WHS Awareness Training (Article)

This short sort article was prepared by Gary Purdy and originally posted on HSE Academy here: https://bit.ly/WHSAwarenessTraining

WHS Awareness Training

As a Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) specialist with many years of experience, I would like to highlight the importance of providing WHS Awareness Training to workers.

A basic WHS Awareness Training session is designed to educate workers about their responsibilities and obligations under the Australian WHS laws and regulations.

In this article, I want to provide you with some reasons why businesses and organisations should invest in WHS Awareness Training.

Positive outcomes for the company

Worker having a sound understanding of WHS through Awareness Training can provide numerous positive outcomes for the company. 

Firstly, by increasing employee awareness of potential health and safety risks and providing them with the basic knowledge and skills to work safely, the likelihood of accidents and injuries in the workplace can be greatly reduced. 

Adequate WHS training for workers can assist in decreasing direct costs for emergency or rescue services and indirect costs such as lost productivity.

Simply by lowering the number of incidents or accidents at a workplace, companies will be able to lower costs related to accidents, injuries, and illnesses.

Secondly, training will help ensure that staff are aware of the laws and regulations related to workplace safety, that assists in ensuring assures that the company is in compliance with those regulations.

WHS Compliance is mandated in legislation. Non-compliance can lead to fines and legal action against the company and/or its owner or officer.

Thirdly, employees that feel safe and protected in their work environment are more likely to be engaged and motivated. This leads to improved productivity and performance.

A reputation as a company that prioritizes health and safety for their workers will improve relations with employees, customers, partners, and stakeholder.

Lastly, data has shown that morale and job satisfaction improve when staff members feel that their safety and well-being is a priority. By providing holistic health and safety training to all workers, an organisation establishes the foundation to create and maintain a safe and healthy work and a positive culture with improved overall performance.

Empower employees to create a safe and healthy work environment

WHS Awareness Training empowers employees on all levels of an organisation to create a safe and healthy work environment by educating them on how to identify hazards and reducing risk.

A basic WHS course will cover topics such as the “Hierarchy of Controls”, hazard identification, risk assessment, hazard management, high risk work, emergency procedures, and incident reporting. Employees will gain an understanding of what WHS requirements are and they will be better equipped to identify potential hazards and help mitigate risks.

Compulsory for all workers

WHS Awareness Training should not only be provided to new workers as part of an induction and onboarding process, or to contractors as part of their induction.

It should be compulsory for all employees of a company and individuals who may be working at the workplace. This includes the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBUs) for example the owner or general manager, directors and officers of the organisation, as well as supervisors and team leaders, and all other workers that have a responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

Tailored to meet specific organisational needs

A WHS Awareness Training program must be tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of an organisation or business.

Customised training needs to suit the industry and individual structure of the company. It needs to be applied with recognition of knowledge levels of its employees.

The training should also cover the specific national or local WHS regulations that apply to the company. It should factor in organisational policies, organisational structure and practices for WHS management, and, for example, information related to emergency preparedness, and reporting requirements. Additionally, workers should be trained on safe work practices and procedures for their specific job duties. This would include the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the safe handling of hazardous substances and high risk undertakings as applicable to the organisations activities.

Delivered in various modes

WHS Awareness Training can be delivered in various ways, from in-person on-site training at the workplace or online as a webinar utilising a video chat platform. Some courses can also be prepared using Online Learning Platforms such as Moodle to provide more flexibility and a “self-paced” experience to the learner. This provides organisations with cost effective options and more flexibility in terms of scheduling and delivering training to their employees.

In conclusion, basic WHS Awareness Training is an essential step in ensuring a safe and healthy workplace.

If you have any questions or if you’d like to get a fee proposal for a WHS Awareness Training or for a

more bespoke WHS Training Course, please get in touch with me on 08 8152 0555 or send an email to gpurdy@hseaustralia.com.au