Does your workplace involve employees lifting, moving, or using force to carry heavy loads? If yes, the next question is are you educating your employees on how to accomplish these manual handling jobs efficiently and safely? If the answer is no, this blog will help you understand why Manual Handling training is important.
Let’s begin with understanding what manual handling training is.
What is manual handling training?
Manual handling training is aimed at educating any employees engaged in any form of manual handling at their workplace, how to perform their tasks without risk to the health and safety of themselves or others at work. It also instructs them what to do in case of any workplace incidents.
Management can also gain from manual handling training as it advises them how to monitor the risks and hazards involved in manual handling, what should be put in place to ensure the health and safety of their employees, and the actions to be taken in case of incidents.
Why is manual handling training important?
Any job performed without relevant and efficient training can include risks. When dealing with manual handling at the workplace, it becomes even more important to provide employees with proper guidance on how to stay safe and do their job right efficiently.
1. Prioritise health and safety
Providing manual handling training helps businesses prioritise the health and safety of their employees. By doing so, employers can enhance their image of being a responsible employer and make their employees feel valued. Employees who feel valued and educated around safe work practices will likely perform better and continue to work at the organisation for longer periods.
2. Know the standards
Manual handling training plays an important role in educating all employees about the industry standards, their roles and responsibilities, and the right way to perform a task. Management can look after their employees and ensure the proper functioning of the machines or technology involved. Following defined standards, such as HIRAC, can help reduce many manual handling risks.
3. Maintain competitive edge
When employees follow manual handling training, they work safely and avoid common hazards and the risk of business disruption due to manpower shortage or work shutdowns can be reduced. Keeping your employees safe and avoiding incidents can lead to maintaining a competitive advantage over rivals.
4. Knowledge about new technology
When introducing any new technology (equipment or software) to aid employees in their manual handling activities, training should be provided. This helps ensure the new technology is used efficiently and safely and assists employees with their tasks.
5. Follow compliance
All regulations encourage employers to take proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees at the workplace. By providing manual handling training, an organisation does not only work towards keeping its employees healthy and safe but also fulfils its manual handling compliance requirements. This can reduce non-compliance risks and costs.
What is the best way to implement manual handling awareness training at work?
Traditional manual handling training involved organising huge training events and gathering all employees in one place. Whilst this is a successful method for manual handling training the drawback is not all employees may be included due to leave or time restrictions.
To address this issue, companies can now provide their employees with online manual handling training. This has become an even more popular form of imparting education after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. An organisation can easily contact the right online course provider and select the best suitable training plan option for them based on their requirements.
With online manual handling training, employees can easily access the training material as and when required. Advanced technology and the freedom to go through the online training at their own pace can enhance the quality of the learning. We, at Sentrient, design and develop our online manual handling training courses keeping in mind the requirements of businesses and effective regulations for compliance.
Conclusion
Operating a business and including proper manual handling training for your employees is essential. Implementing manual handling training can ensure the health and safety of your employees as well as fulfil your business compliance requirements.
This article was originally published here.