Alistair Bromhead Ltd Offers Solution for Temporary Worker Training

ASHTEAD, U.K. - Oct. 31, 2015 - PRLog -- As retailers begin to prepare for their most intense season of the year, so the demand for temporary manual workers to support with picking and packing escalates. Even the larger retailers with automated picking systems can find themselves with a requirement for additional help during this time.

Taking on temporary workers is a good way to meet demand in a cost effective way. However, these workers still need the necessary training to ensure they work safely and are not exposed to manual handling injuries such as musculoskeletal disorders.

The Labour Force Survey estimated that 909,000 working days were lost to handling injuries between 2013 and 2014 with an average of 6.6 days lost for each injury. The Survey also suggested that the main work activities causing or making musculoskeletal disorders worse included lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling.

Employers have general duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999 to assess and control all risks to the health and safety of their employees. These duties extend to temporary workers as well as permanent staff.

Manual handling expert Dr Alistair Bromhead of Alistair Bromhead Ltd (http://www.abromhead.co.uk) says that whilst employers generally do pay attention to the importance of good quality manual handling training when it comes to their permanent staff, the importance of extending this to temporary workers cannot be stressed enough.  He says, “Whilst providing manual handling training to workers who may well up and leave within a few days may be considered a budgetary strain, the alternative could be far more expensive, both in terms of reduced productivity and compensation claims.”

The solution, says Dr Bromhead, comes in the shape of a training course that allows companies to invest in their own in-house trainers. He explains, “If you were to have your own in-house trainers, qualified to provide training and support to your picking and packing personnel, then aside from their time spent giving the training and the initial one-time cost of training the trainers, there will be no further direct cost to your organisation.”

Alistair Bromhead’s City & Guilds manual handling train the trainer qualification (http://www.abromhead.co.uk/manual-handling-train-the-trainer.asp) is a 2-day practical course that equips appointed staff with the skills required to provide their own manual handling training. Courses can be open, or run in-house where there are 5-12 staff requiring the instructor training. The in-house courses focus on a company’s particular individual handling scenarios including the use of any manual handling aids.

For further information or to book a course email info@abromhead.co.uk or call 0800 710 1099.