Contrary to popular opinion, manual handling is not just limited to lifting and carrying of loads. It also involves pulling, pushing, lowering loads as well as pulling levers and operating power tools. Manual handling training courses are meant to help workers carry out such manual tasks safely. Such training involves determining which manual tasks need to be avoided or reduced as well as how the work place layout can be better organized to reduce the possibility of work place injuries occurring. There are many benefits to employees as well as employers going through manual handling training courses. Here are some of these benefits.
Increased Work Place Safety
The primary role of the training courses is increase work place safety. The work place often has many physical activities going on. Most of these tasks are usually harmless. However, there are others that are potentially dangerous. These can cause serious injuries and even deaths. If such an unfortunate incident happens, the impact to the uninjured worker, friends and family can be devastating. The workers, morale and productivity are likely to reduce. In some cases, some employees might decide to quit. The greatest impact, however, is likely to be on family members. If the injured member is a breadwinner and is unable to work, the emotional and financial devastation suffered by other family members is likely to be tremendous. Through manual handling training courses, serious work place injuries can reduce significantly because employees are better trained in handling loads that would cause serious injuries if poorly handled.
Reduction of Cost
As a business owner, any time an employee is absent from work due to injuries the business loses money because work that would have been done by that employee is left undone. In addition, the business is likely to foot medical bills of injured employees. Constant injuries at your work place can also increase insurance premiums you take for your employees. The biggest cost, however, is often worker compensation. Even with insurance cover, worker compensation can have a significant negative impact on the finances of the business. This is particularly the case when litigation is involved. Even if the insurance company finally pays the injured worker, the other costs involved is not covered and is often very high.
As the above benefits show, the importance of these training courses cannot be ignored. Not only are such courses critical for the safety of workers at the work place but they can also save the employer lots of money in compensation and litigation of injured workers. With few or no injuries at all at the work place, the morale and productivity of workers is likely to increase. Employees will also be absent from work less frequently and worker turnover significantly reduced. All these create a good image for the company which plays a major role in the success of any business. Investing in these training courses is, therefore, is an investment in the health and safety of your workers and your business.
