The value of online health and safety training

H&S Tech Tip

Although we have all changed the way we work recently, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 has not gone anywhere – workplace health and safety continues to be incredibly important and is still a crucial requirement of all businesses.

Just like every other industry, health and safety training needs to adapt, and adapt fast.

Embracing the new norm, employers need to access new ways to train their teams and keep their workforce safe. Digital training offers the ideal solution. With the industry getting back on its feet and sites opened back up. We still see a strong demand for online training solutions as we navigate a new wave of covid disruption.

Safety ’n Action is an industry leader and has dedicated significant resources to developing the technology needed to move health and safety training forward in New Zealand. They’ve drawn on the expertise of a wide panel of specialists (including their highly qualified and experienced trainers, and their Academic Product Development and Quality Assurance teams) to create a complete suite of online and webinar solutions. These are the programmes that will help businesses stay on top of their health and safety training needs regardless of location.

Users can log in remotely to participate in eLearning training from any location and at any time. That means employers can make the most of staff working remotely (which we are seeing a lot of these days) by getting them to complete their all-important safety training at home.

Remote health and safety training is the ultimate solution in the current climate, the benefits of online training are indisputable. Not only is it more flexible and highly cost effective, but training times are significantly reduced by condensing learning resources. Even more importantly programmes can quickly and easily be setup where in-person training cancellations occur, saving employers time and money, and ensuring workers always have access to the latest health and safety information.

Train your staff using these highly advanced tools and you’ll help them stay abreast of technology and build the skills to effectively interact with modern industries. Plus, if you’ve got employees spread out across various locations, online training enables you to reach a wider audience and brings uniformity to the training by ensuring the curriculum, strategy, content and tutor will be the same for everyone, regardless of where they’re based.

Safety ’n Action’s Jane Horwood has played an integral role in supporting the training provider’s online programmes and says they are becoming increasingly popular with both employers and staff.

“Companies really like online training as it’s cheaper and it doesn’t take the workers out of work for a full day - they can complete their training at night or when they have down time. A lot of attendees also like the fact that it’s not a full day of training,” says Jane.

From the workers’ perspectives, the convenience and flexibility provided by e-Learning is a big drawcard. They can access training where and when they want, and for many, interactive media-rich online courses can make learning more engaging and easier to grasp. In fact, some studies show that learners do better studying online due to the responsiveness they experience - and the anonymity, which gives even the shyest learner the confidence to participate.

Adds Jane, “Attendees really like that we’re only a phone call away should they need some assistance, it’s easy to navigate, and the reading material can be printed to make it easier for them, or they can open two tabs and have the reading material on one tab and the assessment on the other tab. They also like how they don’t have to complete the assessment in one go but have 60 days to complete and pass the course. Plus, they have more than one opportunity to pass (100% pass mark).”

While roadblocks can occur when workers are not computer literate, Jane says with plenty of guidance and support from Safety’n Action, all their learners get there in the end.
And that’s a big win for everybody.