Some training might not go amiss
One of our subscribers contacted us following a visit from an inspector. During the inspection he suggested that some basic general safety training would be a good idea. Do they have to do it, and if so, what are their best options?
No formal action
A suggestion from an inspector isn’t legally binding. If he wanted to force the issue he would have issued a notice. This would clearly indicate what he wanted and how long he was willing to wait for it. If he’d told you to do some training, he’d also specify the level, or some of the required content. A suggestion doesn’t carry the same legal backing, but regardless, it shouldn’t be ignored.
Being generous
Not issuing a formal notice should be seen as a positive sign. He would have recognised that he didn’t need to use his full powers and is trusting you to comply with his wishes. Believe it or not - they don’t actually want to issue formal notices because as soon as they are issued, it means formal action has to be taken; he’s duty bound to follow it up and sign it off. If he’s made a suggestion, he will have recorded the conversation in his diary, and will want to return/contact you to check that it’s been completed at a later date.
A notice without a notice
So, we’ve established you should do something about it, but what? There are numerous organisations offering “Safety Training”. Who and how should you choose? Your best bet is to ask the inspector for some guidance.
Tip. Make sure that whenever an inspector arrives you ask for his business card. It will have his name, e-mail address and a direct dial contact number. Contact the inspector and tell him what you’re intending to do. After all, you don’t want to do the wrong training and then have to do more.
A bespoke course
There are some off-the-shelf courses available (see The next step) which are very generic. But what about a bespoke course designed for your business? That’ll cost a fortune! Not necessarily. There are companies that will run a course which is 90% generic and 10% bespoke. This means you won’t have to fork out for a new course to be designed from scratch but simply have an existing one amended.
Tip. If you approach a few providers, you may be able to get a bespoke course at a basic price, as they want to win your business. To cut the costs even further, you could supply the training provider with the additional business-specific material. It could be photographs of your own products. Just personalising a course slightly will certainly create more impact.
Who should you contact?
A good place to start will be a training provider/consultant you’ve already dealt with and who knows your business. Otherwise, find a training provider who’s had specific sector experience in businesses such as yours, or ask them to recommend someone who has.
Tip. If you haven’t worked with a consultant before, speak to colleagues and ask them if they have. They might be able to recommend a consultancy/training provider they’ve used previously to do their training.
The next step
For further information about generic basic safety training visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 04.21.02).
Create your profile to unlock this advice and many more.