Barker Ross invests in e-training for vulnerable temporary workers

Recruitment company Barker Ross has invested in excess of a five figure sum in an e-training programme for temporary workers to ensure their safety in the food, agriculture, logistics, waste and industrial sectors..

With the summer approaching and economic confidence slowly returning in some sectors, many companies are looking to temporary workers to solve their short term labour needs, However, these companies need to be aware that workers are often at greater risk of injury during the first few months of a job.

According to the European Union (2009) people employed on temporary contracts have less access to training than workers on permanent contracts.

To help employers ensure the safety of their workers and overcome problems with language and communication, recruitment agency, Barker Ross has invested in its own e-training programme.

Clients of Barker Ross can be confident that all temporary Barker Ross workers they provide will complete courses in health and safety, manual handling or food hygiene as required.

Some clients are also having bespoke e-training programmes designed for them by Barker Ross, which will take into account any specific requirements posed by a site or a process.

Tim Sutcliffe, Barker Ross Industrial commented: “These training courses are not designed to see if workers pass or fail, but rather to equip them with the information they need to operate safely and effectively on site. We want our clients to be confident that we are sending them the best people for the job and we think e-training is a logical extension or our thorough vetting procedures.”

Workers get a certificate once they have satisfied trainers that they have understood all the information on the course and clients can also access these documents as well as training details for any worker, so ensuring they are acting as responsible employers.

Tim continued “We are not aware of any other recruitment company that offers a comparable e-training programme. To date, we’ve invested over £20,000 in it, including software development by a Chartered Institute of Safety and Health practitioner and in re-vamping our offices to accommodate the appropriate equipment. It has however been worth every penny as our clients rely on us to do everything we can to prepare workers thoroughly to go on new sites.”

The training is accompanied by a thorough investigation and assessment of the workers employment history and references. All of which have to be completed before a worker goes on site.