tips for manual handling trainers
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Published on 27 July 2010
Not everyone relishes the prospect of 1 to 4 hours of manual handling training! The trainees will typically be forced to attend and will have a selection of the following thoughts in their heads:
- The company is only doing this to protect themselves
- What does the trainer know about my job - they've never done it!
- I've heard it all before
- I've not had an injury in the past 20 years, why do I need this training?
Consequently, trainers will often dread the prospect of trying to educate, keep awake and control a group of 10 people who would rather be anywhere else! However, there are ways to make manual handling training interesting and beneficial for the trainee. A successful course will also be stimulating and enjoyable for the trainer.
A key part of the course preparation is to understand the barriers that could prevent successful training and to find ways to overcome them. Such a process is one of the key elements of the City & Guilds Manual Handling Train the Trainer course – and some of the course suggestions are summarised below.
The barriers which often stand in the way of successful manual handling training often fall into one of the following categories:
- Trainee barriers - such as those listed above
- Trainer barriers - lack of confidence, knowledge or presentational ability
- Organisational barriers - failure of budget holders to realise the benefits leading to a reluctance to release staff and a lack of attendance by management
Once we know what the problems are, we can start to address them. Trainee barriers can typically be overcome by asking attendees to think about the personal benefits that the training can offer at work and in their domestic life. Get them to list why they bother getting up in the morning (family, ability to earn, socialising and sport etc) and then get them to think of the implications for these activities if they suffer a serious handling injury such as a slipped disc.
Trainer barriers can be greatly reduced through preparation. It is essential to be confident with the structure and subject matter. A manual handling trainer training course can be invaluable in providing templates, structure, ideas and technical material. However, not all courses are created equal so take a look at our guide to choosing a manual handling trainer training course.
One way to overcome organisational barriers, is to take senior management / budget holders through the business benefits of conducting the training such as less time off work, legal compliance and compensation reduction etc.
Further information
Tel: 07932 674707