Instruction, training and supervision of staff are essential components in the implementation and continued improvement of safe working practices. Staff need to know how to do their job and how to do it safely. This includes ensuring their own safety and that of others (eg. students and volunteers). Staff also need to know the expectations of their supervisor (e.g. principal/manager) and the department in terms of the performance of their role.
Induction
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Induction is mandatory for all staff and is to occur annually. The primary aim of the induction is to provide new and continuing staff with an important overview of health, safety and wellbeing policies, procedures and practices in the department.
The management and completion of mandatory all-staff training procedure details this requirement.
The 'mandatory all staff training program' is to be completed by all new employees of the department. This is an online course available through QLearn. Training resources are available on OnePortal.
These resources are available to support induction providing detailed information on health, safety and wellbeing. These are not mandatory to complete:
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing induction fact sheet
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing induction (online course available via QLearn)
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing induction (template)
Health and Safety
- General induction - construction white card fact sheet
- General information on health and safety training
Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation and return to work coordinator training
- Rehabilitation and return to work coordinator training (online course available via QLearn)
Wellbeing
- Mental Health First Aid Training
Health and Safety training
Why is training an important component of a health and safety system?
Provision of instruction and training is necessary to achieve competent, healthy and safe work performance. Management is responsible for the approval and allocation of training resources.
The Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) states that information, instruction, training and supervision are to be provided to ensure health and safety.
Information, instruction, training and supervision is examined during incident investigations to determine if relevant persons were appropriately skilled to safely conduct their tasks.
Documentation that records the participant details, general content and date of training are essential in proving that adequate training has been provided.
What should training include?
Training should cover all relevant workplace policies, procedures and practices to ensure that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to perform their work safely, and according to the legislative requirements and the department's and school/workplace's procedures.
Employees and others have a duty to comply with instructions given for workplace health and safety.
Employee training should generally include:
- general induction training e.g. school/workplace communication processes, incident reporting, lockdown, evacuation and medical emergency procedures
- risk management applicable to their role
- job-specific training e.g. safe work procedures for the use of equipment
- refresher training as needed.
How should training be delivered?
Training can take a variety of forms including formal courses, on-the-job training, practical demonstrations or work shadowing. The method of training is to be relevant to the tasks that the person is going to perform. If practical skills are needed these should be demonstrated and practiced during training.
Supervision of staff assists to ensure appropriate procedures are being implemented and also serves as an evaluation tool for training. If staff cannot implement the training content back in the workplace, the training has not been effective.
Training will need to be tailored to the skills of the participant and consider other factors such as literacy, learning style, etc.
Who should deliver training?
Your school/workplace Health and Safety Advisor (HSA) or Regional Health and Safety Consultant may be able to deliver a range of training or advise of suitable training options. There may also be people in your school/workplace community with skills and knowledge in specific areas who could be involved in the delivery of training to school/workplace staff. For example, with hazardouschemicals - science staff may have experience with chemical handling, storage and risk assessment processes.
It is important that the trainer:
- has the appropriate skills
- provides training that is relevant to the school/workplace environment
- incorporates departmental expectations within the content
- can impart skills to participants that can be used on their return to work
- is passing on good habits - i.e. promoting healthy and safe work practices
- can relate to the audience and convey the information effectively
- is flexible in their delivery to ensure audience needs and training goals are met
- evaluates and updates training in response to constructive feedback and remains current with legislative and industry requirements.
Why keep documentation?
Written procedures and records of training assist both the staff member and supervisor in tracking the progress of training programs.
Documentation of training will be used during incident investigations and assessments to verify if, when and how "instruction, training and supervision" has been provided to staff.
Up-to-date training records also assist in identifying training needs.
Related information and resources
Mandatory Induction
Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator Training
- Rehabilitation and Return to Work Co-ordinator training (Online Course available via QLearn)
The Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld)requires that a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator be appointed to a workplace and that rehabilitation be provided to a suitable standard . The legislated standard for workplace rehabilitation in Queensland is detailed in Part 6, Division 3 of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2003 (Qld).
To meet this requirement, the department's Workplace Rehabilitation Procedure states that every school or workplace should have access to a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator and the Coordinator must be able to satisfactorily discharge their responsibilities in accordance with legislation.
How to become a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator
As a result of legislative changes to the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2013 (Qld), Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators (RRTWC) are no longer required to be accredited to carry out their roles. It is now the responsibility of the employer to ascertain that an individual employee is 'appropriately qualified' to carry out a RRTWC role in the context of the environment they are working in.
To ensure departmental staff are ‘appropriately qualified’ the Organisational Safety and Wellbeing Unit have developed a free, Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator Online Training Program, available through QLearn.
The purpose of this training is to provide new RRTWC’s (and those seeking a refresher) with the basic skills, knowledge and resources to undertake the role of a RRTWC with confidence in their workplace.
Successful completion of the assessment activities will provide the beginning RRTWC with the essential knowledge to undertake the role. However, with all new learning, you will develop your skills with experience over time in the role. Ongoing mentoring and training is provided on a regional basis, and all RRTWCs are encouraged to remain active in their regional networks.
This free training program replaces the need for departmental staff to undertake training through external training providers.
Further information can be obtained by contacting an Injury Management Consultant in your Regional Office or Central Office and from the following links:
- DoE Workplace Rehabilitation Procedure
- Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
- The Queensland Workers' Compensation Regulator
- Injury Management Fact Sheet - Selecting a Rehabilitation and return to Work Coordinator
- Injury Management Fact Sheet - The Roles of Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators and Principals/Managers.
