Education and Training
A person entering a hazardous occupational site should know and should be able to comprehend the potential risks that the site may have on his health and safety. However, this risk is also a factor of the clean-up frequency of the site.
Employees appointed for the clean-up task must be well-acquainted with the procedures and programs laid out by the Site Safety Plan. They must also be trained enough to evade any contamination within a contaminated environment.
If at any instance, there is a visitor to the site, he must be given proper training on how to identify hazards and on the Standard Operating Procedures of the site. The visitor should be capable enough to conduct the visit safely. The main motives behind providing proper training to the employees are −
Acquainting the workers with the potential hazards in the site.
To instil adequate knowledge and skills to work in the site with the optimum level of safety.
To make workers know about the working and the limitations of safety equipment.
To make sure that emergency exits are easily accessible to the workers.
The level of the training depends on the personnel’s job role and how much risk does he have to face while performing his duties. However, it is strongly recommended that the training program must include classroom sessions as well as hands-on sessions, as these hands-on sessions show a pragmatic view of the equipment and safety practices.
A training program that involves working around hazardous substances must be practically conducted in the site with proper supervision from the trainer.
Each training session must be carried out by using simple language that can be understood by everybody. A written book of instructions on Standard Operating Procedures must be given to all the workers. Aids for teaching is welcome and the classroom sessions must be interactive in nature with an adequate amount of hands-on training.
It should also be mandatory for all the employees to complete the training program involving drills simulating various emergency situations. Refreshing the training after a year is also a commendable practice to stay updated on the latest trends in Safety.
Training Programs
The employees in an organisation must not be allowed to engage in any activities in the site until they undergo proper safety training that is at least specific to their job and makes them aware of the hazards that they might come across.
Training sessions on job specific safety hazards and overall safety hazards in the site must be conducted for the workers such as general labourers, equipment operators, technicians and other necessary personnel. This training must encompass the safety hazards along with the ways to counter these hazards.
These training sessions must contain classroom sessions that might include the following subjects depending on the specific job roles −
- Safe work practices
- Site Safety Plan
- The nature of expected hazards
- Reacting to emergencies
- Regulations on the use of Vehicles
- Safety Practices while using Field Equipment
- Advantages and drawbacks of Protective clothing
- Techniques that help in safe Sampling
Adding to the classroom session, trained and experienced supervisors must provide practical hands-on training to these workers in the actual field. General workers who might potentially be exposed to unique conditions or who might occasionally don the mantle of a supervisor should get additional training in the below-mentioned areas
Development of Site Safety Plan
Surveillance of the site
Implementation and decontamination of protective clothing and equipment.
Measurement of explosivity and radioactivity by utilizing the special equipment.
The safe utilisation of special equipment
Other higher officials who work within the proximity of the site such as Project Manager and other team leaders should undergo the same training as other workers along with special training for enhancing their guidance and decision-making. This special training must include
- Managing the site clean-up operation
- Management of the work zones in a site
- Ways of communicating with the press and the general public
The employees concerned with health and safety must be well-versed in the training that is being provided to all the other employees in the organisation and should undergo advanced training with respect to safety practices.
Whenever a visitor pays a visit to the site, he must be given an elementary training on safety before entering the premises of the site. This elementary training can be a brief induction on safety. However, these visitors must be refrained from accessing Exclusion Zones.
Training Record
A record with respect to the training must be maintained within the personnel file of each employee for assuring that every person entitled to the task has undergone adequate training and are updated on the latest hazards and their remedies.
