By Site Safe communications advisor Jonathan Guildford
Site Safe is committed to ensuring Kiwi workers return home to their whanau at the end of each day.
The organisation creates and continues to develop training such as Foundation Passport – Building Construction and Civil training courses as part of its pledge to build safer and healthier workplaces.
Foundation Passport courses convey on-site health and safety responsibilities. They introduce vital topics such as how to keep yourself safe, understanding and controlling risk, mental health, and basic hazards and legal requirements.
Site Safe has recently been collaborating with industry representatives and subject matter experts to develop updated foundational course-specific content.
The updated training offers plenty of new material for learners. Some of the key changes are:
• Staff will be able to identify the top critical hazardous activities in construction and civil.
• Information on mental health has been introduced.
• A neuro-diverse expert was consulted to ensure the look and feel of the presentation addresses the needs of staff who may have learning difficulties.
• Content focuses on the basic concepts of health and safety to keep it genuinely foundational.
• Handbook has moved to an eBook, offering direct links to more helpful information.
• It now offers 20 Review of Understanding questions instead of 10 (with the same 80% pass rate), providing greater assurance of each learner’s foundation health and safety knowledge.
The improved courses were trialled across the country and launched in September. It is expected staff will gain a better learning experience with a consistent, standardised course endorsed by those in the industry.
Additionally, Site Safe has been working alongside the Ministry of Social Development and Virtual Reality (VR) company SkillsVR to provide a VR foundation training experience for job seekers looking to join the construction industry.
Further developments on this project are expected later in the year.
To learn more about Foundation Passport courses or any other training courses, visit www.sitesafe.org.nz/training.
