Training In The Fencing Industry- Why Is It Important And What Is Available?

Training, the dreaded word that a lot of companies avoid until it’s too late. However, the most successful businesses embrace training and have a happier and safer workforce. So, this article is all about changing your perception, and showing you the benefits of training! We’ll also detail what fencing training is available.

Why Train?

As you’re aware there are elements of training that are legal requirements. The legislation makes it imperative that you complete the training. However, training is not just about ticking boxes. Think about the client’s perception, will they be more likely to opt for a company that has all of their training in place and have also gone the extra mile to ensure the efficiency and safety of their work force? