“The amount [of money] spent on the training course may not provide the commensurate amount of learning retained and experienced by participants. When crunching numbers, you may have to pay twice to retrain your staff or yourself, which makes the affordability and savings from virtual training insignificant.”

– Salah Banna, The Association For Talent Development

Another major limitation with online training is that it cannot provide industry-tailored training. This is especially important when completing Elevated Work Platform training. There are many different types of EWPs, the two main types being boom lifts and scissor lifts. Within these two main categories, there are different models and types of machinery. Unfortunately, online training can only give you a basic understanding of EWPs. It cannot provide you with detailed information about the use and operation of your specific EWP or your specific workplace. Hands-on training is tailored to your workplace and to the machinery you will be using. This ensures that all workers are adequately trained to use the machinery found in their workplace.

Elevated Work Platform Training Online – Why Hands-On Is Better

Hands-on training provides real-life practice and workplace simulation that online training cannot. Working with real EWPs in a safe environment with highly experienced professional trainers is the best way to prepare workers for real-world situations.

Proper, hands-on training is essential when learning how to prevent and protect yourself and workers from potential risks and hazards. Online training cannot adequately help workers learn how to avoid and respond to potential hazards when on the job. EWPs qualify as heavy machinery and can be potentially deadly when misused. Some hazards include:

• Being struck by moving equipment
• Getting crushed between equipment or other objects
• Exposure to electrical contact while operating a vehicle or equipment
• Being struck by an inadequately secured load while being lifted or moved
• Being struck or crushed by equipment tipping over
• Source – Ontario construction sector plan 2017-2018

Interacting with experienced trainers, working with equipment, and learning how to react if a dangerous situation arises, are features only available from hands-on training. Sitting at home in front of a computer reading words on a screen can only prepare you for so much. Here are some more reasons why hands-on training is the best choice for EWP training.

• Collaboration – When you choose classroom training over online training, you get to work with others in a collaborative environment. When students are given opportunities to interact, they often come out with a more well-rounded and deeper appreciation of the knowledge being transmitted.
• Audience Engagement – If something goes wrong online, like poor sound quality or an improperly explained concept, there is not much the participant can do about it. With hands-on training, professional trainers have the ability to manage audience engagement. Hands-on training allows instructors to slow down and explain or speed up as necessary.
• Interactive Sessions – Interactive question & answer opportunities can help round out an employee’s learning experience and clarify any misunderstandings. Listening to other participants’ questions may even help answer a question you didn’t know you had!
• Practice & Simulation – As mentioned above, practice and simulation can go a long way! A reflexive mechanism is reinforced when intellectual and applied learning to inform one another. This helps to ensure that the learned content is not only cognitively stored but, also actively used! It even becomes part of an employee’s instinctive behaviour.

Elevated Work Platform Training – Training With ACUTE

Practical, hands-on EWP and Working At Heights training

ACUTE offers multiple hands-on Elevating Work Platform training courses to suit your workplace’s specific needs. For example, some upcoming EWP courses include scissor & boom training or scissor lift only training. We also understand the convenience that online training offers. At ACUTE, we aim to accommodate all of our clients. That’s why you can choose to complete EWP training at your own facility! If you have a large group of workers who require EWP training or have specific scheduling/location needs, training at your own facility could be the right choice for you. Contact ACUTE today to find out more!

ACUTE’s Elevating Work Platform training has been constructed to prepare operators for the safe use of EWPs. The theory module covers all classes of EWPs, while the practical module covers only the type of EWP used in the participant’s workplace.

The course is one day long (8 hours) and will include:

• Training on hazards & safe work practices
• Training on legislation & standards
• Training on platform stability
• Training on class-specific skill testing
• Training on safe operating procedures
• Demonstration and hands-on training on relevant class of EWP
• Practical skills testing evaluation
• Classroom interaction with experienced instructors
• And More!

Ready To Get Hands-On EWP Training?

Help Create a Safer Workplace Now!

Though online training may at first seem like a good choice, working with a qualified and experienced training company is the best way to ensure you and your workers stay safe in the workplace.

ACUTE helps organizations understand their training challenges while also providing unparalleled tailoring and customer service. Here are just a few things you can expect when training with ACUTE:

• Open Door Instructor-Student Partnership – ACUTE’s training services emphasize client participation. Staff want to build relationships with clients and serve as a touchstone for advice anytime moving forward.
• Serving Your Team and Industry – With a vast array of clients in manufacturing, construction, health, academic, and government agencies, ACUTE brings the best safety practices from across the spectrum to your workplace.
• 100 Years Combined Experience – ACUTE provides comprehensive health and safety training, on-site safety services, and consulting services. With over 100 years of combined experience, our staff offer more than theoretical or abstract ideas. ACUTE offers solutions.
• Track Record of Success – ACUTE is rated 4.9/5 stars on Google reviews, demonstrating a commitment to our clients, quality, and passion for training.

ACUTE is located in Waterloo, Ontario and services customers from the cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Milton, Kitchener, London, Guelph, and other cities from across Ontario.

“We have used Acute Environmental & Safety Services Inc. for many years and our personnel always come back well trained, energized and bringing lots of ideas. They are provided with substantial and in-depth knowledge together with challenging opportunities to put into practice what they have learned into our field operations.”

– Dante, Environmental Service Company – Read More Testimonials Here!