How effective is IOSH, managing safely, online training?

As an approved IOSH trainer delivering IOSH, Managing Safely, in many hazardous industry sectors for many years, it was hard to imagine how I was going to deliver the course online.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for online learning and there are many benefits for delivering certain instructional course online.

But how do we begin to tackle very real hazards or health and safety concerns online?

The simple answer is with great difficulty! As a training provider our natural reaction to the Covid pandemic was to simply package IOSH managing safely and IOSH working Safely as standalone online training courses.

However, it became pretty clear to us, early on, that this was not a viable option.

You see, the biggest benefit of IOSH courses is the group discussions that take place and the exchange of ideas and the challenges overcome.

The context of the workplace is never the same, hazards differ, and organisational structures change. So as a trainer it is essential to deliver the course content in a way that works for both the organisation and delegates.

Admittedly I was sceptical whether we could deliver the course in the same way. We had to come up with a formula that worked for the delegates, IOSH and the trainer.

Back to basics!

Given the challenges of homeworking, bandwidth and work pressure demands it was clear we had to do more to ensure the syllabus was delivered effectively and in line with IOSH guidelines.

It was clear that to be effective we needed to create a ‘blended approach’ to learning.

So, we developed ‘live broadcast learning’ that utilises available technologies and combined it with good old-fashioned tutor led delivery.

What’s different?

We can now deliver courses over Zoom, Teams or WebEx in line with IOSH guidelines. We ensure that every delegate benefits from asking questions in a live environment and has the opportunity to take part in group discussions and debates.

The entire course is recorded live with each module being placed on our secure online learning management portal. This enables delegates to refer back to recorded sessions in a time that best suits them. All resources are placed online as well, and we send each delegate their own workbook.

Every delegate also benefits from a 1-2-1 interview with the tutor, to allow both trainer and delegate to establish any particular training needs to improve relevance. Delegates can also contact the tutor directly over Zoom or by email with any specific questions. Or even to just clarify certain parts of the course content.

Exams are conducted online electronically with papers being made available, on the day, through our portal and then marked automatically. The tutor then reviews the delegate’s paper and will arrange for a post course 1-2-1 call to run through their answers.

Has this approach been effective?

Yes absolutely!

Although I was initially sceptical, I have now delivered the course several times. And although it’s a different way of working, it is working well. Feedback from delegates has been very positive and the 1-2-1 sessions have made a real difference.

If you are looking to gain a recognised qualification in health and safety to enhance your career, then why not register for our next open course? We can also deliver this course as a group booking for organisations who wish to train several team members. With group discounts available.

And of course, we can deliver the course onsite if required.

For further details or to book your space click here and get 15% off all bookings when you quote ‘IOSH’.