Health & Safety Training

Irishdreamer

Hi all!

Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

I'm looking for a bit of information in relation to Health & Safety Training at work.
My manager has scheduled some Health & Safety Training for us but they are getting their family member to do the training with us. We don't believe this person has the proper training to do this with the staff.

Does this person need to be qualified to do Health & Safety Training with us?
Also should we be given certificates if we do the training?

I don't want to do Health & Safety Training with someone who is not qualified. I think they are just looking for a quick way to make money for themselves.

Thanks!

Samuel T. Cogley

Are they charging you for the training?

Irishdreamer

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Are they charging you for the training?

Yes I believe they are. The manager has gotten this same family member in to do several things & they always send in an invoice. They do stuff which they shouldn't be touching e.g. fixing doors & removing lights etc.

Shane Fitz

When you say "health & safety training" what exactly do you mean?
For example, manual handling must be delivered by a qualified/ accredited instructor.

Maewyn Succat

Irishdreamer wrote: »

Hi all!

Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

I'm looking for a bit of information in relation to Health & Safety Training at work.
My manager has scheduled some Health & Safety Training for us but they are getting their family member to do the training with us. We don't believe this person has the proper training to do this with the staff.

Does this person need to be qualified to do Health & Safety Training with us?
Also should we be given certificates if we do the training?

I don't want to do Health & Safety Training with someone who is not qualified. I think they are just looking for a quick way to make money for themselves.

Thanks!

They really are taking huge risks if the person is not qualified to provide the training. They are leaving themselves very open to claims if an incident were to occur which could be proved was a direct result of training provided by a person who wasn't supposed to be providing the training. The courts would have a field day with that sort of thing.

Irishdreamer

Shane Fitz wrote: »

When you say "health & safety training" what exactly do you mean?
For example, manual handling must be delivered by a qualified/ accredited instructor.

I'm actually not sure. The first I knew of it was when the manager text all the staff saying that the health & safety training was scheduled for a certain day.

Irishdreamer

Maewyn Succat wrote: »

They really are taking huge risks if the person is not qualified to provide the training. They are leaving themselves very open to claims if an incident were to occur which could be proved was a direct result of training provided by a person who wasn't supposed to be providing the training. The courts would have a field day with that sort of thing.

We thought the person would have to be qualified so we thought someone was being brought in but then we found out that it is actually a relation of the manager who is doing it.

Also we thought we would get an official certificate to show we did the training but we're not sure we'll be getting that now.

Now maybe the person is trained & qualified but I want to ask them on the day if they are qualified. If they are then fair enough we'll continue with the training but if they aren't qualified then I don't want to do the training as I don't see the point in someone like that giving us training.

We have asked around & it sounds like the person shouldn't be doing the training if they aren't qualified.

Samuel T. Cogley

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Are they charging you for the training?

As in personally?

griffin100

Irishdreamer wrote: »

We thought the person would have to be qualified so we thought someone was being brought in but then we found out that it is actually a relation of the manager who is doing it.

Also we thought we would get an official certificate to show we did the training but we're not sure we'll be getting that now.

Now maybe the person is trained & qualified but I want to ask them on the day if they are qualified. If they are then fair enough we'll continue with the training but if they aren't qualified then I don't want to do the training as I don't see the point in someone like that giving us training.

We have asked around & it sounds like the person shouldn't be doing the training if they aren't qualified.

Just remember that you have an obligation under law to attend h&s training if told to do so by your employer. It's not up to you to question the competency of the trainer, if you don't attend then you're giving your employer a stick to beat you with.

If this is general type h&s awareness training then the trainer doesn't necessarily need to have qualifications if he/she has appropriate experience. As said above some specific training such as safe pass, first aid, etc does require a trained certified trainer.

There are dozens of safety 'consultants' out there who have done a mickey mouse course in safety but have no real knowledge or experience, it's not a protected title in any way.

griffin100

griffin100 wrote: »

Just remember that you have an obligation under law to attend h&s training if told to do so by your employer. It's not up to you to question the competency of the trainer, if you don't attend then you're giving your employer a stick to beat you with.

If this is general type h&s awareness training then the trainer doesn't necessarily need to have qualifications if he/she has appropriate experience. As said above some specific training such as safe pass, first aid, etc does require a trained certified trainer.

There are dozens of safety 'consultants' out there who have done a mickey mouse course in safety but have no real knowledge or experience, it's not a protected title in any way.

Then knowing the experience they hold would be worthwhile. If you’re getting shown by someone on a nixer because they know the boss then the information could be completely inaccurate and thus, because it’s health and safety training, dangerous.

Irishdreamer

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

As in personally?

No the staff are not being charged for it.
To my knowledge the company will be paying for it.

Irishdreamer

griffin100 wrote: »

Just remember that you have an obligation under law to attend h&s training if told to do so by your employer. It's not up to you to question the competency of the trainer, if you don't attend then you're giving your employer a stick to beat you with.

If this is general type h&s awareness training then the trainer doesn't necessarily need to have qualifications if he/she has appropriate experience. As said above some specific training such as safe pass, first aid, etc does require a trained certified trainer.

There are dozens of safety 'consultants' out there who have done a mickey mouse course in safety but have no real knowledge or experience, it's not a protected title in any way.

I just don't see the point in doing training with someone who is not qualified & could be giving false or misleading information.

Now the manager is saying it is not health & safety training, it's more of an introduction to it.

Mrs OBumble

Irishdreamer wrote: »

I just don't see the point in doing training with someone who is not qualified & could be giving false or misleading information.

Now the manager is saying it is not health & safety training, it's more of an introduction to it.

Even qualified people could be giving misinformation.

brightspark

Is the training being provided during your normal working hours and are you getting paid while attending it?

It is an employee's duty to comply with reasonable health and safety rules including participating in any training provided.


If the person the employer brings in to do the training isn't competent that is the employers problem.
(a person is deemed to be a competent person where, having regard to the task he or she is required to perform and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of them) of the undertaking or establishment in which he or she undertakes work, the person possesses sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work to be undertaken)

It is the employers duty to have competent employees.

Attend the training, ask lots of questions and provide feedback to your employer about anything you feel was incorrect after the training.