Training for employees working with substances hazardous to health
You must provide information, training and instruction for employees who work with substances hazardous to health. This includes cleaning and maintenance staff.
Employees need to understand the outcome of your risk assessment and what this means for them. Tell them:
- what the hazards and risks are
- about any workplace exposure limit
- the results of any monitoring of exposure
- the general results of health surveillance
- what to do if there is an accident (e.g. spillage) or emergency
All employees should have access to safety data sheets.
Keep employees informed about planned future changes in processes or substances used.
When a contractor comes on site, they need to know what the risks are and how you are controlling them. And you need to know if they are bringing hazardous substances onto your premises, and how they will prevent harm to your staff or customers.
Keep basic training records up to date.
Emergencies – be prepared
You need to plan and practice to cope with foreseeable accidents, incidents or emergencies. This means:
- The right equipment to deal with the emergency (e.g. a spill), including protective equipment and decontamination products
- The right procedures to deal with a casualty
- The right people trained to take action
- The right arrangements to deal with the waste created
Think about how you would make such information available to the emergency services.
Everybody needs to know your emergency plans.