Employers have specific duties to provide employees with information necessary to ensure their health and safety at work, providing it's reasonably practicable to do so. It is a requirement of law that employees are provided with suitable information in regard to health and safety in order for them to understand what hazards they are exposed to and the safe methods which must be adopted while carrying out the work. Employers are also required to provide employees with the significant findings of risk assessments, which can be achieved by supplying documented safe systems of work.
Employers must consult with employees on health and safety issues, either directly or through a safety representative that has been either elected by the workforce or appointed by a trade union.
Information may be provided by posters – the required Health and Safety ‘What you should know poster’ must be on display and should be completed with the correct information about Health and Safety management. To enhance this information, other Health and Safety posters may also be displayed. Peninsula Business Services Ltd have a range of Health and Safety posters available to clients.
Toolbox Talks or Team Briefings could be held when appropriate in regard to particular work tasks. Details of topics discussed and attendees should always be recorded.
There are many ways that Health and Safety information can be presented to employees but whichever method is chosen it must be understood by the employees themselves. It is important to regularly conduct a ‘training needs analysis’ to determine what further Health and Safety training is required and whether that training should be delivered either ‘in house’ or by an external provider. All training should be fully recorded and employees should sign to acknowledge when training has been undertaken.
