As a business owner or manager responsible for employees' health and safety, it's crucial you understand LOcHER and how it can be applied to improve risk management.
LOcHER - which stands for Learning Occupational Health by Experiencing Risks - is an innovative approach to teaching health and safety that engages employees and helps them retain knowledge.
LOcHER was originally developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is now promoted by various safety at work-focused organisations.
It takes a practical approach to health and safety training by getting employees directly involved in identifying and controlling risks specific to their work.
Rather than passively receiving instruction, LOcHER engages employees by assigning them a task to research risks in their role and determine appropriate control measures.
They then have the freedom to present their findings however they choose - whether through a report, presentation, video, game or other creative formats.
The key principles of LOcHER are:
Ultimately, LOcHER aims to create independent, motivated learners who can apply health and safety practices in the real world.
There are several key reasons LOcHER can benefit your organisation's health and safety performance:
LOcHER turns health and safety into an active process of inquiry, boosting employees' engagement and motivation to learn.
Research shows we remember 90% of what we do compared to only 10% of what we read. Hands-on learning sticks with employees longer.
By getting employees to take ownership of identifying and controlling risks, LOcHER helps embed this skill set so they can apply it daily.
The creative presentation element also provides motivation to thoroughly research the subject.
As well as learning about health and safety, LOcHER develops transferable skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management and more.
Employees can showcase these skills to future employers.
Most importantly, LOcHER develops the core ability to proactively assess and control risks - creating safer workplaces.
Employees who can identify risks are better equipped to prevent incidents.
Promoting active staff involvement in health and safety contributes to compliance with laws like the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 around staff training and risk assessments.
While the flexibility of LOcHER allows room for creativity, here are some tips for effectively implementing it:
While primarily a training methodology, using LOcHER can actually help demonstrate compliance with certain UK health and safety laws.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide "such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary" to ensure worker health and safety.
LOcHER activities fulfil this requirement for active staff training tailored to addressing job risks.
Similarly, the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 state employers must provide "adequate training" and involve employees in controlling risks.
LOcHER ticks these boxes through its staff-centred and participative approach.
So in summary, LOcHER is an innovative health and safety training method that engages employees, embeds risk management skills and supports legal compliance.
Whether you’re considering integrating a LOcHER-based project into your next training programme to reap the benefits of enhanced staff capability in managing workplace risks or prefer alternative training methods to achieve H&S compliance at work, we can help.
Neathouse Partners is primed to help you to optimise the LOcHER approach for your business, ensuring enhanced employee engagement in health and safety.
From tailored consultations and hands-on workshops to legal oversight and resource provision, we ensure your training is both innovative and compliant.
Get in touch with the team to seamlessly integrate LOcHER into your existing protocols to keep your workforce informed, engaged, and safe.
Contact the team via our quotation form or simply call us on 01244 893776.