delivered in a number of ways, for example:
- informal, 'on the job' training
- written instructions
- online information
- simply telling someone what to do
Employees must be given information about the risks involved in their work, and the steps that need to be taken to reduce or remove those risks.
Where training is particularly important
There are situations where health and safety training is particularly important, for example:
- when people are new to the job
- on exposure to new or increased risks
- where existing skills may have become rusty or need updating
Training is not a substitute for risk control
Training should not be a substitute for proper risk control, for example to compensate for poorly designed equipment. It may be appropriate as a temporary measure of control until permanent improvements can be made.