A Guide on Health & Safety Training in Ireland

Employees are the lifeblood of any organisation. Keeping them healthy and safe is essential for businesses to succeed. When employees get sick or injured, enterprises lose precious manhours which can significantly hurt workforce productivity.

The thing is that a number of workers suffer from illnesses or injuries brought about by hazards in their workplace. Each year, occupational accidents result in millions of losses for companies due to compensation payments, loss manhours and higher insurance premiums, to name but a few.

The effects are even more far-reaching for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that employ only a few workers. Relying only on one or two people, these organisations suffer a lot from the prolonged absence of key employees who get sick and injured.

Fortunately, workplace illnesses, injuries and fatalities are preventable with proper health and safety training.

Health & Safety Training in Ireland: Why Businesses Should Invest in It

Accidents may happen in all types of organisations, big and small. Even employees who are supposedly doing low-risk tasks may still experience workplace mishaps which can cause illnesses or injuries.

Hence, whether you own an SME or manage a multinational company, it is in your best interest to invest in health & safety courses for your employees.

Comply with Government Requirements

In Ireland, it is the responsibility of companies to provide a safe working environment for their employees. They are required to conduct risk assessments in their workplace as well as create action plans to eliminate or minimise hazards.

The legislation (Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005) also requires organisations to educate and train their employees on health and safety. The type of training that should be provided varies depending on the industry and work done by the employees.

Failure to comply with this requirement can put the company in a precarious situation. As seen in several court cases like the Homan v Etmar Ltd case, companies that fail to provide employees with the necessary training were found to have breached their statutory duties and ordered to pay huge amounts.

Train Employees to Safely Do Tasks

These health & safety courses are designed to teach workers the proper and safe ways to perform specific tasks. During the sessions, they are shown the correct methods and recommended techniques, so they can accomplish their jobs efficiently and without any dangers.

The courses also equip them with the know-how to accurately assess the environment and task, specifically determining what hazards are present. Doing this allows them to employ the actions that minimise their risk of getting into an accident.

Create a Positive Health & Safety Culture

Successfully avoiding or reducing workplace accidents is a collaborative effort between employers and employees. It entails developing a culture wherein workers themselves actively participate in keeping their workplace safe. But this is only possible when employees have a thorough knowledge of workplace health and safety.

More than just teaching workers how to properly do their tasks, the courses aim to instil workplace safety awareness. They show employees the impact of workplace hazards on employees and employers. More importantly, they arm them with the information needed to mitigate the dangers in their workplace.

Effective Health & Safety Training in Ireland

While it is your duty to provide training to your employees, you do not have to do it on your own. There are several companies in Ireland that offer health and safety training like iSafe.

Enrolling your employees in courses offered by a third-party is an excellent choice. It is all about ensuring that your workers get adequate and proper training.

You see, it is not just about the number of hours but also the quality of the education they would be getting.

It is imperative that employees receive adequate training. This means that they should be equipped with the knowledge and skills essential in minimising accidents while doing their tasks.

More importantly, they should understand the content of the course. The training will be all for naught if the employees fail to comprehend the information.

Furthermore, when workers do not understand the course content, the courts may still find you liable for any workplace accident even if you’ve provided training.

In the Justyna Meus v Dunnes Stores case, the company was ordered to pay damages despite providing training as it failed to check if the employee understood the course.

Trusted health and safety training providers like iSafe offer courses which are created and taught by qualified professionals. Moreover, they ensure that assessments are given to determine if participants understood the course.

Simply put, with these reputable companies, your employees get effective health and safety training. After completing the course, you can expect them not just to properly do their tasks but also champion safety in your workplace.

Are you looking for high-quality health & safety training in Ireland? We are the country’s leading provider of health and safety courses. Call us now on +35385 124 5555 or +35342 941 9900 or visit our website to view the different courses we offer.