Employers need to do more to train staff in energy efficiency

According to new research, employers could be doing far more to inform their employees about ways to improve their energy efficiency at work.

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) has revealed that just 17 per cent of staff members have been given advice on becoming more environmentally friendly at work.

Just twenty-four per cent of the 1,000 workers surveyed reported that they had been offered information on waste management and recycling.

NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth, said, "Encouraging staff to turn off lights and equipment when they're not needed, or organising waste for recycling are simple environmental measures that every employer can introduce.

"However, it's clear from our research that only a small proportion of workplaces in Britain offer information, advice or training on these issues," she added.

Workers in Scotland were found to be the most likely to have been given guidance on recycling – 28 per cent – compared to just 19 per cent in the North of England. Nineteen per cent of male employees had received information or training about energy efficiency, compared to just 14 per cent of female workers.

Ms Budworth went on to say that, as most people are 'keen to do their bit', simply involving staff can be the best way of improving environmental performance at work.