Box Greener - Environmental Solutions for Business

The power of inductions.

Date: June 2024

Author: Jen Prince


Whilst inductions are a mandatory requirement under health and safety regulations, they are also a powerful tool at the employers disposal in terms of coaxing and guiding staff in your companies environmental strategy and environmental matters .


Indeed, putting aside the time to create and write an induction, and then setting aside an extra hour or two can reap enormous benefits both for your company and the new staff members(s).


Inductions are also 2-way meaning your newbie can interject and ask all the questions he or she feels necessary, and this can give you an idea of the level of receptiveness and buy-in from your newbie.


From an environmental point of view, your induction could include:


  • Your companies environmental policy.
  • The environmental impacts that are a result of the staff member job.
  • How you can minimise or eliminate the above environmental impacts.
  • How your new staff member can do their bit, for the broader environment.
  • Procedures for environmental incidents.
  • Recycling initiatives.
  • Energy saving initiatives.
  • Other initiatives such as caring sharing or cycle to work schemes.
  • The performance expectations of your new staff member(s).


The benefits are endless, take the time to plan and present a thorough induction, your new staff member will then be educated and will be under no illusion what is expected of them. Retention of the induction sign-off against the various subject matter covered in the induction is a great demonstration to an auditor or the authorities that you take environmental matters seriously. You could even make inductees sit a brief test in order to determine their knowledge retention.


The take away from this is don't scrimp on the induction - it's a powerful tool for employers!





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