If you manage people, understanding your assigned health and safety responsibilities is essential. HR managers play an important role in supporting workplace OHS compliance, while the employer and CEO retain overall accountability. Non-compliance can have serious consequences, including fines, prosecution, and potential personal liability where negligence is established.
The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 85 of 1993 sets the overarching framework, but the specific training your business needs depends on your workforce size, the hazards your employees face, and the nature of your operations. First Aid, Fire and Safety Training (FAFST) offers a portfolio of accredited courses designed to support these requirements across a wide range of working environments.
Core training to support workplace compliance
Employers need to provide training to health and safety team members to ensure they can carry out their designated health and safety functions effectively. The courses below support these responsibilities, with the appropriate appointments and training determined by your workplace’s size, activities, and risks.
First aid training
Workplaces employing more than 10 people must have certified First Aiders available during working hours. In shops and offices, the minimum ratio is one First Aider per group of 100 employees or part thereof. In other workplaces, it is one per group of 50 employees or part thereof. Coverage must extend across working hours and shifts.
First Aiders must hold valid certificates from an appropriately accredited training provider approved by the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL). First aid training options include the established HWSETA-accredited First Aid Level 1–3 courses and the newer QCTO-accredited Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Emergency First Aid Responder skills programmes.
Depending on the course selected, topics include scene and casualty assessment, managing bleeding, burns, fractures, and shock, CPR, choking, recognising medical emergencies, and record keeping. This training is relevant across working environments. Higher-level first aid training may be required for First Aiders in higher-risk settings.
Health and Safety Representative training
Workplaces with more than 20 employees are required to appoint Health and Safety Representatives (H&S Reps). Representatives must receive training that enables them to understand and fulfil their duties and functions.
Health and Safety Representative training covers relevant sections of the OHS Act, workplace inspections, an introduction to hazard identification and risk assessment, incident investigation, and participation in Health and Safety Committees. Representatives are nominated or elected by employees and formally appointed to represent their workplace health and safety interests.
Firefighting training
A small fire can escalate quickly. Employers must manage workplace fire risks, and trained Fire Wardens help fulfil these responsibilities.
Firefighting training covers basic fire theory, common causes of fires, different fire classes, the appropriate extinguishers to use, and practical extinguisher operation. It also covers Fire Warden responsibilities, fire risk assessment, and evacuation procedures. Trained personnel should attempt to extinguish a fire only when it is safe to do so.
The number of trained personnel needed depends on your workplace’s size, layout, and risks. One Fire Warden per group of 50 employees is an industry guideline, with additional coverage where needed.
Emergency Evacuation training or Evacuation Planning training
Employers need evacuation procedures that reflect their workplace risks, supported by health and safety team members trained to carry them out. Evacuation planning training covers planning and coordinating a response to specific emergencies, evacuation roles and responsibilities, communication, assembly points and roll call, and arrangements for people who need assistance. It also addresses evacuation floor plans, emergency signage, and conducting evacuation drills.
Evacuation procedures need to be practised. Evacuation drills must be conducted at least twice a year so that employees and the Health and Safety Team can test their readiness and identify improvements.
Health and Safety Supervisor training
Health and Safety Supervisors help implement and maintain health and safety within their assigned departments or work areas. Training covers important sections of the OHS Act, the role of the Supervisor, hazard identification and risk assessment, and incident investigation. It equips supervisors and managers to work with the wider Health and Safety Team to identify concerns, implement controls, and support compliance.
Courses that address specific workplace needs
Beyond core training, businesses may have additional OHS training needs based on their operations and risks. The following courses help appointed team members carry out specific health and safety functions.
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)
Employers must identify workplace hazards, assess the associated risks, and implement measures to eliminate or reduce them. HIRA training equips delegates to identify and document hazards, assess and prioritise risks, and recommend appropriate controls. It supports a structured approach to managing risks arising from tasks, equipment, substances, and working conditions. Identified controls must be implemented and their effectiveness reviewed.
Incident Investigation
When something goes wrong at work, the response should include identifying why it happened and taking steps to prevent recurrence. Incident Investigation training gives Health and Safety Supervisors, H&S Reps, and other appointed investigators a systematic approach to examining incidents. Topics include legal reporting requirements under the OHS Act, incident causes, witness interviews, evidence collection, documenting findings, corrective actions, and follow-up.
Hazardous Materials Handling (HAZMAT)
Employees who may be exposed to hazardous materials need appropriate information and training. HAZMAT training covers the classification of dangerous goods, labels and safety data sheets, routes of exposure, PPE, safe handling and storage, spill control, and response planning.
Health and Safety Officer training
Larger workplaces and higher-risk environments may benefit from a dedicated person overseeing the health and safety function. Our comprehensive Health and Safety Officer/Specialist training covers the OHS Act, first aid, firefighting, evacuation planning, incident investigation, risk assessment, and health and safety management systems.
The course helps delegates develop the knowledge and skills to implement workplace OHS policies, structures, administration, communication, and objectives.
Basic Life Support and CPR
In the critical minutes before emergency services arrive, a trained bystander can help maintain circulation and improve a casualty’s chances of survival. FAFST offers three different CPR courses:
- CPR for Everyone covers adult, child, and infant CPR, ventilation, AED use, choking, and the recovery position.
- CPR for Professionals helps healthcare providers refresh their resuscitation skills and includes one-rescuer and two-rescuer BLS sequences.
- BLS for Healthcare Providers includes adult, child, and infant resuscitation, AED use, ventilation techniques, and team dynamics.
Note: A CPR course does not replace the broader first aid training needed for a designated workplace First Aider.
How to build a compliant training plan
A practical starting point is to review training needs against your workforce and workplace risks. Which sites and shifts have the required First Aiders? Are appointed team members trained for their responsibilities? What unique risks does my industry present? Where are the gaps?
From there, work with an accredited training provider to address those gaps and build a calendar that schedules renewal training before certificates expire. Course schedules can help you plan around different shifts and operational requirements.
FAFST’s courses support a wide range of workplace health and safety training requirements, from Health and Safety Representative training and HIRA to Incident Investigation and the OHS Act itself. Training should form part of an ongoing system that includes appropriate appointments, risk controls, equipment, supervision, and current records.
If you are not sure where to begin, contact us to discuss your workforce profile and training requirements. If you already know which courses your business needs, view our course schedule and arrange training for your team.