OHS Induction and Training for School Staff

Policy

This policy outlines the requirements for schools relating to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) induction procedure and initial and ongoing training of all school staff including casual relief teachers (CRTs).

Summary

• Schools, so far as is reasonably practicable, are to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.
• The principal or their delegate must manage OHS risks in schools and provide school staff with the necessary OHS information, training, instruction and supervision to perform their work safely.
• All staff must be inducted using the provided checklist or equivalent template on commencement at the school in line with the OHS induction and training for school staff procedure.
• The induction of casual relief teachers (CRTs) (both employed via school local payroll and when hired via department-managed agencies) is included in this policy as their duties align directly with those in the teaching service.
• OHS training needs are to be identified and scheduled for all school staff, ensuring they understand their health and safety obligations and that they are competent to perform tasks associated with their roles safely.
• All training records must be maintained and kept up to date using eduSafe Plus, the OHS training register or equivalent template, which is to be reviewed at least annually.
• Central and regional offices provide a range of supports and services to assist principals and staff, including access to the OHS Advisory Service and the Statewide OHS Services Team who can provide free advice on OHS inductions and related training for staff.
• The induction and management of contractors (other than CRTs), volunteers and visitors is not included in this policy. Refer to relevant policies for further information.

Details

Schools are required to provide an OHS induction to new school staff, introducing them to the school’s safety culture, key contacts and safety procedures.

Schools are also required to manage ongoing OHS training which addresses job-specific or occasionally task specific requirements as mandated by OHS regulations, department policies, or at the determination of the school principal.

School staff are those directly employed by the principal or school council, and are departmental employees based in schools. This includes, but is not limited to:

• those in the teaching service
• school council employees
• administration
• educational support staff
• facilities and maintenance staff
• principal class
• some canteen, uniform shop and after-school hours care staff.

Casual relief teachers (CRTs) are included in this policy as their duties align with those who are directly employed in the teaching service. For information specific to the induction process for CRTs, refer to the OHS inductions for casual relief teachers chapter in the procedure tab.
This policy does not cover the induction or management of contractors (other than CRTs), regional staff, volunteers, or visitors. For further guidance refer to the:

• Contractor OHS Management policy
• Volunteer OHS Management policy.

For additional information regarding the induction and training of school staff that is not OHS specific please refer to:

• child safety induction or training procedures – Child Safe Standards policy
• recruitment induction and training procedures – Recruitment in Schools policy
• inclusive workplaces training and induction – Inclusive Workplaces overview

Visitors usually do not need to undertake an OHS induction – refer to the Visitors in Schools policy.

Roles and responsibilities in OHS induction and training

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic), OHS induction and training is a shared responsibility between the department, the principal or their delegate and school staff.

Department’s roles and responsibilities

The department must provide employees with sufficient information, training, instruction and supervision to perform their work safely.

Principal or their delegate’s roles and responsibilities

The principal or their delegate, in consultation with school staff who are or are likely to be affected, and the health and safety representative (HSR), where elected, must provide new school staff with a role appropriate induction at the start of their employment.

The principal or delegate must also ensure learning is planned for each staff member and that it meets the OHS training needs for their role and OHS requirements of the school.

School staff roles and responsibilities

School staff must take reasonable care for their own health, safety and wellbeing, and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions while at work. This includes participating in and completing all induction activities.

School staff must also participate in an initial OHS induction and ongoing OHS training relevant to their role and the activities they undertake.

Key requirements for schools to provide OHS induction and training

The principal or delegate must:

• provide school staff with the necessary OHS induction, training, instruction and supervision to perform their work safely
• identify and schedule OHS training for all school staff ensuring that it is relevant to their role and the activities they are undertaking
• ensure that additional relevant training is made available to elected health and safety representatives (HSRs) if requested as per the OHS Consultation and Communication policy
• retain school staff OHS induction and training records for 7 years as per Records Management policy
• ensure the OHS training register or equivalent is scheduled in the OHS activities calendar, School Operations Forward Planner or equivalent to be reviewed at least annually and ensure this is undertaken.

The OHS Induction and Training procedure (in the procedure tab) provides further detail for each of the above requirements.

Department supports for schools

Statewide OHS Services Team and the OHS Advisory Service

Central and regional offices provide a range of supports and services to assist principals and employees to be safe and well. This includes access to the OHS Advisory Service and the Statewide OHS Services Team, who provide free advice in relation to OHS induction and training.

eduSafe Plus

eduSafe Plus (staff login required) is the online portal for schools to manage occupational health, safety and wellbeing electronically. eduSafe Plus supports schools with OHS induction and training by offering the following:

• online completion and recording of OHS inductions, by creating or uploading induction checklists into eduSafe plus
• management of OHS certificates and proof of training
• auto-populated controls on the online OHS risk register, listing specific OHS training where relevant.

