SMSTS should be at the top of your list

There is no doubt that construction can be a very dangerous area to work in if you do not adhere to the recommended rules and safe practises which is why it is vital for people to know the rules. There can be strict penalties imposed on firms who are unable to show that they comply with all of the health and safety regulations, not to mention the risk they are placing on their staff. One great way for firms to help show that they are compliant with the health and safety issues that matter is to enrol their managers on an SMSTS course.

Carrying out a risk assessment of a site is extremely important as this should help minimise any dangers from the start. Being able to examine the building site area and know of any risks is a big part of any work process and a failure to do so could have fatal consequences. This is why a portion of the SMSTS course will focus on risk assessment and the methods of measuring and identifying risks.

It is generally expected that the SMSTS course will take five days, which may be a long time for a small firm to be without key personnel, but its is an important five days. The lost working time can be saved many times over if the firm is able to work within the health and safety legislations. By sending site managers on the SMSTS course, it should help companies to ensure that they comply with the legislation, and prevent them from receiving improvement notices or being shut down by any regulatory body. It should also hopefully minimise the chances of any accidents or injuries occurring, which is one of the most important aspects on any building site.

One of the good things about the SMSTS course is that a refresher course is available for those who have already achieved their qualification in the topic. Given the way that legislation changes and new technologies emerge in the workplace, a lot of health and safety information can go out of date. There will be a number of elements which remain constant, which is why the refresher course is ideal for those with an existing level of knowledge. Many firms cannot afford to lose a lot of staff for a full working week, so the abridged course enables key staff members to update their knowledge without detaining them for longer than necessary.

There is an increasing amount of pressure on a construction firm to meet their deadlines and come in on or under budget. This may lead some companies to think that cutting the odd corner here or there is good for business but nothing could be further from the truth. Putting employees at risk for the sake of saving time or money is not a good idea and the SMSTS course will show ways to improve the practises of a firm, without increasing the level of danger for anyone involved on site.