All workplaces have their own set of occupational hazards. The same holds true when it comes to building sites, factories, and warehouses that deal with manufacturing material and substances, including asbestos.

Manual handling training involves teaching workers how to handle heavy loads safely and effectively. The worker could be a warehouse employee who has to push, pull, lift, and lower heavy objects and packages. But should a business invest in providing its employees with manual handling training? And how a trained staff can secure your business? Let's find out.  

The first and most important reason to involve your staff in sessions like asbestos awareness training is to secure your business against workplace hazards, injuries, and even deaths. For example, asbestos exposure is common and very hazardous, and it can easily occur when your workers mishandle the materials or containers containing the harmful mineral. When a worker gets exposed to asbestos, it could result in severe health issues. As such, your business will have to cover the medical expenses for the affected worker. 

Most businesses have insurances to cover such injuries, but your company may see its insurance premiums surge if workplace accidents become the norm. An injury can sideline an employee anywhere from a few days to a few months. During this period, the employer will have to send the worker on a paid leave and even hire a substitute. This could result in decreased productivity and additional expenses. 

Having repeated workplace accidents is a terrible thing for any business. Some injuries may prevent an employee from work for life. As such, it can leave your business open to lawsuits and all the expenses and bad press that come with the legal issues. Bad publicity may even drive away your customers or clients. It may also force you to pay much higher salaries to attract new employees if you can find talent at all. These factors may cripple the chances for a business to attain long-term success. Good training can help prevent such accidents and injuries, building your business reputation, and keeping bad publicity at bay. 

By standardizing your operating protocols through regular training, your business productivity will improve, as everyone will be on the same page. Your workers will learn to use the proper techniques, so they are less likely to get injured or exposed to harmful materials, and even if they are, the injuries are not so severe.

 

You can even use training as a team-building exercise. It will show your workers that you care about their safety, which can increase their morale and sense of community. It is also a good idea for the managerial staff to participate in the training so that the work environment is more cohesive and open to dialogue and brainstorming. These discussions may lead to better safety protocols and even safer workflows.

Staff training can make your workplace safer and less stressful by preventing possibly catastrophic injuries. Not only does it save a business from heavy short-term losses in the form of medical and legal expenses, but it can also improve your business reputation. In the long run, these factors would translate into better business growth and improve your bottom line.