The eduSafe Plus Knowledge Base (staff login required) contains a range of useful references guides, training and answers to frequently asked questions about the system. Further guidance around eduSafe Plus can be found on the Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools PAL page and the Statewide OHS Services Team or the OHS Advisory Service can support schools on utilising the program.

Related policies

• Career Start
• Contractor OHS Management
• Contractors – Insurance and Contract Arrangements
• Emergency and Critical Incident Management Planning
• Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools
• Outside School Hours Care – Decision Making Regarding the Provision of OSHC
• Visitors in Schools
• Volunteer OHS Management

Relevant legislation

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

OHS Induction and Training for School Staff procedure

The OHS Induction and Training for School Staff procedure sets out the practical step-by-step instructions that all school staff must follow to implement the OHS Induction and Training for School Staff policy. This procedure should be implemented in consultation with school staff, the health and safety representative/s (HSR) where elected, and the health and safety committee or OHS working group (if established).

The procedure contains the following chapters:

• OHS inductions for school staff
• OHS inductions for casual relief teachers
• OHS inductions for principals
• Identifying OHS training
• Scheduling and recording OHS training
• Reviewing OHS training

OHS inductions for school staff

OHS induction is an opportunity for the principal or their delegate to set expectations and school values regarding safety. OHS inductions introduce new staff to a school’s safety culture, orientate them to the school’s safety processes and outline everyone’s responsibilities. Each school is unique and has its own risks, emergency procedures, hazards and people that support OHS.

Establishing and encouraging a proactive culture can help prevent workplace injuries and incidents by providing awareness of the risks that staff may encounter while working at a school. The OHS induction process supports school staff to understand where they can get help and builds awareness of OHS processes relevant to their role and responsibilities. An induction process must be carried out for each school a person works at.

The principal or their delegate must ensure that all school staff complete an OHS induction by going through the OHS induction checklist for school staff (DOCX), or equivalent template, which includes:

• introduction to the Policy and Advisory Library (PAL), including specific policies
• the location of amenities, where to access first aid, emergency procedures, OHS noticeboard and so on
• applicable role-specific health and safety information, such as Safe Work Procedures, Behavioural Support Plans or other documentation.

OHS inductions for staff can be created, stored and maintained in eduSafe Plus (staff login required), in the OHS training register or equivalent template (refer to the Scheduling and recording OHS training chapter for more information).

Additional information for re-inducting staff

While it is common practice for schools to re-induct all staff at the start of each year, this is not required. However, it is important that existing staff are reminded of safety and emergency procedures. Schools can use staff forums, team meetings, or newsletters to remind staff of emergency management plans, evacuation points, and other safety requirements.

It is recommended the following topics be discussed at the beginning of each school year as a reminder for staff that have previously completed the OHS induction process.

Yearly reminders should include:

• the importance of eduSafe reporting
• emergency management plans, highlighting any changes or updates to evacuation routes or assembly points
• first aid procedures and resources
• common hazards in the school and relevant policies/safety procedures to refer to, such as work-related violence, manual handling and so on (schools can refer to their OHS risk register for school specific information)
• keeping eLearns up to date
• highlighting who the return-to-work coordinator and Health and Safety Representative(s) (HSRs) are
• any changes to traffic management plans
• staff forums and Health and Safety Committee meetings.

Additional induction information for graduate teachers

Starting in a new career can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. Principals and OHS delegates are responsible for a complete end-to-end induction of graduate teachers. Thought should be given as to how the induction process is undertaken. Guidance information and resources for inducting graduate teachers can be found below.

Career Start is a structured program for graduate teachers which aims to improve the experience of graduate teachers as they are inducted into the profession.

Starting a job in a government school (induction) provides general induction information including links to the Graduate teacher induction resources page which contains induction resources on professional learning, wellbeing and conferences.

OHS inductions for casual relief teachers

Casual relief teachers (CRTs) must be provided with an OHS induction using the below documents prior to commencing work with the school.

