During 2023, the The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority carried out just over 3,000 accident prevention inspections among employers. The results revealed violations in 75 percent of the inspections, and reactions were given in 67 percent of the cases. Documented safety training is an important part of the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's checklist, and this requirement plays a decisive role in saving lives.
Injured at work
22,000 people injure themselves at work every year, according to figures from Statistics Norway. And many of the accidents are due to machines lacking protection against moving parts or because protection has been removed. The industry is an industry that is overrepresented when it comes to fatal accidents. The statistics show that young workers, foreign workers and workers in small businesses are most exposed to accidents.
Lack of training in the use of dangerous machines
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority works to ensure that employers in risk-prone industries implement effective management and control systems to prevent serious personal injuries.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority identifies the characteristics of an employer who prioritizes this:
- they have a functioning internal control system
ensures the participation of employees and their representatives - they map and risk assess everyone
hazards that may occur during work - they prepare and follow up measures to reduce risk
- they ensure systematic barrier management
- they ensure the technical condition and suitability of materials and equipment
- they ensure the necessary training for all workers, including vulnerable groups such as young people and foreign workers
What requirements apply?
The regulations relating to the performance of work require that the employee shall be trained in the use of work equipment that requires special care when using. In 2016 came an additional requirement that the training shall be equipment specific (§10-4). For businesses with lots of equipment and many employees, this can quickly become challenging to keep track of.
What equipment this is all about, the company must decide for itself by mapping equipment and carrying out a risk assessment.
The training shall include both theoretical and practical knowledge of the safe use and operation of the equipment, and training shall be given in the specific work equipment the company has. Both the theoretical and the practical training should be documented.
Use of RamBase QMS for proven security training
In our system we can do it like this:
Theory: Describe the safe use of the equipment in an RamBase QMS document using images, symbols, text and any video. Make sure that the descriptions become equipment specific, this can be easily done with the help of photos.
Practical training: Describe the practical training and add co-signing of a professional responsible/sponsor. Add a quiz if we want to test out the knowledge
Documentation: Once the employee has read and cleared for reading, the theoretical tutorial is documented. Once the sponsor has got rid of co-signing, the practical training is documented. Reports can be easily printed to see who is trained in what and when the training was conducted.
Continuous improvement: Preventive work requires continuous work and that is where the WOC functionality comes in. WOC stands for Walk, Observe and Communicate, and comes from the Lean philosophy Go to Gemba, which means going to the source or where the work is actually done. By using the WOC functionality, one can systematically identify, observe and communicate security risks and areas for improvement.
This means that managers and employees actively participate in walking around the workplace, observe the process and communicate directly with each other to gain a deeper understanding of the safety training and challenges. The entire process is documented according to the specific work procedure, and any deviations and improvements are linked directly to the procedure.
All these steps result in more robust and effective safety training that is not only documented, but also continuously updated and adapted to the real needs of the workplace.
Working environment work is a fresh commodity
Documented safety training is a necessary and statutory obligation that every employer should prioritize. With our expertise, experience and tools, we can guide companies to avoid contributing to the statistics. Get in touch today to get assistance from our experienced consultants or request a non-binding demonstration of our system solutions.
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