Top tips for training cleaning professionals

According to the latest Health & Safety Executive (HSE) report over 200 people are killed each year in accidents at work while over one million are injured – a startling figure that is unacceptable.

As the UK’s largest network of independent janitorial supply companies, Jangro understands the vital importance of training within the workplace and how, if delivered correctly, it can have a positive impact on the cleaning industry while contributing to the reduction of workplace injuries. 

The cleaning industry employs staff in all different sectors, meaning different training programmes are required to suit various tasks, working hours as well as the different educational levels of the employee. 

Go online

Did you know one in four learning and development programmes are now online? Not surprising really in today’s digital age. Gone are the days of printed worksheets and textbooks, employees now expect to be able to access all materials with just the click of a button.

This leads to my first top tip on making training accessible. Go online! Hosting all training materials and programmes online not only makes it easy for the user but also allows employers to keep track of everything all in one place.

In a working environment, your employees don’t want to feel like they’re back at school and more often than not will prefer to train at a time and in a place that suits them. A simple, easily understandable online portal with unique login details allows for training on the go.

An online space also keeps track of all training progress and saves it securely, giving employers access to monitor each employee’s development. 

Break it down  

It’s important to consider the various needs of staff, what may work for one may not work for another, meaning all training materials need to be easily understandable.

Breaking down detailed, complex information into easily digestible chunks makes life so much easier for your employee and gives them more of a chance of actually learning something rather than being bombarded with masses of information that is hard to manage and take in.

Think visually

65 per cent of the population are visual learners. So, incorporating illustrations within training materials aids recognition and helps users retain information. Although compulsory, training in the workplace shouldn’t feel like a chore so the more understandable your materials are the more likely users are to enjoy their training experience. 

Legislation updates

My penultimate top tip – stay up to date with legislation – may seem a little obvious but rules and regulations do change and it’s important that training programmes and all other company documentation reflect any amendments. 

Last year, The Classification Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation replaced hazard symbols that appear on all chemicals with new pictograms. It’s imperative that those working with chemicals, a daily occurrence in the cleaning industry, have the latest information of each pictogram.

Do your research

Finally, use a training programme from a trusted source. It may claim to be an expert in training solutions, but does it know anything about your industry? Finding a programme that gives excellent training solutions as well as a unique, professional insight into your sector is equally as important. 

From my experience, I would always recommend for businesses to do their research before investing in training. See how long these programmes have been around, read testimonials and reviews and check they are fully compliant with all health and safety regulations.