The frequency of health and safety training in the workplace is not strictly defined by law and can vary depending on the nature of the work, the risks involved, and the specific requirements of the organisation. However, several guidelines suggest that health and safety training should be refreshed on an annual basis.
Training must be offered at least once a year for certain areas like fire safety to achieve the British Standards Kite Mark (BS 9999).
Manual handling training, which is crucial in workplaces with significant manual handling risks, is often refreshed every one to two years.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests a gap of three to five years between training and refresher training, depending on the risks. However, some companies provide refresher training more frequently.
. It’s important to note that training should also be updated whenever there are changes in the workplace that could affect health and safety. This could include changes in legislation, the introduction of new equipment or procedures, or following an incident in the workplace.
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, the general consensus is that health and safety training should be refreshed regularly, typically on an annual basis, and whenever significant changes occur in the workplace.