Learning and Development

Leading organisations have identified that through appropriate learning and development programs not only do they satisfy their legislative obligations, they actually make money.

Yes. That's right! They increase profitability by ensuring that their human resource are adequately trained in the fundamentals of risk management as it pertains to the functions they perform in their workplace. The trick is to ensure that personnel are given the knowledge and skills to perform their job as well as being able to identify any of the risks associated with that job and to control the hazards accordingly, thereby reducing the probability of incidents and accidents from occurring — Loss Control.

Of course an added bonus is the fact that people feel valued when the PCBU (employer) actually provides ongoing learning and development opportunities and are more likely to remain loyal to the company for longer thereby reducing the amount of money spent by the organisation on recruitment and retraining of new staff.

Benefits of Providing Training

Pro-active organisations believe the main advantages of providing ongoing WHS training:

• demonstrates a commitment to the health and wellbeing of all workers;
• educates all personnel in work practices that will help to ensure a safe and healthy working environment;
• helps to ensure that legislative requirements are met, and that relevant government policies or standards are disseminated;
• enhances safety and productivity;
• reduces the direct and indirect costs to the organisation of work-related injury and illness; and other losses; and
• helps to ensure that everyone involved in workplace activities understands their WHS roles and responsibilities.

In meeting its responsibility to provide information, instruction, training to and supervision of employees, to protect their health and safety, organisations ensure that personnel are informed about risks on the job, both general and specific to the job being done, or the plant or substance being used.

Workplace Training

To participate effectively in the Loss Control process, and to benefit from its successful operation, progressive organisations recognise that all parties in the workplace need to be appropriately trained. That training may be on-the-job, classroom based or via interactive learning applications.

People who need training include workers, supervisors, managers and senior managers, as well as contractors, casual staff, maintenance personnel and anyone else who is potentially at risk. The provision of adequate training is an integral part of Duty of Care, since it is necessary to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and skills to use risk controls (including safe work practices and procedures).

Training is one of the core structural elements in communicating the results of an organisation's Safety Management Plan and is seen as part of a continuum that includes training, information, instruction and supervision.

Training

Training involves the transfer of knowledge and the systematic development of a person's skills and abilities, knowledge and attitudes. It is a means by which workplace behaviour can be influenced and work performance improved.

Instruction

Instruction involves directing people in the conduct of specific tasks. It may involve the provision of information, knowledge and lessons in the conduct of those tasks It is not always clear where training ends and instruction begins. However, instruction may be viewed as the on-the-job learning end of the training spectrum, involving more of the 'how we do things' element.

Supervision

Supervision involves taking responsibility for, and directing, the activities of others. It may involve training, coaching or directing a person to conduct tasks in a prescribed manner.

Provision of Information

Provision of information occurs as part of training, instruction or supervision, or it may be done independently of these processes. The type of information provided depends on the types of risks present at the workplace, but, in general, employees and others who may be exposed to risk must be provided with information on issues such as:

• documentation from the risk management process — including risk identification records, risk assessment documentation and risk control records;
• the risk control measures in place and how to ensure they are kept in full working order;
• operators’ manuals;
• work method statements and safe work instructions;
• safe use of workplace substances (including information from chemical or product labels and material safety data sheets);
• maintenance and service routines (such as when to request maintenance, and who to ask);
• procedures for repairs (such as tagging and lock-out procedures);
• any special safety information needed (such as safety precautions for working under certain conditions or how to use safety devices such as emergency stop buttons);
• the types of personal protective equipment needed together with information on comfort and fit, use, maintenance and storage;
• emergency procedures; and
• where relevant, details on how incidents and accidents have occurred in the past involving the same work process.

Contact Neil to discuss your Learning and Development requirements.