Posted By Jonathan Breeze I would have though a straightforward "No" would suffice here Melanie. Try rephrasing the question thus: "Can I be punished for undertaking a task in line with the training provided by my employer?" - Then you can see the answer jumps out a bit more clearly.

Posted By Jerry Lucey One of the main elements covered during manual handling training is the importance of 'individual capability'. For your training to be effective individuals will need to be encouraged not to undertake tasks that are not within their capability and as a result in some cases productivity may decrease, however a reduction in accidents/ lost time injuries should compensate for any short-term decrease in individuals productivity. You should stress that personnel will NOT be penalised for asking for assistance or not undertaking tasks which are not within they are not confident in completing. Culture change needs to be the objective of any training and this cannot be achieved in an environment where production takes priority over safety. Hope this answers your question Melanie

Posted By Melanie Harrison The Company culture would not support disciplinary action for complying with any training given - however the concern by some managers is that a few may possibly see it as an opportunity to work at a slower pace when not always strictly necessary.

Posted By Jonathan Breeze Melanie, The line managers concerns are noted, however if they lead a well motivated team, it should not pose an issue. If the team is not well motivated, then the manager should reflect on this and try to identify the problem in order to resolve it. After all, that's why they're the line manager isn't it? However we are at this point leaving H&S territory and heading deep into HR Land.