School council employed CRTs

Given the nature of their employment, it is best practice to induct school council employed CRTs using the OHS induction checklist for school staff (DOCX) for a more comprehensive induction. School council employed CRTs will have access to eduPay and be enrolled into the OHS eLearns for completion when possible. Schools are encouraged to induct their CRTs at the beginning of a school year in groups. Where schools aren’t yet able to provide the full staff induction to a CRT, they can use the OHS induction checklist for casual relief teachers (DOCX) until they are able to do so.

Agency-engaged CRTs

CRT agencies complete pre-employment checks and a basic pre-start OHS induction on behalf of the school and the department. It is up to the school to complete a site-specific induction for CRTs before they commence working at the school (including location of amenities, common hazards, key contacts).

Schools must use the OHS induction checklist for casual relief teachers (DOCX), or equivalent template, to complete the site induction, as this provides a condensed version of the school staff induction checklist. A Casual relief teacher OHS handbook template (DOCX) is also available to support the CRT induction.

Schools must keep a copy of the completed induction (refer to the Scheduling and recording OHS training chapter). It is recommended that the CRT is also provided a copy of their completed induction.

Further training may be required for their role – refer to the Identifying OHS training chapter.

Consider the following when setting up induction processes for CRTs:

• Share your school site-specific induction information (for example, through the Casual relief teacher OHS handbook template (DOCX) with the agencies, so this can be shared with the CRTs before arriving.
• Undertake group inductions if inducting multiple CRTs and/or new staff.

For further information regarding the employment of CRTs in schools, including through agencies, refer to:

• Casual Relief Teachers
• Department managed categories (including CRTs)
• Rules of use – CRT Panel (DOCX) – general guide for business managers.

OHS inductions for principals

All regions have an induction process available to new principals. Regional induction programs (staff login required) can help connect new principals with key regional staff and local networks. They also provide essential information to support principals, such as the Principal Welcome Pack (staff login required). Principal Employment Coordinators (PECs) can be contacted for further information on the regional process and upcoming sessions.

The Starting a job in a government school (induction) page has information about starting as a new principal, as well as general induction information you can provide to new staff. The Principals' Page (staff login required) also has many helpful links to information and websites regularly used by principals as well as contact information for the Principal Advisory Service. The principal health and wellbeing supports protect, promote and address mental and physical health and wellbeing needs of principals.

The Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools page on PAL provides a clear overview of policies, procedures and guidance materials available to support schools to manage health, safety and wellbeing and successfully implement a safety management system. The Useful contacts for health, safety and wellbeing advice includes information regarding the OHS Advisory Service and the Statewide OHS Services Team who provide free advice and OHS support to schools.

Identifying OHS training

OHS eLearning modules

On commencement of employment and every 3 years, all school staff are automatically enrolled into the LearnED system to complete the mandatory OHS eLearns. OHS eLearn modules introduce school staff to, and refresh them on, common hazards and department procedures for particular OHS topics. The Mandatory and Priority Training Planner (staff login required) provides more information on eLearns required to be completed by school staff and principal class staff, as well as further optional eLearns to support particular roles in schools.

OHS eLearning modules can be monitored directly through eduPay in LearnED. It is not necessary to record eLearn training in the OHS training register or eduSafe Plus.

Additional OHS training

The principal or their delegate, in consultation with the health and safety representative (HSR) and affected staff, must identify additional OHS training specific to the needs of the school environment and the staff members' role.

Considering the school setting and understanding its specific risks can be helpful when identifying training needs.

For example:

• schools that have pools may need to have staff trained in managing an aquatic facility
• specialist schools may need to train staff in the use of hoists and lifting aids
• meeting the requirements of students with high-level needs, and managing risks specific to the student population
• risks specific to the broader school community and setting, such as parent and carer aggression, bushfires, and other surrounding infrastructure (for example, busy roads).

Training needs can be identified by:

• understanding the requirements and level of training needed for each staff member’s role
• reviewing a staff member’s position description and referring to the department policies relevant to that task or requirement
• being promoted or beginning a new role
• it being a requirement of a department policy
• a request from a staff member to upskill or improve their health and safety knowledge as they are exposed to a hazard that requires additional training to manage safely
• observing trends in incident and near miss reports in eduSafe Plus
• a staff member’s certification or qualification is expiring
• discussing OHS training needs in health and safety committee meetings, or through other staff forums
• student needs such as allergies, anaphylaxis, diabetes and other specific health conditions
• the minimum child safe standards
• WorkSafe compliance codes or recommendations in their guidance material.

