Guide · Updated 2026-09-29
What Training Records Does HSE Ask For?
The Health and Safety Executive does not publish a single matrix template every employer must produce. Inspectors usually ask for training and instruction records that relate to the activities and risks under review — often including who was trained, on what, and when. Be ready with named, retrievable evidence. This guide is operational readiness, not legal advice.
Quick answer
Expect questions tied to the job in front of them: work at height, asbestos awareness, plant, supervisory arrangements, inductions and anything your risk assessments say people were trained on. A tidy matrix with files beats a policy folder with no names.
Typical evidence themes
- Induction and site-specific briefing records
- Task training for the activities being inspected
- Supervisory and management training where relevant
- Certificates for equipment and high-risk work
- Arrangements for agency and subcontract labour
Visit readiness habits
- Keep the live matrix filtered to people currently on the site.
- Ensure critical certificates are readable and attached.
- Know who the first-aiders and fire marshals on shift are.
- Be honest about gaps — do not present stale greens.
- Have a named person who can retrieve records quickly.
What a matrix cannot do
A matrix shows holdings and dates you recorded. It does not by itself prove someone was competent in the moment of an incident. Inspectors look at the wider management of risk.
Honest limits
This is not legal advice and does not predict what an inspector will request on a given visit. FieldClear organises assigned training evidence; it does not speak for HSE, certify competence or accredit your organisation. Take competent health and safety advice for your operations.
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