RTITB Releases New Free eLearning Course in the Combat of COVID

Health and safety is a crucial part of our industry, particularly when it comes to forklift safety, as heavy machinery is not something to be taken lightly. And so, needless to say, when the COVID pandemic came around, it brought with it many challenges. Forklift truck training has always required a large element of personal interaction, with a proportion of training courses occurring inside a classroom so an RTITB certified instructor could teach the essentials.

With the classroom environment deemed too risky by the government, and with the model of external instructors travelling to provide the training presenting its own risks, it looked as though either a potential halt in training and therefore work or a further spread of the virus were inevitable. However, in a positive turn of events, the RTITB has released a brand new and free eLearning course to help reduce the risk during lift truck training. Though, in such uncertain times as these, this may leave you with some questions. Let’s take a closer look at these below.

Who are the RTITB?

The Road Industry Transport Board (RTITB) are the leading standards-setting body in workplace transport training, having provided training to well over one million people in the country, while over 100,000 delegates are trained to their standards every year. The  RTITB provides a plethora of instructor training courses in addition to its health-checking services, and the board’s rigorous standards ensure that all training provided by themselves and those they have accredited is the safest and most effective training possible. More information can be found on their website at https://www.rtitb.com/.

What is the new eLearning course?

The new eLearning course is designed for use by those who will be providing forklift truck training and covers all of the necessary bases that training providers will need to keep in mind, such as how to effectively communicate safety to their trainees and how best to deliver the theoretical and practical training. Most importantly, it looks at how to establish whether training is essential, and takes a look at the HSE hierarchy of controls. These are a set of measures which organisations should apply to promote the highest level of safety, meaning that, in the current climate, face to face contact should be limited.

What does this mean for us?

Thanks to this eLearning course, forklift truck training can still go ahead in warehouses across the country, without the need for incurring an unnecessary risk of infection by having external instructors travel to different worksites. Furthermore, it provides free, relevant and faceless training that will allow trainers to provide updated and effective instruction that is relevant to the times. It will also decentralise the training by allowing independent instructors to provide support without compromising the quality of the course, and by being only 30-minutes long, it will ensure training can be provided quickly as well as safely.

Why was this needed?

Forklift truck driving provides an essential service to warehouse operations, ensuring that operations run smoothly and efficiently, which in the current climate is absolutely vital. Due to the pandemic, work has been at times completely delayed, and at others, it has been made more difficult by thinned workforces due to self-isolation. Now, more than ever, it is vital that we ensure rigorous safety standards are upheld, not only to prevent any risks of infection but also to prevent any hazards or workplace accidents that may put further strain on our workforces. Thanks to this course’s impact on forklift truck training, this essential part of warehouse operations can continue without posing an unnecessary risk to any workers involved in the process.

What does this mean for Radnes?

This course will prove useful not only for in-house training but also for training providers. Through employing the use of the RTITB’s new eLearning course, our certified staff can continue to provide the highest quality of training during novice, instructor, and refresher courses, ensuring that all training falls within these rigorous guidelines while also remaining safe during the pandemic period. Thanks to the digitisation of training outlines, we are able to provide high-quality training that is strictly in keeping with the latest in forklift safety policies.

So if your business requires forklift truck training in line with the RTITIB’s strict standards, while also adhering to strict COVID safety guidelines, get in touch with Radnes to find out more about our services.