H&S training in the Highlands – USE IT OR LOSE IT!
FAO Construction Directors and Managers
HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING – WHY YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION
I am writing to remind you that HSE will check what health and safety training you have provided to your employees when carrying out inspections and investigations. Failure to provide training is likely to attract HSE’s Fees for Intervention (currently £129 per hour) and may lead to enforcement Notices being issued. Notices are placed on HSE’s website and may count against you when tendering for work with clients.
The training group are putting in serious resources to allow you to gain access to local H&S courses. I have been told that many courses were cancelled in the last year when companies dropped out. Tell Winnie and the team if you need courses that are not currently available and they will do their best to deliver. These courses are subsidised by the levy that you pay to CITB. If you don’t use this local service you will have to pay much more to travel to central belt training providers and you will lose productive time from travel on top.
Here is a list of topics that have arisen from recent inspections and I would encourage you to be proactive about booking courses on these subjects:
- Temporary Works – at supervisor and coordinator levels
- Vibration risks, controls and management – supervisor level
- Plant operatives – particularly telescopic handlers – see CPA guidance https://www.cpa.uk.net/sfpsgpublications/
- Scaffold inspections & scaffold erection – NASC are offering ‘cash back’ for refresher training – https://www.nasc.org.uk/cpd-cashback/
- Planning and management of excavations – http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis64.pdf
- Roof edge protection design and installation – see Code of Practice from the Edge Protection Federation – https://epf-uk.org/
- Lifting Operations/work at height when lifting people
- Site traffic management & reversing assistant training
Of course, you don’t have to book training via HICTG. However, I understand that in future you will need to check that your training provider has been approved by CITB to obtain a refund from your levy. Use it or lose it!
Regards
Liz Hunter
HM Inspector of Health and Safety
Health and Safety Executive
Longman House
28 Longman Road
Inverness, IV1 1SF
020 3028 3369; mobile: 07771 380998
Check that your scaffolding skills are current – http://cisrs.org.uk/continuing-professional-development/cpd-faqs/ Subsidised training available!