Trainee chefs at work

1.0 Learner entitlement

All learners are entitled to be fully debriefed after the completion of their work placement.

2.0 Responsibilities

Schools/colleges have a duty to ensure that learners are fully debriefed as soon as possible following their period of work experience. Debriefing provides another opportunity to reinforce the learner’s health and safety knowledge and find out if there are any health and safety problems at a work placement. The information gathered should be used to inform and improve the quality of work experience and identify examples of good practice as well as any shortcomings.

3.0 Delivery and support

Schools, colleges and providers will have a range of processes for debriefing – e.g. interviews, group discussions, questionnaires, learners’ oral or written presentations, learners’ diaries and work placement employer’s assessments. WEO may also be able to assist with the debriefing process.

Where any problems/accidents/incidents are identified there must be adequate communication between the relevant parties to ensure that appropriate remedial action is taken.

4.0 Content

The following, non-exhaustive list of questions could be used to form the basis of a debriefing discussion:

Were you given information, instruction and training on:

  • The hazards risks and dangers relating to the work you were doing?
  • The precautions to be followed in order to work safely?
  • How to raise the alarm and evacuate in an emergency?
  • How to report an accident or illness and get first aid treatment?
  • to use and wear personal protective equipment/clothing?
  • Any things that you were not allowed to do e.g. use certain machinery or equipment, enter high risk areas or carry out any dangerous tasks?
  • Who your supervisor was and who to contact if you had any health and safety questions or needed to report a faulty condition?

During the debriefing, it is also useful to ask the learner for some examples of the methods they used in order to work safely and whether they were given a tour of the workplace with particular emphasis on health and safety issues. Learners should also be asked if they felt safe, whether they had been asked to do anything that they thought was dangerous and if they suffered any injuries or ill-health during their work experience.