Supervise the health, safety and welfare of a learner in the workplace

  Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety Unit:  Supervise the health, safety and welfare of a learner in the workplace

 

Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

Unit: Supervise the health, safety and welfare of a learner in the workplace

Question:

Explain what information is necessary and available

to assess the suitability of the workplace for the

trainee that the learner is supervising in the

workplace and:

a) specific learning barriers to the trainee, e.g.

physical, communication, prohibited areas.

b) specific risk assessments and control methods

relating to a trainee.

c) health, safety and welfare training and support

required by the trainee during induction

d) employers’ instructions and procedures in relation

to the health, safety and welfare of the trainee.

e) own responsibilities relative to supervising the trainee.

Answer:

On-the-job’ or workplace training, employee are required to demonstrate a range of skills through the completion of workplace tasks. Adequate training for employee and senior levels about specific legal requirements and clients procedures. It is very important for employees to be fully aware about legal obligations and their responsibilities. eg, Induction, COSHH training, on the job training.

The message can be verbal or on the job training, this can reduce potential problems issues, the message should be accurate and straightforward, for employee to understand the message 

Feedback from the employees: Suggestion box for employees in order for lodge complains and any observations, and it’s should be communicated with the supervisors.

a.       Safe working conditions: induction, training, safety awareness, and safety campaign. Qualification: legislation and clients requirements, on the job training and third party training.  Communication: Adequate and accurate information should be provided for employees. Proactive Monitoring: Day to day inspection, safety incentives, proper supervision

b.       Identifying the potential hazards in a workplace. Then think about whom might be harmed, it will help best way to control the risk. Evaluate the risk, decision on how likely it might be harmed also know the level of the risk and what to do about it, if the risk is as low as reasonable practicable. Make a findings record and what should be in place to control the risk. Review of all risk assessment, eg substances, policies, new equipment’s, procedures or any other thing that may be leads to new hazards

c.       Induction is very important as workplace are different conditions and have a wide range of hazards which will change as time goes on. Induction is specific to workplace and also provides some information on the current hazards of the workplace. Organisation should be more committed to protect health and safety of all their employees working at or visiting workplace site. Ensure plan, manage, monitor and supervise all activities in compliance with client and local and international legislation and good practice. Also to ensure that all employees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

d.       Responsibilities might include, Proper monitoring, supervising, training, campaign, reviewing, reporting system, safety work through, inspections.

e.       Employee have a common law responsibility of care to each other and to other employees. This includes exercising reasonable care in order to protect others from the risks of foreseeable injury, death at work or health problems. e.g Fines, penalties, Damage (plant, materials, premises), insurance claim, shout down project

 

Question:

Explain the need to check the trainee’s understanding

of health and safety relative to their job role:

a) reviewing with the trainee their understanding of

health and safety relative to their job role.

b) identifying effective communication methods

available and when appropriate to be used.

Answer:

a) reviewing with the trainee their understanding of health and safety relative to their job role.
The purpose of this is to identify major variables that influence the learning process and to also optimize the allocation of resources for training interventions such as;
Immediate Outcomes: The immediate training outcomes are the proximal reactions measured in trainees, including changes in knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, skills, motivation and behavioural intentions. These are expected to be influenced by exposure to the training factors (i.e. the independent variables).
 Intermediate Outcomes: These are dependent variables that represent the transfer of knowledge and behavioural intent into practice. Measurable examples include: a trained employee adopting new work practices; a manager who makes changes in standard operating procedures that are instituted, enforced and codified in the company policy manual; These outcomes are intermediate between the training factors and the impacts. Often, intermediate outcomes are used as surrogates for the ultimate impacts of training because of time and resource limitations in conducting research.
Impacts: The ultimate impacts of training are the prevention or reduction of diseases, injuries or deaths, and the related direct and indirect costs. These impacts can be influenced by training, but can also be caused by factors independent of training. For example, a workplace explosion may occur due to a faulty valve or structural weakness unrelated to training. However, the causal pathways can sometimes intersect; for example, if a worker has been trained to inspect valves or structures, then such explosions may be prevented. The time frame for measuring the health and economic impacts of training can vary from short term to long term.

b) Identifying effective communication methods available and when appropriate to be used.

