Free Training Course For Construction Leaders

WorkSafe Victoria is calling on construction companies to drive injury rates down by enrolling leading hands in a free training course: Safety Skills for Leading Hands.

Safety Skills for Leading Hands is aimed at leading hands who supervise crews of two to ten workers.

The course covers how to find and fix health and safety issues, using safe work method statements, and raising safety issues with crews or bosses.

“Construction sites with trained leading hands are less likely to lose workers to injury,” WorkSafe’s Acting Construction Director Allan Beacom said.

“This is a chance for companies to train up leading hands on health and safety. It’s free and it’s good for business – so why not take advantage of it?”

Over 140 leading hands have already attended the course, which will be available without charge until December.

“Research shows that training construction supervisors in leadership and health and safety knowledge will actually reduce the frequency of disabling injuries,” he said.

Five construction workers have died over the last twelve months due to health and safety lapses.

The course is funded by WorkSafe Victoria and developed and delivered by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA) and Plumbing Trades Employees Union of Australia (PTEU).