A significant amount of companies feel that, if all of their employees have basic health and safety training, they now have everything needed to prevent a disaster. The reality is that, irrespective your industry, an education in health and safety regulations and risk asessment just is not sufficient. Equipping staff, employing an enthusiastic supervisior and supporting frequent practise are fundamental to the safety of staff.

All teams must have a capable supervisor to oversee the shop floor, but this person also needs to take another role. Your selection of supervisor must be a good communicator and additionally see health and safety education as crucial.

In addition to following health and safety legislation, a supervisory role includes supervising employee performance too. This is a challenging job. Good industry knowledge is a must for a supervisory job in addition to an extensive understanding of current legislation with regard to safety, risk appraisal and CPR. It’s just not enough to offer your staff health and safety training. To successfully identify a safety hazard they must get to put their new-found skills to the test. Employees in addition must have insights into the steps necessary to remedy the situation and also understanding what to do when anything unforeseen happens. Only when these processes have developed into a habit are staff properly educated.

Adequate safety apparatus is just as important to the safety of your workers as the training itself. When they are without gear that is essential, or even learn that gear is damaged when they are required, even the very best training isn’t going to help them. You need to check all your gear often to verify that all the necessary gear is there and also that it is all being properly maintained. If you have a fault with your safety apparatus, have it fixed or serviced as swiftly as possible. Your workforce need to get good health & safety instruction, but they also must have the right apparatus, scheduled practise drills, and an educated supervisor who gets everyone charged up about working safely. When you implement these steps you will find health and safety legislation will become part of your employee’s working habits instead of something challenging everyone has to attempt to think about constantly.