What health and safety training do construction workers need?
Whether you are a sole trader keeping your own certificates current or a company responsible for a whole site team, this is a plain guide to the health and safety training construction workers typically need, and the quickest way to keep everyone certificated.
Your duty as an employer
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must provide their workers with the information, instruction and training they need to work safely. On construction sites, Principal Contractors and clients routinely ask to see training records before your team starts, so keeping certificates current is both a legal duty and a commercial necessity.
The core awareness courses
The training a construction worker needs depends on the job, but the courses asked for most often are:
- Manual handling, because lifting and carrying injuries are among the most common on site
- Working at height, ladders and stepladders
- Asbestos awareness, essential for anyone who may disturb asbestos containing materials
- COSHH, for work with hazardous substances
- Fire safety and fire marshal awareness
- CDM 2015 awareness, so everyone understands their duties
Awareness training versus competence
Awareness training gives your team the understanding they need and a certificate to prove it, and it is what most site inductions and refreshers call for. It supports, but does not replace, task specific or practical competence training where a job needs it. For most inductions, refreshers and record keeping, awareness level courses are exactly what is asked for.
Training a whole team online
If you are responsible for staff, sending everyone on a classroom course is slow and expensive. Our online awareness courses let your whole team train on any phone, tablet or PC, in about fifteen minutes each, with team pricing for crews and an instant, dated certificate the moment they pass. That means you can get a new starter certificated on day one, and keep the whole team refreshed without losing site time.
Keeping your training records current
Certificates are valid for twelve months, and every pass is dated and personalised, so building an up to date training matrix for audits and pre-start checks is straightforward. When a Principal Contractor asks for evidence, you have it ready.
Get your team trained today
Browse the full range of short online courses, from manual handling and CDM 2015 to asbestos awareness, fire safety and food safety, with single and team pricing. Visit the online training courses, or if you also need site paperwork, see the RAMS and Contractor Project Packs.