Occupational Health And Safety is concerned with the protection, health and safety of people in working in different work environments and sectors. It may also protect family members, co-workers, customers, employers and anyone who might be affected by the workplace environment. Programs that are implemented significantly reduce the number of injuries and fatalities that would occur in different industries.
It is important that workers can be assured of a safe working environment – it improves confidence and performance of everyone in the workplace. Management of any institution have a responsibility to make sure that occupational health and safety measures are taken before any potential incidents occur. Training should be advised and implemented as soon as possible. This is not a one-time event – training must be on-going so that everyone keeps up to date with the latest rules and regulations for safety. Regular refresher courses should be attended so that everyone can keep up to date with health and safety procedures.
So Where do you go to get Training in Health and Safety?
Occupational Health And Safety programs are run by educational institutions, firms and other institutions of learning, and are becoming increasingly popular as workplaces seek to safeguard their employees. These training programs vary as they are divided into different categories; however most cover general principles of health and safety. Your own workplace may decide to run an Occupational Health and Training program. They may plan and design their own course based on the needs of their workers and their work circumstances, or they may get an instructor from a training institution to come in and give the training course.
The Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA) is one particular institution where you can find information on health and safety training programs. Their programs are designed to teach employers and workers how to recognize, avoid and prevent hazards in the workplace. Their educational materials and training help business educate their workers and meet the standards of the Occupational Safety And Health Act. They have many training centers throughout the US and most of their training programs are voluntary. The training takes place in a classroom environment and is taught by a qualified instructor. Although there are other organizations that offer health and safety training programs they may not be approved or certified by the OSHA. For more information on this organization see http://www.osha.gov.
A certified training center will present you with a safety card with your identification on it on completion of their program. The cards don’t expire although you may need to do a refresher course like Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety in Sydney after a certain period of time to update your knowledge and to learn of any new rules, regulations or safety procedures that should be implemented. If you are a trainer in health and safety education you will be issued with a trainer id number that is valid for 4 years. After this period you will need to update your knowledge and retrain. Becoming a trainer means that you can train others in health and safety ‘best practices’.