Can't see the point beyond a paper trail. It will not exonerate anybody should an acident happen. The company will still need to prove the training was sufficient, the candidate had understood the training and that other control measures were suitable.

I suppose it may help focus the volunteers' minds, if they feel the duty of care has been handed over to them (even if it hasn't)

It's a difficult situation, I don't know the original CE, I do know mine wants to be on the right side of safety. But as with so many rules that are imposed from 'above' the ramifications are intense; we have volunteer admin officers, do they sign to say they have an office safetey induction every day? My CE wants me to get a definitive answer from HSE, can't see that happening.

Yes it is a paper trail but it is also a prompt for the controlling mind - what is different today compared to yesterday that people need to be aware of? IMHO I would say that this is dependent upon the nature of the volunteering and the relevant risks involved e.g. garden volunteers versus cleaning a canal basin

Hi Tomkins,

My most recent two jobs are and have been with two of the highest profile charities in the UK: household names and then some. My previous organisation in particular relied on volunteers carrying out First Aid & emergency relief work. We did (and do not) ask volunteers to attest to their training before every event. We did (and do) have a record of the H&S training our volunteers have received, but as previous posters have indicated, being able to demonstrate that somebody's body was present in a training session would only be a part of a defence. I would advise against signing for every event; after all, you're a wildlife charity, save paper spare trees?

John

Edited by user 22 January 2020 11:16:02(UTC)  | Reason: The uuasl

Thanks, yes, this is the issue. The requirement apparently was given to the specific organisation by a HSE Inspector. The CEO passed it on as a definate requirement as fars as HSE were concerned.

The HSE follow the law (or at least they are supposed to). Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act explains what duties employer have to non-employee including volunteers.

 It states in section 3(3):

In such cases as may be prescribed, it shall be the duty of every employer and every self-employed person, in the prescribed circumstances and in the prescribed manner, to give to persons (not being his employees) who may be affected by the way in which he conducts his undertaking the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which he conducts his undertaking as might affect their health or safety.

Nowhere does it say that, “volunteers need to sign a statement every day to say they have received suitable safety training.”  In fact I’d go further nowhere in any piece of Health and Safety legislation does it say that anybody has to sign anything to confirm anything- not training records not risk assessment not anything. Health and Safety don’t do signing!

It smacks of a back covering exercise to me, dreamed up by some jobsworth who knows nowt about health and safety and the law. 

... provides the names of witnesses who saw the mark being made.

Still does not prove that whatever text surrounding it is applicable e.g. I have read and understood...., I acknowledge receipt of......

Thanks All - very helpful and supportive.

I can understand someone might want a record that the volunteer had received training but how could the volunteer be expected to know if it was 'suitable'? Surely the point of training is that it provides information the attendee doesn't already know? If a volunteer attends a session to clear undergrowth and receives training on the safe use of the tools involved, correct use of PPE etc. they may well judge it suitable until they get to site and find themselves doing it on a cliff edge that wasn't mentioned.......

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit

A signature proves a mark was made - nothing more, nothing less

Even more so with PDA/electronic signatures

A witnessed signature on the other hand.....

Very true, I sign numerous things each day that I do not read. I would not survive if I did. My decision to read, skim read, or just sign is based on the purpose of the document, it's source, the likely implications and how often that document or a variant of it has passed across my desk before. Were I to be sent out onto a riverbank to wield chainsaws in close proximity to strangers I suspect I would pay attention in the training briefing, after a month of doing so and receiving the same briefing each morning perhaps less so.....

My local environmental charity gives volunteers a safety briefing before participating in activities such as hedge maintenance.  We are given relevant sensible advice, shown how to use the tools, and not asked to sign for anything.  When I confessed what my job was, I complimented them on the proportionate approach they took.