The Benefits of Health and Safety Induction Training

The visitor induction

The visitor induction should cover just the basics of the site. It is important the following topics are covered:

• Any required PPE needed for their visit
• What to do in the event of an emergency
• Where their assembly point is located
• General safety rules on site
• Smoking rules on site
• Safety walkways
• Parking
• Welfare facilities

The contractor induction 

A contractor induction will need to be detailed and more technical. A contractor induction is a really important part of the overall safety management system. All sites have some sort of contractors, some more than others. Ensuring they carry out an in-depth induction before they commence work on site is critical to their safety and the safety of others on site.  A contractor induction should include the following:

• Everything in the visitor induction
• PPE requirements for each area and work that will be carried out
• Permit to work system
• Site rules
• Safe operating procedures (like working at height, confined spaces, ladder use, hot work etc.)
• Sign in and out procedure
• Accident/incident reporting procedure

The employee induction

An employee induction will have more information about the company mission regarding health and safety. It will also cover the specifics about how an employee can ensure their own safety and inform them about how they can get involved. Some employee inductions will have more than one format, an online version, a one to one, a site tour and/or a group session.

Why should you carry out Safety Induction Training?

Under the legislation, you have a responsibility to ensure everyone that visits or works on your site is kept safe. To do this, they need to have knowledge of how the company works, what the risks may be, what the safety rules are etc. The best way to give them this knowledge is to share it with them in an induction format. Induction training can be done online or in a classroom setting.

What are the benefits of Safety Induction Training?

As already mentioned above, you are required by law to ensure all employees, visitors and contractors are kept safe while working or visiting your site. So, the number one benefit is that you are ensuring everyone’s safety by giving them an induction and number two, you are adhering to health and safety legislation!

Not giving these groups the information, they need, before they come onto your site is like giving them a blindfold and leaving them at it! Knowledge is power and in this case, it could be a matter of life or death, so make sure your induction process is up to scratch.

Ensuring you have an excellent Induction program in place, will bring with it, the following benefits:

• A possible reduction in your insurance premiums
• A boost to your company’s reputation
• Fewer accidents and incidents
• Having an online induction will free up time for managers
• A uniformed approach to health and safety on site
• You will know who has completed an induction and who has not
• You will be able to add a quiz at the end of the induction to assess a person’s competence
• Maps, videos and pictures can be added to the induction to give all groups a good knowledge of the site and will make the induction more interesting.
• Will help to promote the area of health and safety
• All groups will be informed of your health and safety mission for your company
• A company that has a good induction, will instil confidence in a person before they ever begin work/visit your site. By educating people about health and safety on your site, you will have set a positive tone before they even begin.
• You will be complying with legislation
• You will be protecting life and preventing injuries for all employees, contractors and visitors.
• You will get your point across in a structured and managed way

From my own experience, online inductions have worked well for me and any of the companies that I have done work for in the past. Setting up an online induction will take time initially, but once it is in place, you can add or take away from it very easily. Using pictures, videos and maps ensure that the induction is kept interesting and informative. Online inductions are so easy to manage, links can be sent to trainees before they ever step foot on site, you can monitor who has completed the training or what their score was. Of course, sometimes you may want to add a classroom version of inductions too. Many companies hold an annual classroom-based contractor induction for example, as well as an online version.

Whichever you decide on, just make sure you have a health and safety induction in place and review it annually. Be proactive, don’t wait for an accident to happen or for your insurance company to tell you to put one in place, you’re better than that!

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