Why training is required – Why should employees go for health and safety training? It is a question asked very often when budget is allocated for training employees the following year. Well; I can list a few! But I have made an effort today to list the most important reasons.
Whatever type of business or industry you are in, accidents can always happen. Some accidents happen due to bad luck but most accidents or incidents are preventable. Training is an essential tool which can be used to fight, prevent and reduce occupational incidence and injuries.
Training is essential to reduce risks and chances of occupational injuries for employees. Employees often tend to injure themselves or escalate some fatalities due to ignorance or lack of proper knowledge. Employers should ensure that their employees are trained and equipped with skills that would help them safeguard their own lives even if when the company has employed safety representatives.
Safety representatives in the workplace are a necessity and even required by law. But they have to be adequately trained. Training of these employees is a must. Attention to the health and safety of employees is not just about being socially responsible. It also makes good business sense and employers should regard it as just as important as the achievement of any other key business objective.
Incidents or fatalities at work also come with huge financial consequences for the employer. Once an incident has occurred, employers will find themselves with piles of medical bills, workers' compensation claims, legal liability, just to mention but a few. Providing constant training to employees and their safety representatives will reduce a number of incidents, injuries and deaths but, more importantly, save companies a lot of time and money by preventing them for having to do the dreadful paperwork.
Constant training means more knowledge, skill and experience, which will always come in handy in the workplace.
Having educated and trained employees in the workplace also means that employees know what to do or how to react in case of an emergency. Even when they don't know how to reduce the impact of an incident or what to do; trained employees will be able to evacuate in an organised fashion which is likely to reduce the impact of an incident and prevent major casualties.
Training is an essential need as it develops a positive health and safety culture in the workplace. When the employers take proper initiatives to ensure the health and safety of the staff, it will involuntarily boost their morale and thereby increase their productivity.
Technology is changing very fast that most people can't keep up. The same applies to work places where structure, machinery, equipment is modified and improved every day. Therefore, regular training is a need for employees so that they are constantly updated on the use and handling of any advancement that has arrived in the workplace.
Like technology, laws, legislations and regulations are improved, revised and repealed constantly. It is essential that health and safety reps are well informed or are constantly updated on the changes so that they perform their duties accordingly.
And even when they are familiar with the latest changes, employees should be ready to face the worst. Fire is a common hazard in many workplaces. Employees could find themselves in a dangerous situation when a fire occurs. However, once-off training on fire-fighting and prevention is not enough to ensure maximum safety. Employees should constantly be sent for training in this field so as to ensure that knowledge is always new and right on their fingerprints and they do not need to struggle to apply it. A slight mistake could be the thin line between life and death when an employee is no longer sure what action to take. In an emergency one need to act fast and correctly.
There is no doubt that training is a life time process and a vital need.
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