1. Safety Training - Unit Management
Why it is essential, who needs it and how to go
about it
February 2015
Dr Emer Bell
Integrated Risk Solutions

2. Legislative requirement
• The Safety, Health and Welfare at
Work Act, 2005 requires
– that the employer provide the necessary
information, instruction, training and
supervision necessary to ensure the
safety, health, and welfare at work of
employees

3. Failure to train
• Failure to provide training is
considered a serious offence.
• Remember persons in a managerial
position can be prosecuted and fined
if found negligent in this respect

4. Case study
• Health Service Executive failed to
provide information, instruction and
training to their employees in relation
to the use of rear-hinged side doors
on ambulances.
• €350,000 fine

5. • Following the
death of Simon
Sexton, the HSA
discovered none of
the paramedics
had been formally
briefed on the
dangers of the
doors.

6. • The purpose of training is to ensure
the competence of employees in the
safety aspects of their work.
• Safety training is not an optional
extra
• University Policy set out in NUI
Galway Safety Statement Part 2.5.3
and details on the Health + Safety
Office and HR webpages

7. Safety training is provided in a
number of ways
– Safety induction training provided
within the Unit by Unit staff
– Task specific instruction provided by a
supplier of a piece of equipment to Unit
staff
– Unit staff providing that instruction to
other staff or postgraduates

8. Safety training is provided in a
number of ways
– Training provided through Organisation
and Staff Development (HR)
• Series of safety training sessions that can
be booked centrally, e.g. fire safety, manual
handling, first aid, evac chair, chemical
safety, biological safety, etc.
– Training by an external trainer
organised by the Unit for specialised
tasks,
• e.g. confined space, laser safety.

9. Training has different forms
• 15 minutes up to several days.
• Can be provided by a competent person
with experience.
• Can take the form of an awareness session
or practical instruction.
• Can be one to one or in groups.

10. Training records
• Outline of training content – bullet
points
• Who provided it
• Date
• Who attended – signatures
• Send copies to Organisation and
Staff Development (HR)

11. How do you know what or if
training is required?
• Everyone needs basic safety induction
• The hazard identification and risk
assessment process will identify other
training needs.
– Important that activities and use of
equipment are assessed.
– Legislation guides produced by the HSA
e.g. where the manual handling risk
assessment identifies the training need

12. Safety induction
• Appendix 3 of Safety Statement has
an outline Safety Induction Checklist
• It provides basic safety information
for staff
• Can be tailored to make it Unit
specific
• Provide to all staff and
postgraduates

13. Safety induction
• Action in a fire
• First aiders
• Assembly point
• Housekeeping
• Reporting of accidents
• Risk assessment
• Reporting problems
• Safety representative

14. Some training is mandatory
• Induction
• Fire safety
• Manual handling – if staff are
involved in lifting tasks
• Abrasive wheels
• SafePass if staff are working on
construction sites

15. Some training content is
legally defined
• Manual handling
• First aid with refresher after 2 years
• SafePass

16. Safety Training Needs
Assessment
• Conducted annually by the Head of the
Unit (with the Safety Co-ordinator)
– identifies each staff member’s safety
training needs and records them.
• Originally sent to the Health and Safety
Office to forecast the University’s
collective safety training needs. Now
generally established, used at Unit level
to plan and manage attendance.

17. Specialised training
• Must be arranged by the Unit
• Look in-house first for expertise
• Look to suppliers
• May have to get an external trainer
– Involve staff in providing a brief for the
trainer
– Make the training very specific to the
Unit’s requirements

18. Refresher training
• Every 2 – 3 years (Safe Pass – 4 years)
• Fire drills – every year.

19. What about students?
• Safety lecture at the beginning of
each academic year
– provided by a member of the relevant
School i.e. fire safety and introduction
on other risks where appropriate,
• more specific training as appropriate
to the academic activities being
undertaken in each term.

20. Undergraduate safety induction
(For Units with significant risks)
• General housekeeping practices
• safe access/egress
• smoking prohibitions
• VDU work practices/ergonomics
• Security and late night working,
Campus Watch
• Accident/Incident reporting
procedures

21. Undergraduate safety induction
ctd.
• Bicycle/car-parking prohibitions in
relation to fire escapes/access roads
• Practical electrical safety and fire
prevention measures
• Emergency procedures in the event
of fire, or evacuation for other
reasons
• First aid measures

22. How to improve participation
• Positive encouragement from the
Head of Unit
• Include in staff systems such as
PMDS
• Positive recognition for those who
participate e.g. at team meetings
• Arrange training at a time that suits
staff as far as possible

23. How to improve participation –
In house training
• Make this training a social occasion
• Get input from staff to the content
• Keep these sessions to less than 1
hour
• Make in-house sessions practical
and helpful

24. How to improve participation
• Only allow access to potentially
hazardous equipment or
participation in activities if training
has been completed.
– Do not compromise

25. How to improve participation
• Set out what training each member of
the Unit needs and have a plan to
complete it.
– Principal investigators
– Administrative staff
– Technical staff
– Undergraduates
– Postgraduates
• Make sure everyone is aware of it.

26. Units where participation in
training is good
• Library
• College of Engineering & Informatics
• Academic Administration
• Why?

27. Key areas for improvement
• Realistic safety training needs
assessment
– Go beyond the standard list
• Good risk assessments will identify
safety training needs
– Act on the assessments

28. Key areas for improvement
• Induction training for everyone in the
Unit
– Record
• If staff are lifting and shifting manual
handling training is a must
– Make sure the training relates to the
tasks
• Actively manage safety training
attendance in your Unit