Environmental Training

What is environmental training? 

It is crucial your organisation understands and complies with the training requirements you are faced with in order to run a successful business and have a successful environmental management system (EMS).

Environmental training refers to your organisation informing your employees of exposure to any environmental aspects that significantly impacts the environment.

You must have a full understanding of environmental training required in your industry.  This will vary depending on what type of work you are carrying out.

Some examples of environmental aspects your employees may need to be trained on are: 

• Recycling
• Composting 
• Energy conservation 
• Reporting issues or incidents
• Waste management

Is environmental training a legal requirement?

While training may not be a legal requirement in itself, the need for proven competency is.

Your organisation needs to ensure that employees, who are involved with processes affecting environmental performance, are appropriately competent. This can be conducted by training, formal education and/or relevant experience.

However, if your organisation chooses to establish the competency of its employees, then we suggest that you keep sufficient documentation to show:

• What skills and/or abilities are required of the employee to perform their job functions
• Evidence of the attainment of the aforementioned skills/abilities
• Identification of any required training – and evidence that this is being undertaken (and the effectiveness)

Competency can also extend to awareness.

Your organisation must ensure that your employees are aware of how they fit into the EMS. .

They need to know how their jobs relate to actual or potential environmental impacts, including the ramifications of not satisfying the organisations compliance obligations and/or system requirements.

Learn More: 

• What Qualifications do I need to be an Environmental Officer?
• What is an EMS?