WHS Safety Focus – Staying Safe During Training
Just like in the workplace, it’s important to ensure you are working safely at training college or trade school.
Keep yourself safe by staying informed, prepared, and protected.
When not performed safely, practical tasks during training can lead to injuries like lacerations, muscle strains, burns, or eye injuries.
Risk factors that increase the risk of injury include:
- Working with high-risk equipment such as grinders, saws, or welders
- Miscommunications or misunderstandings about task requirements or instructions
- Not wearing the right PPE for the task, or wearing PPE incorrectly
- Being preoccupied, distracted, or fatigued while doing practical tasks
How to keep yourself safe while at training:
- Assess for hazards before starting a task, and work to reduce any risks. Make sure to complete the relevant Take 5 or Job Safety Analysis for the task. Inspect equipment and the work area before getting started. Think about what could go wrong, and what could be done to minimize risk of injury. Talk with your trainer about risk management.
- Make sure you have all the relevant information before starting a task. Read through any relevant Safe Work Procedures or instructions, listen out for your trainer’s directions, and ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
- Make sure you have the right PPE before starting a task. This will be informed by the relevant risk assessments, safe work instructions, and trainers’ advice.
- Speak up about any concerns. If you identify a new hazard or feel unsafe at any point while doing a task, let your trainer know.
What’s next?
If you need new gloves, or your old gloves need replacing, contact your ETC and they will arrange this for you. Make sure to report any hand injuries to your host supervisor and your ETC.
If you have any WHS questions or concerns, please contact our WHS team.