what is health and safety course all about

by Rowan Daugherty 5 min read

General Health and Safety is a course designed to ultimately enable the learner to explain basic health and safety principles in and around the workplace. The course is in accordance with UNIT STANDARD: 259639.

Education and training provides employers, managers, supervisors, and workers with: Knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely and avoid creating hazards that could place themselves or others at risk. Awareness and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report, and control them.

Full Answer

What is health and safety?

What is Health and Safety? Occupational health and safety refers to programs, guidelines and procedures that protect the safety, welfare and health of any person engaged in work or employment.

Do I need specialized health and safety courses?

If you are working with specific hazards, such as toxic materials, heights, or enclosed spaces, you will need to have additional specialized health and safety courses for these specific risks. As an employee, you should always follow the correct health and safety procedures as laid out by your employer.

What is the role of Education and training in safety and health?

Another role of education and training, however, is to provide workers and managers with a greater understanding of the safety and health program itself, so that they can contribute to its development and implementation. Education and training provides employers, managers, supervisors, and workers with:

What are the components of required health and safety training?

Required Health and Safety Training Content Areas Prevention and control of infectious diseases, including immunization; Administration of medication, with standards for parental consent; Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions;

Why safety and health training is important?

Training helps employees understand approved practices and safety expectations. Safety training is crucial for workers gaining a solid knowledge of safety topics associated with their jobs. If safety isn't made explicitly relevant to employees' jobs, they will be at greater risk for injury, illness or even death.

What is a career in Health and Safety?

An occupational health and safety specialist is someone who analyzes and collects data on work environments and procedures to ensure workplace safety for employees.

What is Health and Safety and why is it important?

Health and safety are measures employers must take protect the mental and physical wellbeing of workers and non-workers. The Health and Safety at Work Act protects employees, customers, and visitors in your premises. Ideally, employers aim to eliminate or significantly prevent accidents happening in the workplace.

What skills do you need to be a Health and Safety?

Essential qualities and skills Comprehensive knowledge of Health and Safety rules and regulations. Good organisational and problem-solving skills. Attention to detail to spot various hazards and complete investigations. Process-driven and the ability to use your initiative.

How much does a safety officer earn in SA?

A person working as a Health and Safety Officer in South Africa typically earns around 14,500 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 6,660 ZAR (lowest) to 23,000 ZAR (highest). This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits.

Is health and safety a good career?

It's a highly rewarding profession that involves supporting health and wellbeing and keeping workers safe so they can return home to their loved ones. You could even save lives.

Is health and safety part of HR?

What are My Responsibilities? As a Human Resources Professional, it's likely that creating and monitoring the workplace's health and safety procedures is the responsibility of your department.

What are the 3 main reasons for managing health and safety?

Three good reasons for managing health and safetyMoral reasons. We should not be letting employees become ill or injured in the workplace. ... Financial reasons. ... Legal reasons.

What is the main purpose of health and safety in the workplace?

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards. Its goal is to prevent accidents and harm to people from work-related activities.

How do I get a job in health and safety?

You can do an advanced apprenticeship as a safety, health and environment technician. It takes about 24 months to complete and allows you to become: a technical member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. an affiliate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

How long does a health and safety course take?

How Long Does The Health and Safety Awareness Course Take? The Health and Safety Awareness courses we offer are one-day courses, usually taking around 7.5 hours to complete.

How much do safety officers earn?

The average salary for a safety officer is R 17 156 per month in Gauteng.

How does health and safety training help?

Indeed, a good health and safety training program can play a key role in reducing costs in more ways than one. Making operations clearer not only increases productivity, but can also help organisations cut down on indirect costs to businesses.

Why is health and safety important?

A strong health and safety policy can help an organisation build a good relationship with its employees. Indeed, staff who feel safe and valued are less likely to leave, and tend to be more satisfied with their employers, which can have a positive impact on morale and help boost productivity.

What happens if you break health and safety laws?

Fines for health and safety violations continue to grow year on year, as the UK Government continues to pursue a zero-tolerance approach against offenders. Fines can often severely disrupt a company’s financial security and, in severe cases, lead to bankruptcy.

What is a health and safety strategy?

A health and safety strategy can serve as a good indicator of an organisation’s awareness and commitment to social responsibility. A safe and secure company culture is also something that prospective hires really value when looking for a new position.

What is the importance of health and safety procedures?

Effective health and safety procedures mean that fewer employees need to take a leave of absence, which reduces the chance of long term disruptions to ongoing projects and the potential loss of highly skilled workers.

