HSE Passport, the firm that offers umbrella companies advice with Health and Safety legislation, is urging recruiters to make sure contractors receive health and safety training before they start a contract.
The company says that making sure contractors and freelancers are equipped with the necessary safety knowledge in advance prevents delays and saves money.
When it comes to safety, contractors with an HSE passport will be able to get straight down to work rather than spend endless hours undergoing in-house safety training courses. Passport training should also reduce the chance of accidents occurring in the workplace.
Guy Schrecker, the general manager at HSE Passport, pointed out that agency workers holding a recognised passport card confirming they are health and safety ready can accept placements straight away and there is no need for the employer to hold induction sessions. Health and safety passports are portable and can be taken from project to project. If recruitment agencies made a passport a mandatory requirement, clients would save valuable time and money.
Umbrella company contractors could find themselves having to undergo a HSE passport health and safety course in the coming months. While this might seem like something of a bind at the time, the long-term benefit is that they will be able to step into new contracts and commence work immediately.
David Cameron pledged recently to rid the UK of some of the pointless health and safety regulations that are blighting British businesses. In a lot of cases, health and safety is common sense and workers should be able to take responsibility for their actions. But, if holding an HSE Passport speeds up the process of getting into work, it has to be worth considering.
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Image: Passport protector by kalleboo
