Over 200 people are killed each year in accidents at work and over one million people are injured. Over two million suffer illnesses caused by or made worse by, their work. But did you know that forestry is one of the most dangerous industries, and workers are 6 times more likely to be killed at work than a construction worker? That is not good odds. So, preventing accidents and ill health caused by work should be a key priority for everyone at work. As the owner or manager of a forestry contracting business, you know that competent employees are valuable. Your business probably depends on them.
Providing health & safety information and training helps you to:
- Ensure you or your employees are not injured or made ill by the work they do;
- Develop a positive health & safety culture, where safe & healthy working becomes second nature to everyone;
- Find out how you could manage health and safety better;
- Meet your legal duty to protect the health & safety of your employees.
Effective training:
- Will contribute towards making your employees competent in health & safety;
- Can help your business avoid the distress that accidents and ill health cause;
- Can help you avoid the financial costs of accidents & occupational ill health.
Don’t forget that your insurance doesn’t cover all losses. Damaged products, lost production and demotivated staff can all result.
The law requires that you provide whatever information, instruction and training is needed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health & safety of your employees.
What is training?
Training means helping people to learn how to do something, telling people what they should or (often as important) should not do, or simply giving them information. Training isn’t just about formal ‘classroom’ courses and obtaining ‘tickets’ (certificates) to work.