Educational guides for employers on organising workplace training — identifying needs, planning, delivering, recording and reviewing. Connected to workplace training, training records and workplace safety. Informational only — not legal advice, not certified training and not a substitute for legally required instruction; employers remain responsible for compliance.
What this guide covers
This guide explains how employers usually train agency workers: agreeing responsibilities with the agency, delivering site-specific induction and task instruction, and recording it.
It is an educational outline, not certified training and not legal advice. Using an agency does not remove the need for site-specific training, and it does not make you compliant.
Why training agency workers matters
- Agency workers are new to your site and its specific hazards.
- It can be unclear who provides which training without agreement.
- They face the same risks as your own staff doing the task.
- Clear site-specific instruction keeps them working safely.
Before they start: what you need
- A clear agreement with the agency on who provides what.
- Confirmation of the role, tasks and equipment involved.
- A site-specific induction and task instruction ready to deliver.
- A way to record the site induction and instruction given.
Step 1: Agree responsibilities with the agency
- Confirm what general training the agency provides, if any.
- Be clear that site-specific induction and instruction sit with you.
- Check any evidence of training the agency says a worker has.
- Agree how information is shared both ways.
Step 2: Deliver site induction
- Cover the site essentials: layout, hazards, PPE and emergencies.
- Explain your rules, reporting and where to get help.
- Keep it complete for the tasks they will do.
- Confirm understanding before they start.
Step 3: Provide task instruction and supervise
- Show the safe method for each task on your site.
- Limit them to tasks and equipment they are instructed and authorised for.
- Provide any equipment training before use, regardless of the agency’s claims.
- Supervise closely until they are working safely.
Involving supervisors and competent persons
Because agency workers work under your direction, your supervisors usually deliver the site induction and task instruction and oversee the work day to day.
For specialist tasks, a competent person should provide the instruction. Confirming competence and authorising tasks on your site remains the employer’s judgement.
Documentation and records
- A record of the site induction the agency worker received.
- Training records for the task instruction you gave.
- A note of any evidence of prior training the agency supplied.
- These document training; they do not prove competence or compliance.
How to review and improve
- Check the agency arrangement is working and information flows.
- Make sure agency workers are never skipped on site induction.
- Gather feedback on what was unclear.
- Tighten the split of responsibilities where it is fuzzy.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the agency has covered site-specific training.
- Skipping site induction for agency workers.
- Relying on a worker’s claimed experience instead of instruction.
- Letting agency workers use equipment without the required training.
Who is responsible and your legal duties
The employer using the agency worker decides what site-specific training is needed, provides it, judges readiness on their site and keeps records, while the agency may share certain duties. This guide is an educational outline only.
It does not make your workplace compliant, does not satisfy any legal training requirement and is not legal advice. Confirm how responsibilities split, and what is required, against the applicable law.
Free, printable HR & employment resources
Practical, ungated resources to put this into action — no signup.