When working with MHE, operational disruptions can take many forms. From bumps and scrapes to dropped pallets and, in the worst cases, serious accidents and injuries. They compromise the safety of your team and can bring your site to a complete standstill, causing costly delays.
To reduce the risk, operator training is vital, ensuring that everyone understands how and why to do things correctly. Though its provision is a legal requirement and ultimately crucial to long term operational efficiency, even this essential training itself can cause businesses short term disruption, while multiple colleagues are pulled away from their regular duties to attend.
So how can modern businesses maximise efficiency, now and in the long term, while still meeting training requirements, for safety and compliance?
Don’t compromise on standards
Firstly, the answer is never to cut corners – this applies to your training provision and the everyday practice that follows. A safe and compliant operation requires standards to be upheld, and, especially when working around MHE, this must be prioritised, as the stakes are high.
The industry’s Approved Code of Practice (L117) states that all users, supervisors, and managers of work equipment must receive adequate training for the purposes of health and safety. With around 1,300 serious accidents involving forklift trucks occurring every year, training isn’t only a legal requirement, but an essential part of the operator’s journey.
As the first line of defence against preventable incidents, training builds competence, confidence, and clarity, not only benefiting operators themselves, but those working alongside them who are perhaps most at risk. When staff are well-trained, they are more likely to recognise hazards, operate equipment correctly, and follow site safety procedures, improving workplace safety and reducing downtime.
Though it requires an initial investment of time, compromising on the approved standard of training is counterintuitive, and any short-term gains are far outweighed by the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are meeting requirements for safety and compliance.
Train smarter
While we can’t compromise on standards, we can look to innovative learning methods to ensure the proper training is carried out as efficiently as possible. Indeed, the businesses we speak to are always seeking ways to train smarter, reducing initial operational impact as well as reaping the further productivity gains from smooth operations going forward.
By leveraging technology, this is now a possibility. Blended Learning for forklift operators ensures your team are equipped with the skills they need with minimal operational impact. It integrates online theory modules with face-to-face practical training, reducing the amount of time delegates spend in a classroom, away from their daily duties.
Instead, the online element can be completed at a time and place that suits the delegate and their business – they can fit theory training around their other responsibilities, and even break it down into bite-size sessions, if they wish.
What’s more, by substituting instructor-led theory sessions for equally accredited e-learning, this flexible approach to learning doesn’t compromise vital standards.
Proven benefits
We’re thrilled to be providing this game-changing solution for our customers and proud to be the sole provider in the industry developing and delivering the full blended package for forklift training.
It’s a win-win for both businesses and operators. Delegates aren’t confined to a classroom and learn at their own pace, allowing them to work through theory content at a speed that suits their learning style. These online modules are enriched with interactive elements like video content, section summaries, and quizzes that reinforce understanding, then followed up with hands-on practical training to cement knowledge.
For businesses, the benefits are just as clear. Their operators can spend less time gathered together for training, away from their daily roles, reducing operational disruption. Plus, fewer instructor-led training days are needed, saving the business money. Most importantly, with full AITT accreditation, all of this can be achieved without compromising on safety or standards, for full compliance and total peace of mind.
Indeed, before its launch, we conducted a two-year trial with national merchant Wolseley, which not only confirmed that the new solution continued to fulfil customer needs, but delivered 19% cost savings on novice training while matching the pass rates of our traditional face to face courses.
So, by training smarter, it’s possible to continue meeting compliance standards while minimising disruption, during the course itself and beyond. Use innovative methods to ensure your team have all the skills and knowledge they need to work safely and, as a result, you can see both short and long term efficiency gains.
To find out more about our new cost and time-saving solution, contact us or call 01246 555222 to speak with an expert member of our dedicated team.