In this blog, we will discuss effective safety training program and importance of looking after safety at schools.
I keep on saying safety is your responsibility, and it’s up to you to stay safe. Every day, I seem to be the person making the decision to keep safe for others, when they should be doing it themselves. This afternoon, as I was rounding the corner into my street, a pedestrian with his shades on, beats on, head down and not a care in the world, just stepped out directly in front of me, even though I had the green arrow and he had a red do not walk signal. ABS technology and my reflexes saved this guy’s life. What amazed me, was he just put his head down and kept walking. He had absolutely no idea where he was, and what had almost happened to him.
No more than 25 metres down the road from this encounter, 3 schoolgirls talking amongst each other just stepped out right in front of me as well. They too had no idea they had come so very close to being run over. The only thing that saved them was they were wearing Hi-Viz School uniforms and this area is a construction zone and I was driving slowly. Why they felt the need to J walk, instead of crossing at the lights, I have no idea.
What really gets me is that I had my ten-year-old daughter in the car with me. How do you explain to a ten-year-old that people should be responsible for their own safety, when all she sees is people taking risks they don’t need to be? How do you teach your kids to do the right thing, use the lights, watch out for cars and watch out for yourself? If you have the answer, please let me know. (Nick Lines, WHS Advisor)
Risk Management and WHS Training at Schools
Providing targeted WHS training specifically for the students and school leavers, will help the students to understand health and safety in the workplace. This will equip the students with the knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, as well as giving them the information on how to identify the risks, report, be part of consultation process and control the workplace hazards.
If you would like us to facilitate an interactive and fun WHS training within your school, do not hesitate to contact us.
What is the purpose of a good health and safety training program?
You may require a professional health and safety consultant for your school.
Training programs should include the features described here, regardless of who provides them.
Would you like information or effective safety training?
Providing information and providing effective safety training are two separate things.
- Information serves as a means of raising awareness – it provides general introductory knowledge of a particular area.
- As a result of a training program, an individual learns new skills and knowledge that will result in a change in workplace behavior – for example, a new method of undertaking a task.
Both the trainer and the student will engage in two-way communication during a training session – you will listen, perform, think, ask questions, and provide explanations to each other.
An effective safety training program involves more than simply sitting in a room and listening to a speaker.
What does effective safety training involve?
To ensure that safety training is effective, a variety of techniques is used in order to encourage participants to participate actively in the process. A training session includes:
- Detailed explanation
- Providing examples
- Providing opportunities for practice
- Asking people questions about their learning
- Affirming people’s performance with feedback
- Encourage people to ask questions
- Considering the individual’s English language and literacy levels, as well as his or her cultural background
- Promoting self-assessment among employees
- The review process
- A follow-up at a later date to determine whether any learning has occurred and whether any changes have occurred in behavior
You have the right to expect all of these things when participating in an effective safety training program.
Are there any specific knowledge and experience that a health and safety trainer should possess?
Trainers in health and safety are expected to have a thorough understanding and experience of the following:
- Regulations, standards, and codes of practice applicable to your industry and the relevant health and safety legislation in your State or Territory
- Training in health and safety should incorporate hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk control strategies
- Modern approaches to occupational health and safety management
- Industry-specific health and safety issues
- Training and assessment based on competency
- The ability to train and assess adults – in particular, how to encourage them to learn and how to use a variety of techniques to train them
It is important for and effective safety trainers to recognise that learners have different learning styles and levels of experience and knowledge when they come to training.
Our specialised trainers are offering online, elearning, onsite, and Public classes on WHS for managers and supervisors and WHS Committee. We can also customise our health and safety courses to your school.
Make your safety and wellbeing a priority. Contact us to start the change.
