How HR Can Train Employees On Chemical Safety

13 Aug How HR Can Train Employees On Chemical Safety

Your perception of how HR relates to the core function of any given business might have them as a more tangential element. You might feel as though the purpose of HR is more narrow than it actually is, but this could also be stifling the potential of your HR department.

HR is there to provide comfort, reassurance, and safety to your employees. With that in mind, if your business operations involve the handling of hazardous chemical materials, it’s only natural that your HR department is going to want to ensure that nobody is harmed throughout this process.

Going Over the Procedure

When starting a new job, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed by information. Suddenly, you’re in a new environment, and everything is different from what it was before and perhaps even to what you expected. This can be exacerbated by the pressure that a new employee might be feeling to remember important safety training.

Therefore, it’s important that your HR department is available to help guide your staff members through the procedure in their own time. You want your employees to be confident in their roles and understanding what they can do to keep themselves and everyone else safe will certainly help with that. If your employees have concerns about an element of their job that they’re not confident with, knowing that they have somewhere to take these questions can be transformative for their comfort

Research and Recommendations

It’s not just for the sake of the employee, however, your HR team can pioneer the health and safety program of your business. If your employees are reporting weak spots in your current safety strategy, such as outdated equipment, or areas where the procedure seems more lax than it should be, your HR team can take the appropriate action. For instance, Seton offer COSHH storage lockers which provide adequate storage for potentially dangerous substances, your HR team can look into purchasing these as needed to protect your employees. In a field where dealing with hazardous chemical materials is an everyday part of the job, you can’t afford to fall behind – safety might be more instrumental to the quality of your work than you initially give credit.

Giving Talks

Your HR team doesn’t need to wait until they’re approached by uncertain new employees to offer guidance and advice. You might find that their expertise is valuable in offering presentations and talks that can keep your whole team up to date. This is something that you might find exceptionally useful if you need to deliver a large amount of safety training to multiple new employees at once, but it can also be an effective way of delivering updates.

If your business is doing something differently from how it used to, you want to get this information out there. An email can be easily ignored, so gathering your staff together and putting them in a situation where this new information can be clearly conveyed – allowing them to have their questions answered in return – can do a lot for the smooth operation of your business.

About The Author

James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.