What is Specialist Training In Health and Safety

Specialist Training

Specialist health and safety training is normally needed for activities unrelated to a specific job but more to activity. Examples include first-aid, fire prevention, forklift truck driving, overhead crane operation, scaffold inspection, and statutory health and safety inspections. Specialist organizations often provide these training courses, and successful participants are awarded certificates. Details of two of these courses will be given here through illustration. 

Fire prevention training courses include the causes of fire and fire spread, fire and smoke alarm systems, emergency lighting, the selection and use of fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems, evacuation procedures, high-risk operations, and good housekeeping principles. 

A forklift truck drivers ’ course would include the general use of the controls, loading and unloading procedures, driving up or down an incline, speed limits, pedestrian awareness (particularly in areas where pedestrians and vehicles are not segregated), security of the vehicle when not in use, daily safety checks and defect reporting, refueling and/or battery charging and emergency procedures.

Training is a vital part of any health and safety program and needs to be constantly reviewed and updated. Many health and safety regulations require specific training (e.g., manual handling, PPE, and display screens). Additional training courses may be needed when there is a major reorganization, a series of similar accidents or incidents, or a change in equipment or a process. Finally, the methods used to deliver training must be continually monitored to ensure effectiveness. 

Supervisory and management training

Supervisory and management health and safety training follows similar topics to those in an induction training course but will be covered in more depth. There will also be a more detailed treatment of health and safety laws. There has been considerable research over the years into the failures of managers that have resulted in accidents and other dangerous incidents. These failures have included:

• Lack of health and safety awareness, enforcement, and promotion (in some cases, there has been an encouragement to circumvent health and safety rules); 
• Lack of consistent supervision of and communication with employees; 
• Lack of understanding of the extent of the responsibility of the supervisor.

It is important that all levels of management, including the Board, receive health and safety training. This will keep everybody informed of health and safety legal requirements, accident prevention techniques, and changes in the law and encourage everybody to monitor health and safety standards during visits or tours of the organization.