Vertical Horizons uses Totara Learn to enable PCBUS to manage health and safety compliance for contractors

Vertical Horizonz specialise in the delivery of practical, workplace safety training. They’re recognised nationally and internationally as leaders in innovative, pragmatic training solutions that save lives.

The Challenge

Employers are responsible for the health and safety of everyone who comes on site, that includes employees and also the contractors who come onsite too. Keeping everyone safe is the number one priority, but training large numbers of contractors’ staff who potentially work on multiple sites is a real headache.The person in charge of the business needs to be able to easily recognise who is trained, have confidence that the training is fit for purpose, and have access to that data at any time. For larger organisations this can mean multiple contracting companies, each with a wide cross-section of workers at multiple locations.

The Solutio

 Vertical Horizonz worked with Synapsys to design and implement a Totara Learn-based solutio that was flexible enough to meet the needs of a dynamic challenging environment and enabled their clients to have a live view of training status across their contracting pool. Online learning content is matched to New Zealand Unit Standards so that learners also get recognition of their learning that can be credited to wider qualifications through the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.Totara Learn is integrated with a smart card solution which issues a contractor with a personalised card evidencing the fact that they’ve been assessed to national standards when completion records in Totara Learn meet the required criteria. This guarantees that contractors are fit to get to work and staff at the gate don’t need to access the system to check on records. The card ensures that every contractor is at the required standard to be safe on-site and greatly increases the efficiency of the process.The system uses certifications to ensure that courses are not only completed, but that they have expiry dates and require recertification. This ensures that all staff are current and in date for their required training. 

 For Vertical Horizonz staff the system also uses a positional hierarchy and assigns each position competencies from their competency framework to automate the training assigned and ensure that staff are competent for the job they do. 

The Results

Thanks to Synapsys and Totara Learn, Vertical Horizonz has reduced training time from four hours (for a comparable workshop-based training experience) to just one hour. As well as being a massive saving in staff time, the learning can also be done outside work hours or in downtime, enabling further productivity gains and reduced disbursement costs.Launched 12 months ago, organisations all over New Zealand now rely on the online Health & Safety Essentials programme to ensure they’re complaint with their Person Conducting Business or Undertaking (PCBU) responsibilities, and more importantly, they’re doing what they can to ensure everyone goes home safe.

“This is yet another way Vertical Horizonz in partnership with Synapsys has provided “Real Training that Saves Lives”, connecting consumers to the social benefits and legal obligations of Health and Safety in the New Zealand workplace.” – Carl McOnie, CEO, Vertical Horizonz