Health and Safety Policy Arrangements – Competent Persons and Training
Competent persons and training are critical components of an effective health and safety strategy in the workplace. A competent person is someone who has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to manage health and safety risks effectively, as required by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in the UK. Ensuring that such individuals are available within an organisation is vital for maintaining compliance and safeguarding employee welfare. Complementing this is the need for comprehensive training programs, which equip employees with the understanding and skills to perform their duties safely. Regular training sessions, tailored to specific roles and tasks, help reinforce safe practices, update staff on new regulations and techniques, and foster a culture of continuous improvement in health and safety management. Together, competent persons and ongoing training form the backbone of a resilient and proactive health and safety framework.
Take a look at the information below for things you might want to include in your own H&S policy…
Feel free to copy / paste this list, and you can find out more about our full H&S policy here.
The [Proprietor / Directors] of [My Company] are aware of their responsibility to provide instruction, information and training for all his employees, and will therefore ensure that;
- All new employees will receive a copy of, and an induction to, the company health and safety policy as soon as is reasonably practicable on joining the company.
- All new employees will receive the full company induction training as soon as is reasonably practicable on joining the company, and will be mentored by an experienced member of staff to ensure retention of instructions given
- All employees and any sub-contractors will receive site specific induction training as soon as is reasonably practicable on arrival to site, and at regular intervals dependant on the size and nature of the project
- The training requirements of individual employees will be identified and appropriate training provided to ensure compliance with legislation, client’s requests, and to promote a safe working environment.
- Any certificates of training obtained will be held at the company office and will be made available to any person/s with the correct authority. Where required copies will be held in the relevant site office.
- The company-training plan becomes a part of this policy and is reviewed as appropriate to comply with legislation, client’s request, etc.
- The company will employ competent Training Providers from a reputable source/background and will monitor training given to ensure it is suitable to the requirements of the training and employees
Our minimum health and safety performance standards will be obtained from; but not restricted to;
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• The Health and safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996
• HSE’s INDG232 – Consulting Employees on Health and Safety
Did you find this useful? Sign up to our free compliance newsletter for insider tips, cutting edge strategies and tool recommendations.