Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Training Guidance

In the UK, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires you to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of your employees.

This is expanded by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which identify situations where health and safety training is particularly important, eg when people start work, on exposure to new or increased risks and where existing skills may have become rusty or need updating.

Employers must provide training during working hours and not at the expense of your employees. Special arrangements may be needed for part-timers or shift workers. Employers must also assess the risks to employees while they are at work and to any other people who may be affected by the way you conduct your business. This is so that you can identify the measures you need to take to comply with health and safety law, which includes training and the provision of information.

In the UK, the law says you must appoint someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties.

You could appoint (one or a combination of):

Yourself

One or more of your workers

Someone from outside your business

Training means helping people to learn how to do something, telling people what they should or should not do, or simply giving them information. Training isn’t just about formal ‘classroom’ courses.

Whether you are an employer or self-employed, are you sure that you’re up to date with how to identify the hazards and control the risks from your work?

If you employ managers or supervisors they will certainly need some training. They need to know what you expect from them in terms of health and safety, and how you expect them to deliver. They need to understand your health and safety policy, where they fit in, and how you want health and safety managed. They may also need training in the specific hazards of your processes and how you expect the risks to be controlled.

Everyone who works for you, including self-employed people, needs to know how to work safely and without risks to health. Like your supervisors, they need to know about your health and safety policy, your arrangements for implementing it, and the part they play. They also need to know how they can raise any health and safety concerns with you.

Need more information? Please contact us directly for further support, guidance or just a chat.