LOcHER

LOcHER stands for Learning Occupational Health by Experiencing Risks.

LOcHER is a new approach for Learners and Apprentices to help them identify and understand the health and safety risks in their area of study. It allows young people and new workers to learn about the risks and showcase how they can protect their own, and fellow workers health, safety and well being. This experience can then be taken into the world of work.

The project originated in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is supported, and promoted, by Safety Groups UK (SGUK) and in Scotland by:

• employers
• Healthy Working Lives
• College Development Network
• and many individual schools and colleges

LOcHER is simple. The principle is that tutors or managers assign a task to a group of students, apprentices or workers. This task should be to identify and determine how to control a risk that is specific to the work that the group is training to deliver. It is then up to the group to decide how to present their research and findings.

They may have two hours or they may have ten days, it’s up to you, and results could include:

• a report
• a presentation
• a video
• a song
• a board game
• a card game

The process is limited only by time and the imagination of the students involved. Many groups have received local and national media coverage through their involvement.

Participants can promote their work and wider learning through:

• college competitions
• demonstrations at open days
• through community engagement
• on LOcHER and other websites
• on social media
• in job applications