ABSTRACT
Introduction There can be little doubt, nor would I expect that there would be any meaningful disagreement, that training and competency are signi•cant elements of safety management and that the level of training and competence within an organisation goes a long way to determining the quality and effectiveness of that organisation’s safety management system. In many jurisdictions the need to ensure adequate training and competence is embodied in various legislation, regulations, or standards. For example, the Western Australian Mines Safety and Inspection Act of 1994 provides:
An employer must, so far as is practicable, provide and maintain at a mine a working environment in which that employer’s employees are not exposed to hazards and, in particular, but without limiting the generality of that general obligation, an employer must-
…
(b) provide such information, instructions and training to and supervision of employees as is necessary to enable them to perform their work in such a manner that they are not exposed to hazards; …†
In this chapter I will consider the role of training and competence in preventing major accidents, and how an organisation’s training and
competence programs are examined following a major accident. I will also consider the limitations of relying on training and competence to ensure a safe workplace.
