Trainees see the other side

WorkSafe trainees specialising as health and safety inspectors recently had the chance to educate and learn from the other side of the coin, by speaking to building and construction apprentices at WelTec

WorkSafe trainee inspectors were invited to the Wellington campus to talk about what their jobs involve, what an assessment looks like, and areas that are currently being prioritised in health and safety.

“This is a great learning opportunity for both our new inspectors and WelTec’s students,” said Joe Hall, Principal Technical Trainer for WorkSafe’s Learning and Development team.

“It gives our inspectors an opportunity to engage with the next generation of builders and provides some insight into the health and safety practices being taught to apprentices at WelTec.”

WorkSafe has added two visits to the WelTec campus as part of its cohort training programme.

“Part of the programme is to take our inspectors onsite to engage with construction apprentices in a way that’s similar to what an assessment visit might be like in a real workplace,” said Hall.

“Our goal from these visits is to facilitate positive relationships with industry, so, if these tradies come across our inspectors in the future, they know what to expect and vice versa.”

Trainee inspectors were able to have a look at some of WelTec’s building projects to gain a better understanding of the types of roles in the building sector.

Tutors from Weltec provided a tour through stations created specifically for the WorkSafe trainees, which showed the handling, use, storage and disposal of building chemicals and paints/sprays, working with scaffolding and ladders, and getting a feel for the types of hand tools used in the industry.

Weltec’s Construction Programme Manager, Nigel Philipson, said the sharing of knowledge provided great exposure for its staff and students, opening up good dialogue and creating a better awareness of the role/s that WorkSafe inspectors are responsible for.

“This new initiative was a huge success and we look forward to an ongoing relationship with WorkSafe to help to educate our students and staff in health and safety,” said Philipson.

Photo provided by WorkSafe