Testimonials
Hear directly from the people who have worked with us
We’re proud to support organisations of all shapes and sizes, from waste management to councils, airlines to production teams. Here are some of the things our clients have shared about their experience working with us.
In Autumn 2013 we approached Handling Change with a view to developing a comprehensive manual handling programme for around 5,000 operational workers at Biffa at locations across the UK. Handling Change achieved something which is nearly impossible…they took over a national contract and made an immediate positive impact!
Although at the time, a newly established venture, the Handling Change team were highly experienced in this field. I was immediately impressed with the way they listened and understood exactly what we needed as a business. One of the first steps was to design a series of manual handling induction videos for our different divisions; these videos were both engaging and in tune with our specific needs… they are still very much in use over 12 years later!
Their approach was sympathetic to our challenges, robust and comprehensive - so much so that we decided to work with them as our chosen training provider throughout the whole business. The impact of the Handling Change manual handling programme was immediate with our business seeing a reduction of manual handling related injuries of over 70% within the first year - very impressive results but for me, as the Learning and Development Manager for Biffa Waste Services, what was even more impressive was the seamless way that they skillfully put the programme into place. Many years on, I proudly say that in all my 25 years in this job, I have never had so much unsolicited positive feedback about ANY training provider! They have made it their business to learn how we work and have embedded their values across all areas of Biffa.
The results have been sustained and continually improved upon year on year, which enables us as a business to focus on and prioritise other areas. It should also be noted that as a business our headcount has seen considerable growth over recent years but our AFR in terms of manual handling continues to fall.
It has been and continues to be a good investment.
Learning and Development Manager
We initially decided to train all of our operatives in our Infrastructure Business Unit in the Handling Change '4Safe steps to improve your lifting skills for life’. The results were instant and as a business we saw the impressive results we were offered. The style of engagement and the way the Handling Change Team
understood our business gave them huge credibility for the training delivery - a very unique blend of common sense with practical application whilst challenging behaviours. The assessment process at the start of the programme allowed them to pinpoint our manual handling concerns with impressive accuracy. This followed by a very engaging style from all of their trainers was a real win-win.
Following on from the initial face to face training we then moved towards their Champion programme support. They developed a bespoke and tailored manual handling video that re enforced the training delivery and again, pinpointed our manual handling requirements. Champions were trained across the business to support the key messages.
They have offered invaluable support with specific equipment which has always been appreciated. They can also engage at all levels within our business and removing barriers is a skill they have. Another excellent service they offer is to prompt when certification is about to expire and if we need changes or replacement certificates they are very quick to react.
We have recently gained further contracts and Handling Change have been part of the induction process in all areas and we are currently embarking on refresher training to all depots - the commitment continues. Feedback is always positive which, coming from a long-established workforce, can be a challenge.
NB - we have also engaged with Handling Change to make some bespoke training videos across the whole business, all tailored to our needs and shot with our personnel, they receive great buy in.
An easy to work with team who understands our business and adds value.
Projects Health and Safety Manager
I had the pleasure of working with Handling Change team on a 500,000 sq.ft corporate headquarters in west London. Over two years, they delivered tailored manual handling training and assessments across multiple trades, aligning with our safety culture and engagement principles. Their approach was practical, engaging, and delivered with warmth and humour, equipping workers with job-specific skills that also translated to
everyday life. It is not often that you hear construction workers talking enthusiastically about safety training.
The training helped embed safe behaviours across a project involving over 3 million person-hours with no reportable manual handling incidents. The Handling Change team worked collaboratively with management and the workforce, making training relatable, visible on site, and highly effective. Following this project, Handling Change has become my trusted provider for manual handling training, and I highly recommend them.
Client Strategic Delivery team health and safety manager
We were encountering a large number of Manual Handling related accidents in Stobart Energy. I engaged with Handling Change to put a robust manual handling programme in place. This resulted in an extremely impressive 83% reduction in handling related injuries. Impressive results but driven by the Handling Change team who ensured the team were focussed
and delivered the project in conjunction with the Stobart Energy Team.
We then rolled out the programme into the Aviation businesses at London Southend and Stansted Airports, with equal results helped of course by the Handling Change Team's passion and drive. They are straight talking with ethics that are underpinned with good knowledge and experience - a pleasure to work with.
Handling Change understand the bigger picture, will go out of their way to accommodate and remove any barriers to success with ease. Working with Handling Change has been hugely beneficial in reducing the manual handling accidents, maintaining production, reducing staff absence, improving morale and reducing risk. I have always been very impressed with the quality of their work and
Director of Safety and Compliance
assessments, all of which allowed the subsequent training to be tailored specifically to our real-world environment rather than delivered as generic manual handling content.
The Handling Change trainers spent time engaging with staff, Supervisors and Team Leaders to understand the challenges that they faced and the behaviours that we wanted to embed. The on-going engagement - through Toolbox Talks, refresher training, on-the-job coaching and open feedback - helped build strong buy-in and ensured that the programme felt supportive rather than instructive.
Since implementing the programme, we have seen clear improvements in staff awareness, consistency of handling techniques and overall confidence in approaching manual handling tasks correctly. We’ve also seen a reduction in near-miss reports relating to manual handling and Supervisors have reported a noticeable uplift in safe working behaviours during monitoring.
The tailored nature of our programme has meant that the training remains relevant, practical and directly applicable to the work our teams carry out every day.
At Sevenoaks, we began our programme with Handling Change by working collaboratively to map out the core manual handling and operational activities carried out across our workforce. Together, we identified the tasks that presented the highest levels of risk - ranging from vehicle loading and unloading, bin and refuse sack handling, equipment uses and daily manual routines. From this, Handling Change carried out on-site observations, risk reviews and practical
Health and Safety Manager
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