• Send An Email or Newsletter – This refers to when employees have a company email address, make sure that everyone gets an email outlining safety standards at least once a month. Another way is mailing a newsletter to the address of every employee; you can include one with their paystub as well.
• Post Signage Throughout The Workplace – Place a sign where employees punch in, in break rooms, around equipment and wherever else employees frequently congregate. Be creative and use video and other mediums to help reinforce standards.
• Take Pictures Of Safe Actions – A picture is worth a thousand words! Make it perfectly clear what the expectations are by taking pictures of employees demonstrating these actions. Include these in your newsletters and emails.
• Hold Meetings (Toolbox Talks) - To ensure that everyone is getting the message, hold small-group meetings that are mandatory for all employees. Make Toolbox Talks a part of the daily routine to review and discuss safety standards.
• Require Appropriate Training- If you send people out untrained, you are communicating that safety doesn't matter. People learn more from the workplace culture than from the signs that are posted. Create a culture of safety in the workplace by properly training your employees.
• Share Case Studies or Incident Reports- Put the reality behind the need for safety, by sharing events about real people who have been affected by insufficient safety measures.

 

Question:

Explain how to respond to incidents, development needs and achievements of the trainee relating to health and safety.

Answer:

• To take control at the scene and try to restore order.
• Assure first aid and call for emergency services.
• Provide immediate care if you’re qualified to do so
• Have someone else call for help.
• Control potential secondary accidents.
• Identify people and conditions at the scene who are potential witnesses to what happened.
• Have someone else take down their names.
• Preserve physical evidence. Secure the scene and, again, control access.
• Once the immediate emergency is stabilized, these additional steps should be taken.
• Evaluate how bad the loss is, how bad it could have been, and whether additional investigation resources are needed.

 

Question:

Identify others involved in the trainee’s programme, their role and responsibilities.

Answer:

The trainer should be familiar with the training programme curriculum in order to facilitate the development of the trainee’s learning objectives and evaluation

Requirements.

Develop effective induction programmes for new employee and graduate trainees.

Ensure that trainee goals are achieved within the time frame.

Design and expand training and development programmes based on the needs of the organisation and the individual

Work in a team to work safely that is satisfactory to all relevant departments in an organisation, such as line managers and senior managers.

Provide training materials for in-house training and also manage the delivery of training and development programmes.

Ensure that all training requirements are completed.

Monitor and review the progress of trainees through questionnaires and discussions with managers.

Trainer should arrange a one on one meeting with the trainee to discuss the role and responsibilities, set goals and agree a training plan for the duration of the training including attendance at training/study days and study leave provision.

Ensure that legislation and client statutory training requirements are met.

Identify training and development needs within an organisation through job analysis, appraisal schemes and regular consultation.

Question:

Understand the terms ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ as applied to health and safety.

Answer:

A hazard, as defined ‘is something that can cause harm’, and a risk ‘is the chance, high or low, that any hazard will actually cause somebody harm’.
Examples of hazards could include working with heavy machinery, using chemicals at work, a poorly set up workstation or strained office relationships. A risk would be a danger that these situations may pose; for example, physical injury, chemical burns, increased stress levels.
 
Therefore, Hazards are anything that can cause harm, damage or adverse health effects to people in the workplace. Depending on your workplace, these could include:   

• Biological. Biological hazards include viruses, bacteria, insects, animals, etc., that can cause harm. For example, mould, dust, blood and other bodily fluids, vermin and other parasites.
• Chemical. The nature of a chemical hazard will depend on the properties of the chemicals used and stored on the premises. It includes both health and physical hazards, such as skin irritation, carcinogenicity, flammability and radiation.
• Ergonomic. Ergonomic hazards are a result of physical factors that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. These hazards include workstation setup, poor posture and manual handling.
• Physical. Physical hazards are a result of environmental factors and include heights, vibration, radiation and pressure.
• Psychosocial. Psychosocial hazards include hazards that can have an adverse effect on an individual’s mental health or wellbeing including stress, bullying and workplace violence.
• Safety. Safety hazards are hazards that create unsafe working conditions. For example, melting ice could cause a spill hazard or exposed wires might result in a tripping hazard.

 
 While Risk on the other hand, is the likelihood of a person being injured or receiving an adverse health effect due to a hazard. 
That is considering the degree of risk that a hazard poses to your employees or yourself, one must bear in mind the following factors that can influence risk:

• The frequency of exposure. Are your workers exposed to the hazard once a day or once a year?
• The route of exposure. How are your workers exposed? Do they breathe in vapours or is it through skin contact?
• How severe the injury or adverse health effect of exposure is. Is the health affect lung irritation or lung cancer?

And To control workplace risks, one could:

• Consider using a less hazardous process or substituting in a less hazardous chemical.
• Stop workers accessing the hazardous activity, process or substance.
• Provide employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). PPE should only be used as a last resort when all other controls have been exhausted.
• Ensure you have adequate first-aid and washing facilities available.
• Communicate with your workers and consider their opinions and advice on control measures.