Mandatory H&S Training: What Your Team Needs (and How to Stay Compliant)
Health and safety training isn't optional. Certain courses are legally required across sectors including construction, healthcare, education, and facilities management. But knowing which training is mandatory — and making sure every member of your team has completed it — is where things often break down.
One course per person is simple enough. But what about when you have five sites, 100+ employees, staff turnover, expiry dates, and multiple training providers?
That’s when compliance becomes difficult to track — and potentially expensive to miss.
What Is Mandatory Health and Safety Training?
Mandatory training refers to the courses that UK employers are legally required to provide, based on the roles and risks involved in the workplace.
Examples include:
- Manual Handling Training – required for anyone lifting or moving loads
- Asbestos Awareness Training – essential for trades working in older buildings
- COSHH Training – needed for anyone working with hazardous substances
- Fire Safety Awareness – applies across most workplaces
- Display Screen Equipment (DSE) – required for office-based roles
- First Aid Awareness or Appointed Person Training – a minimum expectation in most businesses
The list goes on depending on your industry. And training often needs to be refreshed annually or at regular intervals. Keeping that up to date across your entire team requires more than a spreadsheet.
Why Tracking Mandatory Training Manually Falls Short
It’s one thing to provide training. It’s another to ensure:
- Every employee has completed what they need for their role
- Training is renewed before it expires
- Records are accurate, accessible, and audit-ready
- You can respond quickly to a client or regulator requesting proof
Spreadsheets, inbox reminders, and PDFs can’t keep up. When your business scales or your team is distributed, manual tracking quickly leads to missed certifications and compliance gaps.
VISION: One Platform for Managing Mandatory Training
VISION makes it simple to manage all your mandatory training across your workforce — no matter the size, industry, or location.
With VISION, you can:
- Assign mandatory training based on job roles or departments
- Monitor completion status and renewal dates in real time
- Send automated reminders before certificates expire
- Allow staff and managers to verify training instantly via QR codes
- Generate reports for compliance, tenders, or audits in seconds
- Integrate with e-learning providers like iHASCO for seamless tracking
You don't need a different system for every course. VISION gives you one place to manage it all.
Mandatory Doesn't Mean Manual
If you're relying on ad-hoc systems to manage something as essential as legal training, you're taking a risk you don't need to take.
With VISION, you gain clarity, accountability, and peace of mind — knowing that every required training course is tracked, up to date, and provable at a moment’s notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mandatory health and safety training?
Mandatory training refers to health and safety courses that employers are legally required to provide based on employee roles and workplace risks.
Which H&S training is legally required?
Common examples include manual handling, asbestos awareness, COSHH, fire safety, and first aid awareness. Requirements vary by industry and job role.
How often should mandatory training be refreshed?
Most mandatory training should be refreshed every 12 months or as roles and risks change. Some courses have specific regulatory timeframes.
Is there a tool to manage mandatory training?
Yes. VISION offers a Training Matrix that tracks course assignments, completions, renewals, and provides instant proof of compliance.
Can I manage training for different roles and sites in one system?
With VISION, you can assign training by role, department, or location — and manage everything in one central dashboard.