OHS Training
What Training?
Every employer, manager, OHS Committee or OHS Representative has to, at some time, decide on what occupational health and safety training should be given to employees in their workplace. The answer is not always obvious. One place to start to look for the answer for your workplace is in the Index of the OHS Regulation 2001 under the heading of Instruction and Training. Some important examples of training requirements you will find are;
- All members of an OHS Committee and all OHS Representatives have to be trained on WorkCover’s OHS Consultation Course unless they have been trained on earlier versions of the course (clause 31).
- All persons who carry out a manual handling activity that involves risk must be “trained in manual handling techniques, correct use of mechanical aids and team lifting activities appropriate to the activity” (clause 80 (2)(c)).
- All persons doing “construction work” must have completed WorkCover’s general Health and Safety Induction Training (clause 217).
- Every new employee has to be given ohs induction training (clause 13 (1)).
- Any person who may be exposed to an ohs risk must be trained in handling that risk (clause 13 (2)).
- All supervision must be done by “a competent person” and that would require training (clause 14(2)).
- Where there are more than 25 employees at least one person must be trained in first aid (clause 20).
- One or more persons must be trained in overseeing the emergency evacuation of the workplace (clause 17 (3) (c)).
However you also need to consider matters such as:
- An employer has to identify, assess and control ohs risks in the workplace and regularly review these assessments and control measures. So persons need to be trained to carry out these responsibilities.
- Assessing the risk of a hazard and working out how to control the risks will identify training that is needed in respect of that hazard.
- Managers and supervisors need to be trained so they know and can carry out their ohs responsibilities and the employer’s ohs responsibilities.
Each workplace has its own individual training requirements that should be worked out so as to help ensure the health and safety of everyone in the workplace.
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