Safety Information & Instructions Must Be Understood By All

• All information, instruction, training and supervision provided to employees must be ‘given in a form, manner and, as appropriate, language that is reasonably likely to be understood by the employees concerned’. (Sections 9(1) (a) & 10 (
  
  

• Simply put, you must be sure that your employees clearly understand what they’re being told about the health and safety aspects of their work.

  It is not enough, for example, to simply hand out a safety statement to each employee and ask them to read it. Instead, you should take them through it carefully to ensure that they clearly understand what it says.

  Additionally, you might consider preparing a simply-worded Safety Handbook that employees can use as an aide memoir.

• You are required especially to consider the needs of:
  • Non-national employees (English may not be their first language)
  • Other employees who may have poor reading/ literacy skills
• Where appropriate, you may need, for example, to:
  • Arrange for translators (or someone who bi-lingual) to attend your safety meetings/ discussions
  • Have safety documentation/ signs translated into several languages
  • Use pictorial representations etc.

• Double-check that employees actually understand what you are telling them. An employee may appear to signify understanding (e.g. by nodding etc) without actually grasping what is being said.

  Employees with language/ literacy problems are often skilful at masking their difficulties. You need to be aware of this – and respond accordingly and sensitively.