Health and safety training is mandatory for every new and permanent employee, depending on the position, and it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that staff receive it. We can divide this training into two types:
- initial, mandatory for all new recruits,
- periodic, which must be renewed from time to time, and it is up to the position to determine their frequency.
In order to ensure the greatest possible safety in a company, professional training in accordance with the latest regulations and guidelines is essential. This is provided by training centres or trained in-house persons. It is compulsory for every employee, regardless of their position.
Health and safety at work aimed at employers and team leaders
According to the provisions of the Labour Code, the employer is obliged to know the rules for the safe execution of work and to be proficient in the subject of health and safety rules, as the productivity and safety of the entire company depends on it. An employee taking up a job in a company must undergo health and safety training no later than six months after starting work in that position. Such courses can also be taken online, without going to dedicated on-site courses. The form of learning is arbitrary and can be, for example:
- Course,
- seminar,
- self-learning process.
Such training should be updated every five years, already in the form of a periodic course. It can only be provided by persons or bodies authorised to do so. The entire training programme should be tailored to the characteristics of the company in question and prepare for work in a specific industry. In addition, it must take into account the responsibilities and needs of the specific employer. The topics that should be covered in such training are:
- rights and obligations of both employees and employers,
- responsibilities of employees who direct other employees,
- identifying and assessing the degree of risk of various hazards,
- fire protection principles,
- classification of health and life-threatening factors in the workplace,
- health and safety training,
- the rights of women and young workers.
Each training course taken concludes with an examination and, later on, a certificate which entitles you to act as an employer and manager. In addition, you can then train new employees yourself in occupational safety and hygiene, so that your company is not dependent on external centres providing such courses.
Importance of health and safety training
Knowledge of all health and safety regulations greatly enhances safe and efficient working in an establishment. It is worth remembering that every new employee receives training as soon as possible after starting work and to ensure that their knowledge of their position is kept up to date by sending them for periodic training. As an employer or team leader, we also have the opportunity to become a member of the occupational health and safety service, which upholds occupational health and safety and can provide occupational health and safety knowledge ourselves. Safety in any company is a fundamental value that must not be neglected or sidelined in any way. The reputation, prestige and results of an organisation depend on it.
