How to conduct a safety induction

Safety induction is done for workers when they newly come to work in a workplace or a site. 

It’s one of the management proactive tools to improve the safety management system of an organisation.  

Induction introduces the culture of the organisation to the workers and equally informs the workers about their responsibilities and those of the management in that organisation. 

In this post, I will be covering the following topics:

• What is safety and health induction?
• Why do we conduct a safety induction?
• Who conducts a safety induction?
• How often can a safety induction be done?
• Tips for an effective induction.
• Common safety induction topics. 
• What safety induction can help to achieve in the workplace.

What is safety induction?

Safety inductions are a proactive tool used by the management to convey information and knowledge to the new workers concerning their roles and responsibilities, the safety culture of the organisation, and the safety management system in place in the organisation. 

Usually with new workers or employees, contractors or visitors to the company. 

However, there are different types of safety induction depending on the persons involved. We have contractor induction, visitor induction, and employee induction. 

But the main point is to pass a safety message to the worker that will guarantee his safety from harm while on the job. 

Why do we conduct safety induction?

When you don’t know what you’re to do, you’ll likely make some mistakes. Sometimes, mistakes can be costly. 

Induction informs the workers what they are to do concerning safety when working at the workplace.  

Employees who undergo an induction will work with a high level of safety consciousness. They equally tend to obey the safety rules and regulations. Because they already know what to do through the safety induction. Information and knowledge from that serve for hazard prevention and control for the work. 

Who conducts a safety induction?

A responsible person conducts a safety induction. Some organisations allow a health and safety officer to do the safety induction.

However, the Job requirement of a health and safety officer allows the safety officer to conduct an Induction. 

But in some places, the supervisor does the induction when there is no health and safety officer present or around.

Supervisors have health and safety responsibilities according to their job role since the workers listen to the supervisor directly.

How often can a safety induction be done?

Safety induction is primarily for a new worker, a visitor,a contractor, or an existing worker who visits a new site.

After that, the person can be allowed to go to the site. 

As a policy, Some organisations repeat their safety inductions every three months or six months for an existing worker. This will help keep the workers abreast of any new information they need to know on workplace safety. 

However, there could be times when a worker fails to maintain basic site safety rules. That worker can go for an induction. 

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Tips for an effective safety induction at the workplace.

These are tips that will guide you to conduct an effective induction.

• Make sure you have a specific time you do your induction. If it is for new employees, In some places, it can be done only at the beginning of a work shift. 
• Choose an office for the induction or a location within the workplace. But make sure that the place is calm and free of distractions when conducting it. 
• Do not rush when speaking during the induction. Take your time to say all you want to say. Always have a duration. In some places, the induction of new workers can take 45 minutes or above. and some can even take more hours. Induction for visitors staying for a short period will not take more hours. 
• Speak boldly and audibly so that the workers can hear you very well. While speaking, you can make eye contact to spur engagement and concentration. 
• If workers don’t understand you, they will likely not get your message very well. Make sure they all can hear the language of your communication. Ask them to enquire before you start the induction. 
• Communicate properly. Keep the communication simple all the time. Give room for questions even after the presentation.
• Record is important. Make sure the attendees sign an induction form. 

Common safety induction topics.

The following is the list of topics that can be covered when doing the induction of a new employee in a workplace.

• Company HSE policies and other allied policies in place
• The Hazards and Risks in your Workplace.
• Risk assessments for the workplace.
• Use of Personal protection equipment (PPE).
• Worker Responsibilities
• Management responsibilities.
• Emergency procedures are in place.
• First aid procedures in the workplace.
• The incident, near miss, unsafe acts and unsafe condition reporting.
• Working at height procedures.
• Working in a confined space.
• Electrical safety.
• Office safety.
• Hazardous substances.
• Gas cylinders.
• Scaffold safety.
• Excavation.
• Generation rules and requirements, for example, no use of cell phones. 
• Housekeeping on site.

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•  8 reasons why accident and incident investigation is Important in the workplace.
• Few tips to keep in mind when conducting a toolbox talk
• 7 benefits of good housekeeping in the workplace.

What safety induction can help to achieve in the workplace. 

• It promotes safety consciousness for workers and for everyone visiting the workplace. 
• It communicates the company values, Company Policies, workplace culture and Safety behaviours to the worker.  
• Workers understand the emergency procedures. And other places on-site, for example, the emergency exit, muster points, and clinics.
• Knowledge of the rights of an employee is made known during the induction. Equally, employees will know their safety responsibilities and limitations.  
• It helps to drive productivity at work. 
• Pass the information on the first aid procedures in the workplace to the worker.

Conclusion.

Induction is for everyone coming to do work in a workplace, Whether as an employee or a contractor. The visitors and the family members are not left out of it whenever they visit the workplace. 

Even though safety inductions are different depending on whether you’re an employee, contractor or visitor. It’s simply serving one goal, to ensure personal safety, whether as a visitor or an employee.