Very often, in a world where everyone is rushing around trying to get things done as quickly as possible, workplace safety can sometimes be overlooked. In order to promote the wellness of employees, It is a duty and moral responsibility of the company to look after the employee’s protection.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 provides for the good health and safety of people in the workplace. It applies to all employers, employees and self-employed people in their relevant place of work. The Act sets out the rights and duties of both employers and employees and provides for substantial fines and penalties for breaches of the health and safety legislation.
Safe Pass was introduced to raise the standard of safety awareness in the construction industry. Safe Pass is a one-day safety awareness programme for workers in the construction industry. The aim of Safe Pass is to make a significant reduction in the number of accidents and ill health whilst working on site. This programme makes workers very aware of the potential hazards and dangers on construction sites thus making their working conditions safer.
All safety training in the workplace is important and effective, as it educates your employees on proper workplace procedures, practices and behaviour in order to prevent possible injuries.
Manual Handling training can often be overlooked. According to the Health and Safety Authority, lower back pain affects approximately eighty percent of the population at some stage in their lives. They have also stated that one third of all reported injuries are as a result of bad manual handling techniques. It is now a legal requirement that employers ensure all employees have received manual handling training with refresher training every 3 years.
Similarly, the importance of First Aid training cannot be overestimated. It enables those trained to assist persons who become injured in the work environment until help arrives. The more First Aid certified people there are in the workplace, the safer that workplace becomes.
When Working at Heights, specific training is required to avoid falls and injuries. Working at a height is work in any place at, above or below ground level, where a person could be injured if they fall from that place. Access and egress to a place of work is also considered to be working at height.
Examples of working at height would be working on trestles, roofs, on a ladder, at ground level adjacent to an excavation and working near fragile materials. It is important that all who work at heights carry out risk assessments, plan their work properly and ensure that they are competent and trained to do so.
Choosing the right work equipment is essential as well as selecting collective measures to prevent falls such as guard rails and wearing personal protection equipment such as a harness. All work equipment must be properly inspected, serviced and maintained.
In essence, working at heights training is essential for anyone working above or below ground level if a fall could result in injury. If you work at a height, then a standard Working at Heights or a MEWP training course is just what you need.
The training will cover regulatory requirements, risk assessment procedures, fall protection equipment, ladder, scaffold and MEWP usage as well as covering all employer and employee responsibilities. It will give you the training you need to carry out your work safely and effectively for yourself, your colleagues and those on the ground.
So, it is clear from above that whether its First Aid, Safe Pass, Manual Handling, MEWP operation or standard Working at Heights training, it is essential that employees and employers alike ensure that all available safety training in the workplace is considered, adhered to and managed effectively.
