What OSH training must employers provide to workers in the United Kingdom?

UK law does not prescribe a standard OSH course or a minimum number of hours. Employers must provide the information, instruction, training and supervision needed for safe work (Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2(2)(c)), and give adequate health and safety training on recruitment and whenever workers face new or increased risks, repeated periodically where appropriate and during working hours (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 13).

Short answer

• When: on recruitment (induction), and on transfer or change of responsibilities, new or changed work equipment, new technology, or a new or changed system of work.
• How often: "repeated periodically where appropriate"; the law sets no fixed refresher interval for general training.
• When it happens: during working hours; employers may not charge employees for anything done under a specific legal requirement (HSWA section 9).
• Content: based on the risk assessment, adapted to new or changed risks, and suited to the worker's capabilities, including young workers and those with language needs.
• Task-specific duties: PUWER for work equipment users and supervisors, COSHH for hazardous substances, DSEAR for dangerous substances, CDM 2015 site induction, first-aider training, and others.
• Contractors and the self-employed working on site also need clear information and instructions (HSE guidance).

Training duties in the main regulations

Other regulations, such as those on work at height, lifting operations, asbestos, noise, manual handling and display screen equipment, also require information, instruction or training for the tasks they cover.

How to plan training that satisfies the law

1. Start from the risk assessment: list the tasks, hazards and controls that workers must understand.
2. Plan induction for every new starter, including agency and fixed-term workers, covering the site rules, emergency arrangements, first aid, reporting and the controls for their tasks.
3. Add task-specific training for equipment, substances and permits, and train supervisors as well as operators.
4. Retrain when something changes and set refresher periods based on risk, competence checks and any industry standard.
5. Record who was trained, on what and when, and check effectiveness by observation.

Records are not expressly required by MHSWR, but they are the easiest way to show an inspector or a court that training was adequate.

How the UK compares

The EU Framework Directive 89/391/EEC (Article 12) uses almost the same triggers: recruitment, transfer, new equipment and new technology, with periodic repetition if necessary. Türkiye is more prescriptive: Law No. 6331, Article 17, requires training before starting work and on job changes, and refresher training before return after an absence of more than six months, while a separate training regulation sets minimum durations by hazard class. In the UK, the content and length are left to the employer's judgement, tested against the risks.

Common mistakes

• Charging employees for legally required training (prohibited by HSWA section 9) or holding it outside working hours.
• Training operators but not supervisors of work equipment, which PUWER requires.
• Relying on a generic online course that does not cover the site's own hazards and controls.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in United Kingdom: law, authorities and employer duties
• Is a written risk assessment mandatory in the United Kingdom, and how often must it be reviewed?
• OSH training regulation in Türkiye: durations and renewal
• OSH law compared: appointments, committees and reporting deadlines

Standards and further reading

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 13: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/13
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 9: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2306/regulation/9
• COSHH 2002, regulation 12: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2677/regulation/12
• DSEAR 2002, regulation 9: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2776/regulation/9
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 13: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/regulation/13
• HSE, Provide information, training and supervision: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/training/index.htm

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.