Most governments make it mandatory for businesses, and organizations to conduct health and safety training for their employees. Undergoing the training makes it possible for employers, authorities, and their staff to implement safe practices in workplace and respond immediately and effectively if an accident or health hazard occurs. The training not only helps when occupational hazards or problems such as fire or earthquake hits but also assists in maintaining practices which would ensure safety in the work place or anywhere else.

The lessons taught in the health and safety training varies from course to course. The basic courses give training on basic safety and healthy practices and how to follow them. Other courses provide guidance on areas such as health and safety legislation, fire, first aid, food safety, manual handling etc which would range over all sectors of work. The fire training usually involves responding to fire alarms, using fire extinguishers and other means of extinguishing fire, training classes for fire marshals and fire wardens and information on the methods which would help prevent fire.

First aid courses in health and safety traininginclude recognizing and providing primary care for sudden illness and injuries so as to maintain the person stable till medical personnel arrives on the scene. It would also include performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) on adults. Other courses include emergency evacuation, hazard communication, management of hazardous waste, laboratory safety, electrical safety, tool safety, bio safety etc. Depending up on your occupation and needs you can apply for the courses, though basic health and safety training(which provides guidance on healthy practices, practicing safety etc) would be mandatory for all employees.

You could find many health and safety training courses online. The applicability of these courses would depend on your own requirement as well as what you already know. For example many centers offer courses such as alarm response, bio safety, office orientation, electrical safety, earthquake safety emergency procedures, refresher courses etc online. These may include learning materials which do not require practical training (unlike classes such as first aid, fire warden, and material handling). Some of these courses may require prior training. The requirements vary from course to course.