Who Am I?
I’m Mark Bussetti – I’ve worked with OFI since 2012 as a manual handling training instructor.
My Professional Background
I have been involved in the health and fitness industry all my working life, ever since I graduated from Newcastle Upon Tyne Polytechnic in 1990 with a degree in Sport Studies. I enjoyed helping individuals reach their fitness goals. However, my main passion was biomechanics, including rehabilitation from injury and preventative strategies to reduce the risk of injury. This was in part due to a serious knee injury I sustained while playing sport. This led me to retrain as a sports therapist and sports massage therapist. I specialised in the biomechanics of human movement and became fascinated by learning how to optimise muscle balance and strength in order to optimise overall health. I then went on to complete a Masters in Osteopathy in 2012. I use this approach now as an osteopath to help people recover from injury and back pain. I am also really keen to promote the fact that there is a lot we can do to reduce the likelihood of developing injuries with simple strategies we can all employ.
A Day in My Life as a Trainer for OFI would see me...
Engaging people from a wide range of backgrounds in risk management strategies from a business perspective, but also from an individual perspective where prevention of injury is the main goal. This can be promoted through adequate training and education. I travel extensively around the country delivering training for OFI, although I am based in the South of England. The training varies anywhere from 3-hour object handling training courses to 4-day train the trainer courses. Over the years, I have delivered training to a really varied range of companies – all with many different manual handling challenges.
The best thing about my job is...
I have always enjoyed learning and teaching the material I have learnt over the years, as well as engaging with individuals from very varied backgrounds. I am passionate about drawing on my knowledge and experience to advise people on how to take simple steps that will really help with their long-term physical health and wellbeing. I also enjoy helping companies problem solve and reduce barriers to effective and safe manual handling practices.
I really enjoy making manual handling training more accessible to people and breaking down the perceived notion that it’s purely about picking up a box and putting it down again! I focus on how positively OFI training can impact an individual – it’s not just about processes in the workplace; the advice we give will support them as they go about their daily life, too. At OFI, the aim is to give individuals an understanding of how the body works and how to use it best when performing physical tasks such as manual handling. This enables the individual to be able to make decisions for themselves in a dynamic environment rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. I find that delegates really enjoy this approach and receive it positively.
I also really enjoy delivering the longer train the trainer courses. With these deliveries, I can mentor and give confidence to individuals embarking on a new trainer role experience. Seeing an individual gain confidence in delivering in front of their peers is very rewarding, especially when they started off the course terrified of that prospect! The camaraderie of groups when it comes to the individual presentations they must complete is really rewarding to be a part of.
My most rewarding moment at OFI:
I receive really positive feedback with respect to how interesting they found the training contrary to their expectations before taking part. One of the most rewarding comments I received was from a group of highly experienced trainers who thanked me for the training and informed me that not many trainers would have been able to keep them engaged for 3 days, and they really enjoyed it. Adapting to the vast variety of workplaces we train is very rewarding and always a good challenge.
Similarly, receiving feedback from an individual who was very nervous about delivering training and gained the necessary confidence through the course to do this is very rewarding.
Outside of OFI...
I live with my wife, son, and 2 cats. I cherish my family time and also enjoy riding my bike. I mainly road ride in the stunning Chiltern Hills, but I am also introducing myself to the fun of off-road biking.
My approach and commitment to your company’s training needs:
My approach is very much about engagement and interaction. I always endeavour to ascertain both the company’s and the individuals’ manual handling challenges, trying to work through viable solutions for all parties. I commit to providing the best standard of training I possibly can based on current guidance and legislation.
An open mind is all I ask for when we start, and I always encourage sharing knowledge as there is often a vast amount of knowledge already there when I visit sites. This then enables an open forum to discuss ideas and how they can best be implemented on both a company and personal level. A main priority is always that delegates enjoy the course.
