If I were asked the most misunderstood topic in health & safety, I would have to declare the subject of training.
Over the years, senior UK managers and directors – who frankly should know better – have given me all sorts of preposterous, and money-saving, suggestions on how to meet the legal requirement of training their workforce.
- For example the respected and successful factory manager who proposed running an off-the-shelf safety video on continuous loop play in the staff restaurant, knowing full well that half the workforce didn’t use the restaurant, and that the other half would most likely sit with their backs to something of only indirect relevance to their work.
- An HR director became enthusiastic about someone’s proposal to do no more than get every worker to sign for receipt of an in-house H&S pamphlet - with no further checks made on whether anyone had actually read the pamphlet, let alone could apply the content to their work.
In each case the underlying thinking was that employees would be unable to claim compensation for workplace injuries, on the basis that they had failed to follow the “training” provided.
Privately, I hoped such managers would never need to seek the services of a doctor, dentist, children’s schoolteacher, architect, etc. if the vocational training comprised no more than receiving a pamphlet or watching a video.
Surely there has to be more to training than just lip-service?
A useful analogy here is learning to drive a car. Rather than simply tossing over a copy of the Highway Code with no further checks made on the learner’s ability to drive, an instructor carefully outlines the rules of the road and the mechanics of driving the car. He or she then demonstrates how to safely operate the vehicle before inviting the trainee to take over. Feedback is regularly given, with errors corrected until the instructor is satisfied that the trainee has acquired the right level of skill. Only at this stage, after many hours of training, is the trainee deemed eligible for a test of competence, and a licence may – or may not - be issued after a series of exams.
Don’t get me wrong: there is indeed a role for videos, booklets, memos, notices, safety signs, talks, etc, however these are all one-way means of communication. Although the trainees might politely nod and smile, there is no certainty that they have understood – or will have any intention of following the instructions back at the workplace.
Arinite’s attached may be helpful.
The legal situation toward training
UK law recognises the contribution of one-way communication, however the 1974 Health & Safety at Work Act also goes on to stipulate a mixture of information, instruction, and training. These three nouns each have their own, separate, meaning.
Thousands of years ago, the Chinese formed the same idea with the Confucian-derived proverb: “I hear, I forget; I see, I remember;
I do, I understand”.
The correlation today might be:
| Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 |
Kunzi, China 300BC |
| Information |
I hear, I forget |
| Instruction |
I see, I remember |
| Training |
I do, I understand |
Effective training therefore has to be about getting the trainee to “DO” something different after the training – and prove that they can do it.
The starting point in designing any training course is, in fact, the end-point.
It must ask what the Organisation wants the trainee to be able to do? and how that skill will be measured
Training course objectives that waffle on about “raising awareness” or “increasing understanding” have little validity. Much better to specify SMART objectives such as (e.g.):
- “At the end of the training course, the trainee will be able to document their own risk assessment”,
- “At the end of the training course, the trainee will be able to set up their computer workstation in accordance with the Company’s ergonomic guidelines”,
- “At the end of the training course, managers will be able to articulate ten of their responsibilities under the Company H&S policy”.
Arinite can help by offering clients a mixture of “blended” learning.
Nowadays much can be achieved online via e-learning courses aimed at a large proportion of staff.
More specialised training however should still be delivered face-to-face, so that trainees have an opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback on their newly-developing skills.
In all cases, records must be kept in case anyone challenges the adequacy of training. If all of this sounds a lot to digest, don’t forget that Arinite’s April blog
You need a plan, Stan! demonstrates how you can help your organisation set up a meaningful training programme.
One last thought
The
Office for National Statistics 2015 Employer Skills Survey found that 14% of organisations have staff that are not fully proficient in their role, something that is putting a massive dent in UK productivity, which lags behind other G7 countries by 20%. Perhaps we should think more of training as a business investment rather than a burdensome cost?
Contact us
Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment. Our team of health and safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple.
If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office 0207 947 9581, or contact us
https://www.arinite.com/contact-us
Jan Mirkowski