Workplace transport safety An employers' guide - ARRI Lighting Rental

Health and Safety
Executive
144 Those in charge will need to be able and willing to provide information,
instruction, supervision and constructive feedback to employees on their safety
performance.
145 There are two main ways of making sure people are competent for a job,
which should be used together:
n make sure new recruits are competent. Have effective recruitment and
placement procedures to make sure that all those employed at the workplace
(including managers) have the relevant knowledge and experience to be able
to do their jobs safely, or can gain these on the job or through training. See
Choosing drivers (paragraphs 631-641) for more information about choosing
competent operators;
n make sure existing employees are competent. Provide information,
instruction and training to maintain or improve employees’ competence,
particularly where changes in staff, equipment or procedures are planned. This
should take account of employees’ abilities and experience.
146 By law, employees must take reasonable care of their own health and safety
and that of others who may be affected by what they do at work.
147 By law, employees must co-operate with their employers, so they can meet
with their health and safety responsibilities.
148 Good communication within an organisation helps secure and maintain a safe
workplace.
149 It is important that there are strong lines of communication, so that everyone is
clear about their health and safety responsibilities and any changes are quickly put
into practice across the whole organisation.
150 Information that needs to be communicated includes:
n the organisation’s safety policy, and what it means in practice;
n who has which safety responsibilities;
n details of safe working practices that should be followed;
n details of where employees and other workers can get more information,
instruction or training on particular areas of their work activities (this should be
easily available – for example, in an area where drivers or other workers take
regular breaks);
n feedback to employees on how well they have followed safe working practices;
and
n communicating with other employers – for example, agreeing safety precautions
and responsibilities for visiting vehicles delivering or collecting goods.
151 You should encourage everyone in the workplace (including contractors)
to take an active interest in safety issues. Everyone should have the chance to
express their views or concerns to those in charge of the workplace and the people
they work with.
152 As well as making good sense, consulting employees on health and safety
matters is a legal requirement. If your organisation has safety representatives who
have been appointed by a trade union that your organisation recognises, by law
you must consult them. If there are no safety representatives, you should consult
the employees themselves or any health and safety representative they have
elected.
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