Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must provide the information, instruction, training and supervision needed to keep employees safe. Doing this well is about much more than ticking a box.
1. Start with your risks
Use your risk assessments to decide who needs what. Training should reflect the real hazards in each role, not a generic list.
2. Match the level to the role
Everyone needs awareness. Supervisors and managers need to understand their duties and how to lead. Specialist roles may need role-specific training, such as fire marshals, first aiders or manual handling leads.
3. Make it practical
People retain more from doing than from listening. Choose courses with hands-on activities, realistic scenarios and chances to ask questions.
4. Keep clear records
Record who was trained, when, on what, and when it needs refreshing. Certificates and attendance records are valuable evidence if something goes wrong.
5. Refresh and review
Training fades. Build refreshers into your plan, and revisit it after incidents, near misses, new equipment or changes to your processes.