There are, of course, two very different aspects to industrial injury, the potential life-changing consequences for the victim and the commercial impact for the employer.

Accidents are expensive – and not just because of likely compensation payments and increased insurance premiums. There are less tangible costs to be borne such as production disruption; equipment damage and downtime; time spent investigating and reporting; even lowered morale and bad public relations.

A study by the HSE suggests that accidents can account for 8% of a company’s turnover and this comes straight off profits. Depending on margins, some organisations need to at least double turnover to reclaim that lost profit. So as well as morale, there is a clear financial argument for addressing the underlying causes of unsafe practices.

In the woodworking industry as a whole, the health and safety record is not good, but Timcon, which represents almost 150 companies in the UK timber packaging industry – including pallet manufacturers, Case makers, export packers, pallet repairers and suppliers of timber and manufacturing equipment – is taking up the challenge to promote safe practice in its particular sector.

Training ethos

TIMCON feels it has an important role to play in establishing a ‘training ethos’ among this group and the result is a bespoke training initiative, designed specifically for the shop floor pallet and case-making workforce.

One of the key figures behind the development of the training scheme is John Williams, joint managing director of Rowlinson Packaging Ltd, the UK’s largest wooden case maker. It is a progressive organisation with a ‘total quality management’ approach, and was one of the first in the industry to achieve the quality award ISO 9000, the first to achieve Investors in People status and recently achieved yet another first in attaining the environmental standard ISO 14001.

“A couple of years ago there was a scheme introduced in the industry, but it had its limitations and Phil Smith of JB Kind Ltd and I felt things could be done better,” said Mr Williams. “We got together with TIMCON president John Dye and Dr Mike Pitt to consider the way forward. Mike has an occupational health and safety background – and was also involved with NEBOSH (the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) – so this, combined with his knowledge of training issues, made him the ideal person to pull together and produce the necessary comprehensive training manual and support documentation.”

The outcome is a surprisingly affordable, well-structured, excellently documented modular training programme for operatives. It is delivered by TIMCON members’ own appointed in-house trainers and will impact on areas such as: safer working; a reduction in injuries and down time; lower insurance premiums; greater efficiency; and improved output in terms of both quality and efficiency.

TIMCON members should register for the scheme online and arrange for a TIMCON assessor, or moderator as they are formally known, to visit them. It is the moderator’s role to meet and assess the in-house trainer proposed by the member company and guide them on the implementation of the training scheme.

Tailored solution

The moderator will make two visits in the first year (including the initial visit) and annual visits thereafter. Within the modular framework of the scheme, the in-house trainer/s will develop a tailored solution for the company where they will carry out the training and mark the exercises and assignments. The moderator’s ongoing role is to assess the company’s performance and carry out progress audits to ensure the training is being done to the correct standard. Formal certification both for the company and the operatives will be forwarded by TIMCON on completion of the training.

John Dye is extremely enthusiastic about the initiative and has ambitions for the programme’s future. “It is an extremely professional package and is going to be of real benefit, both to individual companies and to the sector in general. We like to think that over time, as with other responsible industries, it could lead to the establishment of a dedicated NVQ qualification for the sector.”

  • For further information on the TIMCON Operatives Training Scheme, visit www.timcon.org or contact Stuart Hex on tel: 0116 264 0579; e-mail: timcon@associationhq.org.