Section No. /
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Competence, Training and AwarenessPolicy /
A6
Competence, Training and Awareness
Policy
1.0 POLICY
1.1 The purpose of this document is to ensure Nottinghamshire County Council complies with its legal obligation to provide health and safety information, instruction and training for all employees and others as appropriate. It is supplemented by guidance notes and other policy and guidance documents contained within the County Council’s Safety Manual.
1.2 The Corporate Health and Safety Policy Statement details a commitment to ensuring the provision of information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to achieve safe working. Specifically, the County Council will ensure :-
· Individuals have the necessary competencies to carry out their roles and responsibilities.
· Arrangements are in place for identifying existing competencies required and any gaps between them at all levels, and provide any necessary training applying the core competency framework.
· Persons under it’s control have the necessary awareness of occupational health and safety issues according to the level of risk to which they are exposed, and are motivated to work or act in a safe manner e.g. contractors, temporary workers and visitors.
· Employees are aware of the consequences of their behaviour (acts or omissions) which may have an affect on occupational health and safety risks. They should also be informed of the need to conform to relevant occupational health and safety policies and the benefits to themselves and others of doing so.
· Individual’s awareness is raised in relation to occupational health and safety risks and a greater appreciation of the impact employee’s behaviour may have on health and safety.
· Contractors demonstrate that their employees have the requisite competence and/or appropriate training.
1.3 This policy applies to Elected Members of Nottinghamshire County Council, Chief Officers, Senior Managers, Team Leaders and Supervisors. All County Council employees including casual, temporary, agency staff as well as volunteer workers engaged in County Council business
2.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1 Elected Members are key decision and policy makers who have responsibilities for ensuring that sufficient time and resources are made available for the management of health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, including resource for the provision of training.
2.2 As the most senior officer, the Chief Executive has the overall responsibility for ensuring sufficient resources are available for implementation of the health and safety management system. This includes ensuring all staff receives adequate training, instruction and information to enable them to carry out their duties and responsibilities without risk to themselves and others.
2.3 All tiers of management from Chief Executive to Team Leader/Supervisor must ensure they themselves have received adequate training to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.
2.4 Service Directors/Heads of Services must ensure the application of the health and safety core competency framework appropriate to the employees and work of the Division/Service
2.5 Services Managers must identify and implement employee training needs inline with the core competency framework via the recruitment and Employment Development Review (EPDR) processes. This will include ensuring
· Staff are inducted within agreed timescales;
· A system is implemented for identifying training needs against a specific and tailored core competency framework;
· Staff receive training and that training needs are met;
· Competence is monitored and refresher training is provided where necessary and;
· A record of training is kept.
2.6 Team Leaders/Supervisors must ensure employees and non-employees are competent by providing them with appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to carry out their tasks safely.
2.7 The Heath and Safety Team can advise Managers of the types of training employees may possibly need by referring to the core competency framework. The Health and Safety Team ensures that some of the appropriate health and safety competency training is made available to employees. A number of courses have been developed for staff to ensure their capability.
These courses are accessible via the Corporate Human Resources Learning and Development Programme and the Children and Young Peoples (Schools) Learning and Development programme which run along side each other throughout the year (1 April to 31 March).
2.8 The courses and training materials will be reviewed by the Health and Safety Team on an annual basis or if a new procedure or change in legislation has come about.
2.9 Courses comprise of internally developed training relating to Nottinghamshire County Council occupational health and safety procedures. These courses are in addition to IOSH and CIEH accredited courses also available on the Corporate Human Resources Learning and Development Programme.
2.10 Some training is available to delegates via internet based E-learning. The Corporate Health and Safety Team have responsibility for managing these systems and in training others to use and administrate the E-learning based programmes.
2.11 All employees are required to attend health and safety training as identified by their line manager to ensure health and safety competence. Employees must assist managers to identify training needs and should report any deficiencies in their training. Employees must carry out their work in accordance with the training that they have received.
3.0 LEGAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Section 2, places a duty on employers to provide such information, instruction and training as is necessary to protect the health and safety at work of employees.
3.2 The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
3.2.1 Information for employees:
Regulation 10(1) every employer shall provide his employees with comprehensible and relevant information on-
· the risks to their health and safety identified by the assessment;
· the preventive and protective measures;
Regulation 13(2) requires employers to ensure that employees are provided with adequate health and safety training.
· When they are first employed i.e. induction
· For the tasks, equipment, processes or systems of work in place
· Where there are changes in their responsibilities
· When there are changes of task, equipment, process of system of work
3.2.2 Regulation 13(3) requires that training shall:
· Take and place on appointment and be repeated periodically i.e. refresher
· Be adapted to take into account of new or changed risks to the health and safety of employees
· Take place during working hours
3.3 The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996
3.3.1 Requires employers to consult their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety issues. Representatives appointed under either of these sets of regulations are entitled to time off with pay for training in their duties.
There are also a number of other regulations which include specific health and safety training requirements e.g. first aid, manual handling etc.
4.0 REFERENCES
BSI British Standards BS 18004:2008 Guide to Achieving Effective Occupational Health and Safety Performance.
5.0 DOCUMENT HISTORY
Document Owner: / Health and Safety TeamDocument Originators: / Principal Health and Safety Adviser
Working Party Members: /
N/A
Trade Union Consultation: / Date: 16/04/10Document agreed by Risk Safety and Emergency Management Board / Date: 09/09/10
Document History: / First Issued: 14/09/10
Location of Current Version: / Safety Manual : Policy and Guidance
Health and Safety Intranet web-site
www.nottscc.gov.uk
Copies of this guidance can be made available in various formats e.g. Tape, Large print and Braille.
Issue No. 1
Revision No. / 5 of 5 / Date of issue: 14/09/10