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Occupational Health and Safety Training

A training policy indicates to employees that their training is taken to heart and also ensures that the correct training is being implemented.  Each training course needs to build onto the next one.  Employers (schools) must ensure proper selection of employees who will undergo training.

This policy should address the following:

• Objective of training
• Training strategy - organisations, frequency, types of courses
• Target – this must address the percentage of the work force to be trained
• Review – how regularly it will be reviewed and stipulation of the continuous improvement process

Head teachers need to keep records and ensure that the status of training in the school is in line with training policy.  

The training policy should include the following aspects:

• Involvement of the health and safety committee in setting up of the policy
• Endorsement by employer (school) and the committee
• Career paths need to be addressed for each employee or position
• Attendance records must be maintained
• Implementation of refresher training when needed
• Discipline procedures in respect of attendance and implementation of training

This document can be added to at any stage and should be continuously reviewed.  The training programme needs to ensure that all employees have a good general understanding of what occupational health and safety is, and what their individual role in the school involves.

Each employee, will for example, need to be able to identify hazards in their environment.