1. A safer working environment

Staff training can benefit towards increasing occupational health and safety. The more employees who have the knowledge to spot risks or hazards, the safer your workplace will be. All of 3B Training’s courses contribute towards teaching you how to follow health and safety practices or use equipment correctly. 3B provide several introductions to health and safety for employees (depending on their industry). For general health and safety, the IOSH Working Safely or CIEH Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace would be an ideal starting point. If you work in the construction industry the CITB Health and Safety Awareness course is the usual first step into working on site. You will also be able to apply for a CSCS Labourers Card on completion.

2. Team morale and job satisfaction

The more valued an employee feels the more they are willing to give back. If you are seen to be investing in their development it can only be an incentive to make them stay with you for longer. Many of the staff training courses can be very interactive and involve working with your peers in a range of activities. Courses like the SMSTS and IOSH Managing Safely involve projects with group members which can contribute to the employee’s team building skills. If a course is delivered specifically for one company as an in-house course it is a great way to get the workforce working together and interacting with each other where otherwise they might not.

3. Peace of mind

The constant need to keep an eye on employees who are not competent in health and safety can be significantly reduced if they are trained correctly. Giving an employee the capabilities to work independently will benefit them in their progression and could free up a supervisor's time. The correct training will help reduce the amount of work place injuries and other escalated issues because they are working to up to date health and safety legislation. The reduction in any of those related issues will only make your life easier as an employer.

4. Progression

When you increase your worker’s skill set you are opening many doors for them to progress in their career. If a place in a higher role becomes available that position could be filled internally by a trusted employee rather than looking elsewhere and going through a lengthy recruitment process. They will be able to take on new responsibilities competently and efficiently, in terms of the construction industry, this could also help to close the construction skills gap.

5. Following the law

In a number of occupations it is the law to have a certain level of qualification to conduct certain tasks. For example to get on a construction site you need to hold the relevant level of CSCS card for your job role.

Similarly when operating any kind of plant machinery you will need the relevant CPCS or NPORS qualification to do so, although this isn’t compulsory at present it is likely to be in the future.

Although a lot of training courses are not a legal requirement it is advised to follow the approved best practice to reduce any future implications. Having your employees trained in Face-Fit, First Aid, Fire Warden or Asbestos Awareness will help reduce any future complications.

You also need to make sure that you are maintaining your worker’s credentials and keeping track of certificate expiry dates. 3B Training provide shorter and cheaper refresher courses which will save on the amount of time the employee is out of work and also keep them up to date with any new rules that have been introduced. The SMSTS Refresher, SSSTS Refresher and First Aid Re-qualification are all provided by 3B Training nationwide.

 Need advice on staff training?

If you are unsure about what training you or your workforce need to attend please visit 3B Training on stand D28 at Health & Safety North.