Online Health and Safety Training?

Can e-Learning work for Health and Safety courses?

We are at the start of "the internet age" and online training is growing. Fast. Witness recent news stories about IT training and Europe wide surveys. One survey reported a 70% year-on-year increase. However, e-learning has mainly been focused on software, IT and management skills. Can training for the industrial sector, involving practical skills and safety awareness, be delivered over the internet?

One US company, Summit Training Source Inc., thinks that this kind of training can work. They have developed on line training courses in areas like forklift safety, personal protective equipment and hazard communication. These are available at www.trainingweb.com.

UK Training News has reservations. Online training can never fully replace hands-on person-to-person training. Only a human instructor can demonstrate, for example, the safe use of a lift truck and see whether the operator is learning. However, when used in context, as a prelude to practical training, online training may be useful.

In the IT sector, e-Learning does work. It is a powerful tool and we recommend the use of online providers such as it-training.com. Let's not muddy the water by extending online learning into unsuitable areas. Health and Safety is a serious issue.

 

Written by Dick James, the editor of UK Training News.