Induction training – do you mean to do it, or do you actually do it?
Induction training is something which is a vital part of safety management at your business. However, many companies which we audit for health and safety fail to carry out a safety induction in all cases.
Missing safety induction means that those newest to the business and most likely to have an accident have not received basic instruction in how to avoid the specific risks present at your site, lack of induction means a strong case for compensation.
What should I do?
Induction need not be a lengthy process. A simple form which covers the basic s of safety at your business and a walk through the tasks which the employee is expected to do with the risks and safety controls pointed out is all that needs to be done.
Do I need to record it?
Emphatically yes! Unless you record it you won’t have any record you’ve done it and an employee who has been injured and is seeking to be compensated is unlikely to support your claim that you carried this out. Make sure that you have a date and signature and use the form present in your C&G policy document or similar which has space to record their written answers – his proves that they have understood what they’ve been told.
My employee’s are temporary staff, do I still have to carry out this induction training?
Yes, if anything it is even more important. It need not be lengthy and you could gather people into groups to perform it but make sure you have evidence of competence and understanding. A temporary employee could still take a case against you following an accident even if they’re been in the workplace for less than an hour.
Bad weather and home working – a topical subject but what are the issues surrounding it?
The recent bad weather may have seen your business making more arrangements for staff to work at home so its worth considering what are your duties for health and safety in this situation.
The first issue depends on if home working is purely a one off due to weather conditions or if you are considering extending this arrangement to other time or for other reason – perhaps because of commuting time and distances or due to a request from an employee who has a child under the age of 6 or a child who is disabled (Employment Act 2002). If it’s a one off then there’s not much need to worry, but do consider what you have in terms of a bad weather policy within your staff handbook – you will need to speak to your HR department on this issue – this should cover when it is acceptable for staff to not make it to work, how time off work will be handled (without pay, as holiday or paid). If you need more advice on HR please let us know as we are able to cover this requirement through our EmployerGuard Service (www.employerguard.co.uk).
If it’s a regular occurrence then you have the same duty of care to that person as you would if they were in your office in terms of fire, first aid, ergonomics and so on. At the least, consider the chair and desk space they have and decided with them on what else they might reasonably request and document it - if you need some more advice on a specific situation please call your safety consultant.
