Trish's Blog

Must We Challenge Norms in All Areas?

Recently, I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post promoting new e-training for manual handling, tailored specifically for the aged care and disability sectors. The claim? Completing the annual safe lifting training in just 8 minutes. My reaction was Whoa! But not in a good way.

My initial thought was, how could such a condensed training possibly suffice? Who does it truly benefit? While cost reduction may seem enticing, what about the safety of the people working in the space?

Curiosity led me to explore the effectiveness of online manual handling training. The verdict? Disheartening. Research published in the National Library of Medicine suggests it falls short, and surprisingly, even traditional face-to-face training hasn’t made a significant dent in injury reduction .

So, it begs the question: Should we challenge the norms? What’s the true purpose of training, mere compliance or genuine safety? If it’s about compliance, why was legislation introduced in the first place? What were we trying to achieve? And how else can we reach those goals? Who is doing it differently? What outcomes are they achieving?

This isn’t just about manual handling, it’s about questioning norms in all areas. Whether it’s in safety protocols, business strategies, or personal development, skepticism is valid. It’s essential to continually assess the true benefits and motivations behind any “best practices.” After all, Best practice is based on current evidence, or is it?

Let’s keep questioning, keep seeking, and keep striving for practices that truly benefit everyone involved