Safe Work Australia statistics detail over 100,000 reports of work-related injuries and diseases in Australia most years. Every year, many employees across industries and organisations are exposed to injuries while engaging in manual handling at work. Sometimes these can also be fatal.
It is the responsibility of every employer to provide a safe and healthy workplace and promote safe manual handling practices to reduce risking the health and safety of their employees. Businesses are also encouraged to provide manual handling training to their employees.
In this article, we help you learn more about manual handling and how manual handling courses can prove beneficial.
What is manual handling?
Manual handling is any activity that requires a person to perform manual labour to accomplish tasks. These tasks also include activities such as lifting, carrying, putting down, or moving a load. Some examples of manual labour can include operating machinery, pulling, or pushing heavy loads, cleaning, etc.
What is manual handling training?
All forms of labour and activities included in manual handling are prone to musculoskeletal injuries and other disorders. Without proper knowledge and awareness to perform these strenuous activities, your employees might be at higher risks of injuries and workplace health and safety issues.
Manual handling training is a tool to educate employees about safer ways to perform the tasks they do. The aim is to reduce the risk of injuries or diseases arising out of various manual handling activities in the workplace. This training also helps employees understand what to do in case of an emergency or whom to report manual handling risks as and when they are encountered.
Every organisation, regardless of its industry or size, is liable to follow workplace safety compliance and train its employees, contractors, and volunteers to practice safe workplace manual handling.
Why do you need an online manual handling course in your organisation?
An online manual handling course helps impart useful knowledge to your employees easily and employees can undertake the training at a time that suits. Access to an online manual handling course only requires a computer with internet connection.
Employees can be added to the course easily and reporting of completions can be easily exported.
Assessments can determine knowledge transfer has been achieved and the addition of a ‘declaration of understanding’ ensures that your employees have understood the content and where to go for further help and support.
Online learning has been proven as an effective way of spreading precise and meaningful knowledge to learners worldwide. Larger organisations can simply upload the online manual handling training course from one location which can then be accessed by all required learners across other geographical locations.
What does Sentrient offer?
Sentrient offers a thoughtfully designed and created 15-minute online manual handling course for employers of all sizes and belonging to various industries. Some of the topics covered in this course include:
- Define manual handling
- Common hazards
- Roles and responsibilities
- HIRAC
- Reporting
The learning outcomes of this online manual handling course for your employees, contractors and volunteers include:
- Define manual handling
- Identify risks associated with manual handling tasks and activities
- Demonstrate techniques for avoiding and controlling manual handling injuries
- Report manual handling risks.
The business outcomes for this online manual handling course include:
- Reduce the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses
- Protect your business reputation from the damage caused by manual handling incidents
- Increase engagement by promoting a healthy and safe work environment
- Gain competitive advantage by becoming an employer of choice.
Conclusion
A manual handling online course is an important part of workplace health and safety training in all businesses. Every employee deserves a safe and healthy workplace. As a responsible employer, you must ensure your employees are practising safe manual handling.
This article was originally published here