When it comes to health and safety in the workplace, many people – business owners and employees alike – think it’s purely the domain of a health and safety practitioner. That might be an external consultant, or an individual fulfilling a dedicated role within your organisation, but either way, the perception is often that it’s THEIR remit. The box gets ticked, so to speak.
But anyone working, in any environment, needs to be health and safety conscious. And if you’re a business owner, it’s YOUR responsibility to ensure that is so.
So what can YOU do?
The first thing you can do is give your staff a broad understanding of health and safety, and how it applies specifically to your workplace. The ideal way to do this is via training, of course. And with that, a little investment up front can give you peace of mind.
One of the best training opportunities available is the NEBOSH National General Certificate. This is an excellent way to give your staff a broad understanding of health and safety issues. It’s also an ideal starting point for a career in health and safety, which may allow you to develop your staff and retain them as your nominated source of competent health and safety assistance (a legal requirement).
How does NEBOSH benefit you, as an employer?
Your managers and staff are helping you fulfil your obligations – When you invest in NEBOSH health and safety training for your staff, you are ensuring the health and safety net is spreading wider across your workforce. You have an obligation to protect your employees from injury and loss of life, but you can’t do it on your own.
You are proclaiming your commitment to a healthy and safe work environment – A NEBOSH training certificate illustrates that staff have reached a recognised standard in their knowledge and execution of health and safety at work. It’s the sort of qualification that can put you ahead of your competition when you’re tendering for new business.
You gain peace of mind – The NEBOSH certificate covers the main legal requirements for health and safety in the workplace. It’s not just a box ticking exercise either, for it provides practical guidance on the application of this knowledge too.
It’s a transferable skill – This may not be top of every employers’ list, but if you’re wanting to attract the best talent, you have to be prepared to offer them training that is going to develop them further. NEBOSH training does just that. According to the NEBOSH 2014 Jobs Barometer Research, “80% of people who now take a NEBOSH Certificate level qualification are employed in roles whose primary function is not health and safety”. That’s going to be of benefit to you from day one.
In summary
Whether you have an in-house health and safety practitioner or not, it’s important that your staff (and in particular, your managers) have an appreciation of how to manage risks effectively. Our trainers are able to tailor content specifically to your work environment, which makes our training even more effective.
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits and implications of your staff obtaining the NEBOSH National General Certificate, then please do contact us. If you want to book a place on our next course in Central London, you can do so here. We’d be delighted to talk further with you about what a difference it could make to your organisation.