How do I qualify as a Manual Handling Trainer?

How do I qualify as a Manual Handling Trainer?  The qualifications required to teach accredited manual handling awards and become a manual handling instructor have changed over the last couple of years.  You can no longer teach accredited manual handling awards with just a manual handling trainer award, as this will not be accepted by any of the UK awarding bodies.

Teaching Qualification

First and foremost if you want to be a trainer you will need to have an entry-level teaching qualification. The PDLSG – Planning and Delivering Learning Sessions to Groups Award or the ETA – Level 3 Award in Education and Training qualification gives the teaching award accepted by all awarding bodies. This course is nationally accredited and by its conclusion will allow the successful candidate to teach any subject they have experience in.

Manual Handling Qualification

Ok, so you now have a teaching qualification either PDLSG or ETA that proves your competence as a trainer. What’s next is to match it up with some relevant experience. The easiest way to do this is to obtain the Level 3 Health and Safety for Supervisors award or Nebosh, but also you can do a CPD manual handling e-learning award. Holding the teaching qualification and current experience will allow you to teach the following courses:

• Manual Handling Training
• Manual Handling Level 2 Award

It’s best to also complete at least a half-day manual handling objects course before you attend the manual handling trainer CPD award.

Insurance

Trainers should take out public liability insurance in case a member of the public blames you for causing damage or injury. Alongside professional indemnity insurance in case a member of the public/client accuses you of making a mistake within your work. Both cost about £120 per year.

Equipment

You will need some basic manual handling equipment to be able to provide your own courses. The below list of equipment is everything you will need:

• PowerPoint Manual Handling (free with some cpd trainer awards)
• Lifting aids can be found on eBay
• Projector for Powerpoint presentations

Manual Handling Trainer Courses with Teaching Award

If you don’t have a teaching award one of the cheapest 2 days courses from Abertay provide everything you need just click the link below to become a Manual Handling Trainer with includes the PDLSG teaching award

1. Teaching Qualification
2. Manual Handling experience and awards (or professional exemption)
3. Insurance
4. Equipment

Accredited Manual Handling Certifications

Once you have all the above, you then need to apply to one of the awarding bodies to apply to become an approved centre so that you can gain accredited manual handling certifications for the candidates you then teach. There are many awarding bodies out there but one of the most reasonable for costs is SafeCert Awards. They cost 195 for centre approval with manual handling certification at around 5 pounds each.