Conducting initial and periodic health and safety training courses is one of the employer's obligations. The purpose of such training is not only to familiarise employees with the company's health and safety rules and regulations, but also with how to deal with emergencies and first aid. Such training can be organised both in-house and online. Organising such training onsite can be challenging. You need to find a venue, an instructor and schedule staff time. Online training is therefore a better option, as it can be done at a time and place convenient to you, all you need is access to the web. The employee is required to confirm in writing that he or she has read the health and safety rules and regulations.
Health and Safety at Work in English:
If the company has foreign-speaking employees, it is possible to organise health and safety training in English or with a translator.
Attention!
The only case where pre-employment training of an employee is not required is when the employee takes up the same position that the employee held with the employer prior to the subsequent employment contract.
Important!
- Health and safety training for employees in blue-collar jobs can only take place on site.
- Online training can take place for employees in administrative and managerial positions, as well as for teachers, IT specialists or healthcare professionals, for example.
Occupational health and safety training must be repeated from time to time. This ensures that employees are kept up to date and that the knowledge they have already acquired is consolidated. The cost of the training is fully covered by the employer.
We can divide health and safety training into:
- Preliminary
- Periodic
Occupational health and safety training preliminary:
Their task is to introduce the employee to the company's procedures and rules. Such training must be given to every new employee in the company. Even in cases where such training was done in the previous workplace.
Every company has its own rules, procedures, schemes. We have to deal with various risks or situations that carry risks. That is why it is a good idea for every new employee to familiarise themselves with them. An occupational health and safety course is necessary to ensure not only your own safety, but also that of your colleagues.
Initial health and safety training should include both general and environmental instruction. Such a course should last no less than 90 minutes. The cost of such training is approximately £60 per employee.
Initial health and safety training is valid for up to 12 months after commencement of employment for employees, health and safety instruction for managers is valid for six months.
When the initial health and safety training is no longer valid, the employee must undergo periodic health and safety training.
Who must undergo initial health and safety instruction?
- New employee
- Vocational school student employed for apprenticeship purposes
- Apprentice
What should such a course look like?
- Interview between instructor and employee
- Demonstrate and explain the activities that the employee will be performing on the job and indicate the working methods that will be safe.
- The employee performs what was presented earlier.
- Independent worker's work supervised by an instructor
Training preliminary We can divide them into:
- Instructional
- State
The employee must confirm in writing that he/she has attended both instructional and on-the-job training.
Instructional ensures that participants are familiar with the health and safety regulations, first aid or health and safety rules that apply in the company.
It can be conducted by:
- An employer who performs the same tasks
- Workers in the occupational health and safety service
- An employee to be nominated by the employer who has the appropriate knowledge and a current certificate of completion of a course in health and safety at work
State enables the participant to learn about the occupational risks that are present on the job, the ways to protect themselves and how to work safely on a specific job.
An employee who performs work in more than one position should receive job instruction for each position.
Such training is provided by:
- The employer, if qualified and trained in the provision of workplace instruction
- Person in charge of employees designated by the employer
Standing instruction concerns:
- Student
- Student in training
- Employee being transferred to another post
- An employee in a working position where he or she may be exposed to harmful health factors.
Occupational health and safety training periodic:
Periodic health and safety training is carried out to update information and to draw attention to new or recurring hazards. The training centre delegated to carry out such training can receive information from the employer on what to look for during such training. This training can take the form of a course, seminar or self-study. The cost of such training is approximately PLN 50 per worker.
The timing of periodic health and safety training should not be underestimated. In the event of a potential inspection, when our health and safety training has expired, we may be fined. Therefore, every company should have a person dedicated to keeping track of testing dates.
Periodic training courses conclude with an examination. This tests knowledge of the training programme, health and safety rules and work organisation skills. The person who successfully passes the examination receives a corresponding certificate issued by the training provider.
Periodic training does not have to be given to employees who have a certificate of training in a similar position in the last 6 or 12 months.
Such surveys remain valid for between one and six years, depending on the position.
Validity of health and safety training in relation to the position held:
Workstations - 3 years, or one year if carrying out particularly hazardous work
The first periodic training should be given to the employee within a year of employment. If there is particularly hazardous work, this training should be repeated once a year.
Employees in charge of others, managers, foremen - 5 years
Technologists, production organisers, designers, engineering and technical staff - 5 years
Important!
In 2019, it was decided to abolish mandatory periodic training for administrative and office workers. It was concluded that this work does not involve new risks and that the knowledge acquired does not need to be repeated as often. Therefore, employees in non-hazardous industries no longer need to repeat periodic health and safety training.
These include those involved in min:
- manufacture of clothing, leather,
- computer manufacturing
- printing
- detective activities
- scientific activities
- financial activities
- insurance business
and those working in:
- aviation
- transport
- communication
- education
