New research conducted amongst learning and development (L&D) professionals across the UK’s high-risk industries, including manufacturing, utilities, construction and transport, reveals a clear link between annual industry fatality rates and the training available to employees.

The research, which was conducted as part of a new report from Cloud Assess, demonstrates that both the quantity and quality of training provided have a direct impact on safety.

Industries with the highest number of fatalities were found to offer less training per employee, per year, than safer industries, on average. For example, the construction industry, which is statistically the most dangerous out of the industries researched, offer the least consistent training, with 54% of their employees going through training every single year. By contrast, the manufacturing sector, which is the second safest of the industries investigated by annual fatalities, has 58% of its employees go through training each year, the second highest of all industries researched.

Cloud Assess’ research also reveals a link between training delivery methods and safety, with the safest industries consistently implementing a blend of both online and in-person training for maximum learning benefits.

What’s more, the industries with the lowest fatality numbers were also most likely to measure skills competency using meaningful metrics rather than simply ticking a compliance check box. For example, 39% of manufacturing firms measure the success of training on the safety of their workers, compared to just 16% of companies in the transport industry, which has a much higher fatality rate.  

Rob Bright, Founder of Cloud Assess, comments: “It’s encouraging to see that those firms which are prioritising consistent, high-quality training for all employees, including many of those in the manufacturing sector, are succeeding in reducing the number of preventable incidents amongst their staff. We hope that these new insights will prompt all businesses to reassess their approach to training to better protect their workforce.”

To benchmark your business against other firms, and find out how the manufacturing sector compares to other deskless industries, read the full report: Fatal Negligence: Unveiling the Deadly Consequences of Inadequate Employee Training.