Testing times – how International Workplace rapidly deployed training to frontline COVID-19 testing sites

About Cignpost

Cignpost Testing’s fast and mobile COVID-19 diagnostic services provide organisations with cost-effective on-site testing with results within two hours. Cignpost has quickly evolved to become a global leader in COVID-19 screening and health diagnostics and has successfully delivered three million PCR and lateral flow tests to organisations across the UK. Mandy Dhillon is Cignpost’s training manager. She tells us how International Workplace was able to rapidly provide health and safety training to site managers, to help keep the public safe during the pandemic.

Delievering health and safety training across multiple sites

As a branch of Cignpost diagnostics, called Express Test, we are a COVID-19 testing company, running COVID-19 testing sites. We had a real need for health and safety training to ensure all site staff were compliant, and abiding by all relevant health and safety legislation. Our head of health and safety introduced me to International Workplace and the support team were absolutely wonderful – they took me through the synopsis of the IOSH courses and really detailed the different options that were available to us. Our concern was to make sure we had the right learning delivery for our audience, which meant a virtual offering, because of the numerous sites that we have across the nation. I was really pleased that International Workplace was able to offer that virtual option, as well as the eLearning option for those who wanted to take the course over a three-month duration at their own pace.

Choosing the right course, IOSH Managing Safely or IOSH Working Safely

Due to the nature of our COVID-19 testing sites, it's imperative that we have a site manager or a deputy manager who is trained and knowledgeable in basic health and safety. They’re there to ensure the safety of not only their staff, but also our customers, be they children, babies or adults. So that's why we went for the IOSH Managing Safely course rather than the IOSH Working Safely course – we wanted a top down approach.

Feedback from our delegates

I've received some great delegate feedback. There's so much interest in the IOSH Managing Safely course that I've had to order an additional two courses and 40 licenses for the eLearning option. There's definitely a demand for it and that is mainly because of the trainer, Jamie – the feedback has been that he's so engaging, he's passionate. Health and safety can be quite a dry subject, but he really brings it alive.

How our managers benefitted from studying IOSH Managing Safety

In terms of benefits, the managers that have attended the course are now so much more aware of basic health and safety. They’re now able to recognise if there is a hazard on site, whereas before they wouldn't have had that knowledge. So now it's really about acting on that knowledge. IOSH Managing Safely is the perfect course for someone managing something like a COVID-19 testing site as it helps people manage the health and safety onsite, even something as minor as trip hazards. When you understand the repercussions of that, in the locations we are in – such as airport terminals and carparks – it really changes your behaviour. Signage too.

The engagement from the group has really been fantastic to see and to hear about and the fact that we've got people who don't necessarily need the qualification requesting it is a great thing in terms of continuous learning.