Leisha Marlow of TFT Woodexperts has found a career in the wood industry surprising and interesting.
“I’m really immersed in the industry and have worked in Sweden, Riga, Tallinn and Wismar, helping to spread the word and communicate to manufacturers what we need here in the UK,” said Ms Marlow.
“In this country I am involved in site investigations and product testing, condition surveys, looking at how wood has been used in the past, and in homes and businesses helping people understand how their choice and use of wood can enhance their projects.”
“I’m getting a huge buzz out of helping clients understand wood. As we always say at Woodexperts, we don’t buy wood, sell wood or make anything from wood, but our clients are all people who do. I think it’s significant that we are members of the Confederation of Timber Industries, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the British Standards Institute. We are also approved consultants to the British Woodworking Federation and the Structural Timber Association, which as a fully-qualified softwood grader, is my own particular area of interest.”
“In our business and investigations we also say ‘it’s never the fault of the wood’ and in our recommendations for remedial work we always want to give the wood a chance. I believe that, as the only truly renewable and sustainable material there is, and the oldest building material known to man, we aim to help grow the understanding of the use of wood and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Essential Training for Machinists
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER 98) require that all users of woodworking machinery must receive adequate training, including refresher training.
The Daltons Wadkin ‘Red Team’ delivers site-based courses across the UK for both novices and experienced operators and provides woodworking machinery training to international engineering enterprise, Laing O’Rourke’s Explore Manufacturing business at Explore Industrial Park in Steetley, Nottinghamshire. It is ensuring Laing O’Rourke’s woodworking technicians receive certificated operator training and appropriate awareness of health and safety issues.
The business manufactures precast concrete components for construction projects across the UK, with an in-house joinery shop used to insert moulds in to products to leave space for window installations. The workshop uses a range of classical type woodworking machinery including a combination planer thicknesser, sliding table panel saw, radial arm cross-cut, bandsaw and disc sander.
“We are now one of the largest training organisations in the UK specialising in woodworking machinery,” said Daltons Wadkin director Alex Dalton. “Each of our trainers is a time served machinist, with decades of experience in the industry. Coupled with teaching and assessment qualifications, they are able to effectively deliver relevant ‘hands on’ training for machine operators whether novice or experienced”.
Working with PIABC, a Health and Safety Executive recognised professional awarding body, Daltons Wadkin has been certified as an approved quality assured centre for woodworking machine operator training.
Training can be carried out at customer’s premises or at Daltons Wadkin’s own in-house facility.