Schools can use the OHS training register, the OHS short course guide (DOCX) or the Mandatory and Priority Training Planner (staff login required) to support with the identification of mandatory and recommended OHS training for all school staff based on their roles in the school. Reviewing the school’s OHS risk register can also assist in understanding what additional training requirements are relevant to specific activities, tasks or roles that may have a higher injury risk or hazards associated with that work.

The principal or their delegate must ensure the OHS training register or equivalent is reviewed and updated when training needs are identified.

Health, safety and wellbeing training for school leaders

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing training, offered by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, is a one-day workshop designed to upskill principals, assistant principals, business managers and other OHS school roles in building and maintaining a positive safety culture. This workshop aims to empower school leaders to look after their own health and wellbeing, connect with key department supports and enhance their capability and knowledge of systems and supports designed to support effective safety management.

This training is not mandatory but is beneficial for all principal class and their OHS delegates, including new and acting principals to undertake.

Scheduling and recording OHS training

Once training needs have been identified, appropriate training can then be organised. This can take the form of, for example but not limited to:

• group training at the school by external providers, such as for first aid and anaphylaxis training
• school staff attending a registered training organisation to obtain certified training such as those suggested in the Health and safety training and short course guide (DOCX)
• accessing training through the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.

Ongoing OHS training provides school staff with the skills and knowledge to be able to perform their roles safely. The principal or their delegate must ensure that school staff are provided training that aligns with the staff members role and the needs of the school.

Records of completed training must be kept. The principal or their delegate must ensure the OHS training register or equivalent template is kept up to date and reviewed at least annually. This register stores information on scheduled and completed training for staff.

All schools can choose to maintain completed staff training records in the eduSafe Plus digital platform by uploading their certificates of completion. Once training is completed and certificates have been uploaded (including an expiry date), the eduSafe Plus system will send automatic alerts to staff and to the principal or their delegate when certification is about to expire and has expired.

The Statewide OHS Services Team or the OHS Advisory Service can support you with your transition to using eduSafe Plus. For more information, refer to the eduSafe Plus Knowledge Base (staff login required).

Review of OHS training for school staff

The principal or their delegate must ensure the school’s OHS training register or equivalent template is reviewed and updated (as required) at least annually. This can be scheduled into the school’s OHS activities calendar (XLSX). Additional reviews of required training may be required when:

• an incident or near miss has occurred, such as a failure to safely use or operate equipment
• a task, process or equipment has been altered or is new
• there has been a request by a school staff member or elected HSR
• it is a new requirement of the department such as an additional mandatory eLearn
• a new risk is identified, or the level of risk has changed, such as parent aggressive behaviour or student challenging behaviours.

Training that is identified and completed can be added to the school’s OHS risk register as a control (refer to the OHS Risk Planning and Management policy for further information).

Completion of OHS eLearning modules can be monitored directly by principals through the LearnED platform.

Resources

Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Guidance and resources

• Mandatory and Priority Training Planner (staff login required) – provides school leaders with a list of all mandatory and priority learning requirements for school-based staff
• Health and safety training and short course guide (DOCX) – provides a list of training and providers available to schools. Please note that the list provided is neither exhaustive nor is it a department approved providers list
• Graduate teacher induction guide – while this guide is aimed at recent graduates, the information and advice can also apply to any teacher who is new to a school
• Useful health, safety and wellbeing contacts for schools

Templates and forms

• OHS induction checklist for school staff (DOCX) – a template for schools to use to ensure that all employees are inducted into the workplace at the commencement of employment. Induction checklists can be digitally created or uploaded and maintained in eduSafe Plus (guidance available at Managing OHS inductions)
• OHS induction checklist for casual relief teachers (agency employed) (DOCX) – a template that a principal or their delegate can use to ensure that all agency CRTs are inducted into the workplace at the commencement of employment. Induction checklists can be digitally created or uploaded and maintained in eduSafe Plus (guidance available at Managing OHS inductions)
• Casual relief teachers OHS induction handbook (DOCX) – a template to assist in providing guidance on school specific and department OHS requirements
• OHS training register (XLSX) – helps to identify and schedule OHS training for each individual employee to assist in closing competency gaps
• Google sheets version of the OHS training register – to utilise this template ensure a copy has been saved to the school's local Google Drive, prior to editing. Note: If schools are using their own tenancies of Google Workspace for Education, they are encouraged to ensure they have undertaken a privacy impact assessment (PIA). Download a partially populated PIA. Schools using the departmentally provided tenancy of Google do not need to do this. Always take care to ensure that school documents are locked down so that only relevant personnel can access them
• OHS activities calendar (XLSX) – to help with planning induction and training