The University promotes appropriate training for staff in occupational safety and health matters, in accordance with the UWA Occupational Safety and Health Policy.
Training can be provided in various ways, including formal training, mentoring and on the job training.
Training includes:
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 S19(1)(b) places a general duty of care so that "an employer shall provide such information, instruction and training to, and supervision of his employees as is necessary to enable them to perform their work in such a manner that they are not exposed to hazards."
In addition, Regulation 203 states that "a safety and health representative shall endeavour to attend an accredited introductory training course within the first 12 months of being elected...the employer shall permit the employee to take time off with pay etc."
Managers should be aware that as well as general training for staff, in certain situations, safety training is prescribed in the regulations for specific hazards. Managers should develop a system for identifying, arranging and recording training undertaken by all levels of staff. This is in particular to new employees or following changes in the legislation. This should also form a part of the annual staff development process for staff.
A training needs analysis identifies current staff competencies and gaps where training is required. This should take into account incidents, injuries and near misses that have occurred in the relevant work areas. This should be regularly reviewed on an annual basis. In order to identify what training various levels of staff require, managers should use the following guide.
Representatives are required to attend an accredited 5-day introductory training course covering legislative responsibilities.
This includes:
There should be a systematic approach to planning the training needs of staff. Planning for training should result in a written document outlining what financial resources are required, when training is to be completed and who is to undertake the training.
All training should have clear, measurable objectives. Training undertaken should include an evaluation process to ensure the relevance and benefits to staff. There are several resources available for UWA safety training.
These are outlined below:
A detailed record of all health, safety, fire and evacuation training must be maintained by the department or section. Such records will enable a profile of a staff member's competence to be established and the training that has been undertaken by the University.