Why do health and safety procedures require the use of concise language and follow a distinct step by step structure?

In most cases, health and safety procedures require the use of concise language and follow a distinct step by step structure so that tasks are clearly defined and easy to understand. As a result, employees are able to complete work tasks efficiently, and above all, safely.

Is an office safe?

From busy construction sites to a quiet business office, all workplaces come with their own unique hazards. While it’s true that an office space might look and feel safe in comparison, threats such as slips, trips and falls, unsecured equipment and even asbestos are all things that can cause significant risk to workplace safety and are all potential issues that employee should be aware of.

What is the importance of health and safety training?

If you are an employee, it is important that you have the appropriate health and safety training for the position that you are working in. If you are working with specific hazards, such as toxic substances, working at heights or enclosed spaces, you will need to have additional specialised health and safety courses for these specific risks.

What is the responsibility of an organisation to uphold health and safety standards?

Every organisation, no matter what they do, has a responsibility to uphold health and safety standards within the workplace. These guidelines are clearly outlined if a company does not follow them, they can be liable for any damages or accidents that occur.

Why is occupational health important?

Occupational health and safety also protects the health of customers and the general public as well as anyone else that might be affected by the particular working environment. When health and safety procedures are followed correctly, they can help to prevent accidents and reduce the risk of employee injury and illness.

Should employees follow health and safety procedures?

As an employee, you should always follow the correct health and safety procedures as laid out by your employer . Don’t be tempted to cut corners to make your job easier, as you might end up putting yourself in very serious danger.

Do you have to do something if your employer asks you to do something that violates health and safety regulations?

Of course, if your employer is asking you to do something that violates health and safety regulations, you do not have to do it. You have the right to refuse a task that puts you in potential danger without worrying about getting reprimanded or losing your job.

What is the Health and Safety Act 1974?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) lays down wide-ranging duties on employers. Employers must protect the ‘health, safety and welfare’ at work of all their employees, as well as others on their premises, including temps, casual workers, the self-employed, clients, visitors and the general public. ...

What is the responsibility of an organization to uphold health and safety standards?

Every organization, no matter what they do, has a responsibility to uphold health and safety standards within the workplace. These guidelines are clearly outlined if a company does not follow them, they can be liable for any damages or accidents that occur.

What is OSH in the workplace?

OSH may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace environment. In the United States, the term occupational health and safety is referred to as occupational health and occupational and non-occupational safety and includes safety for activities outside of work.

What is occupational health?

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) “occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards.”. Health has been defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”.

Why is occupational health important?

Occupational health and safety also protect the health of customers and the general public as well as anyone else that might be affected by the particular working environment. When health and safety procedures are followed correctly, they can help to prevent accidents and reduce the risk of employee injury and illness.

What does HSE stand for in the workplace?

report and record accidents; provide certain basic workplace, first aid and welfare facilities; have employers’ liability insurance; notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Local Authority of your existence; consult your workforce and their representatives; and so on.

Why are there not more accidents and diseases caused by work?

The reason there are not even more accidents and diseases caused by work is because systems of prevention are in place which have been built up over generations. Safety does not come about by accident: most accidents happen because they have not been prevented.

What is the importance of health and safety information?

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 ...

What is effective training?

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.

How many people die in accidents at work?

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.

What does training mean?

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.

Is preventing accidents and ill health caused by work a priority?

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: ...

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What Is Health and Safety?

  • Health and Safety Definition Occupational health and safetyrefers to programs, guidelines and procedures that protect the safety, welfare and health of any person engaged in work or employment. The overall goal of any health and safety program is to create the ultimate safe working environment and to reduce the risk of accidents, injuries and fatal...
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What Does It Mean For Me?

  • So now you know the answer to “what is health and safety?”you might be wondering how it affects you. Read on to find out how health and safety affects employees and employers.
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as An Employee

  • How does health and safety affect your day to day life on the job? If you are an employee, it is important that you have the appropriate health and safety training for the position that you are working in. If you are working with specific hazards, such as toxic substances, working at heightsor enclosed spaces, you will need to have additional specialised health and safety course…
See more on healthandsafetycourse.co.uk

as An Employer

  • If you are an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your workers. Make sure that they are properly trained in the appropriate health and safety courses and that they have been fully briefed on the regulations of their specific job. Ensure the workplace is kept in a safe condition at all times and never ask your workers to do a task that violates health and safety reg…
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