Induction training

The minimum health and safety information that everyone must be given when they start work

Every new employee, visiting worker or student must be given an appropriate induction training on health and safety. This should be done as soon as practicable after the individual starts work. The policy statement (S5/10) outlines the topics to cover during the induction. This includes the University of Oxford Statement of Health & Safety Policy and the department’s own statement of safety organisation.

The induction should also cover the department’s local arrangements for the following topics:

  • accident, incident and near miss reporting
  • first aid
  • fire precautions and procedures
  • Display Screen Equipment assessments and eye sight testing
  • out of hours working
  • manual handling
  • any other relevant or topic specific risks

A safety induction template is provided below, which can be adapted to match departmental local rules and arrangements.

All staff and students should complete the Health & Safety Basics eLearning as part of the University Induction process. This interactive course combines reading, video, tasks and quizzes to provide a comprehensive and engaging health and safety induction package. Among the positive comments left by staff members who have completed the course include:

'It made learning about H&S friendly, memorable, and inviting.'

'It was informative and overall very enjoyable.'