Pros And Cons Of Online Health And Safety Training Courses

Health and safety training is essential for any business

. Employers are legally required to protect their employees by controlling hazards, conducting risk assessments and providing a training programme. There are several ways that these courses can be provided, with workplaces increasingly opting for online solutions. What are the pro and cons of e-learning, though, and how does it compare with more traditional methods?

The main advantage of an online approach is its flexibility. As employees can access the resources from any computer with an internet connection, most workplaces will already have everything they need when they sign up. When compared with hiring a trainer or attending a course externally, this means a lot less hassle. There is also no need to find a block of time where everyone is free each employee can complete the training whenever they get chance, either in one go or several stages.

Another issue is price. Online training is incredibly cost effective. Simply travelling to a class outside the workplace can be expensive and costs the business in terms of the time it takes to get there. If you hire an outside speaker, you may need to provide a lunch or book a venue. These are all hidden costs in addition to the training itself, which will often be more expensive to begin with.

What solution is the most interesting will largely depend on the particular speaker, trainer or software package you choose. There are some fantastic public speakers out there who can make presentations interesting and get the audience involved. More often than not, though, they will be an unknown entity. Some are downright boring, and even if they arent, when the training needs renewing you probably wouldnt want to listen to them a second time.

E-learning is more reliable in that you know for certain what you are getting. It is often designed to be interactive and may feature audio material, videos and quizzes to keep things interesting. It is proven that engagement helps people learn more effectively, so this can be a much better solution than having a boring trainer lecturing your staff.

Businesses often provide health and safety training merely to tick a box and do not expect their employees to get anything meaningful from it. This is a sad state of affairs, as 26.4 million working days were lost in the UK due to accidents and work-related illness last year. Many of these were due to stress, anxiety, and depression, or musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain and RSI. Most could have been avoided. Providing a program that employees find interesting and informative can save companies a lot of money by reducing the number of sick days their employees take, and if staff are happier they may also work more productively.

While bringing in a trainer or attending classes can be effective in some cases, online training is by far the most efficient and painless way to get your staff up to speed on health and safety issues.

by:Deanna A. Thomas

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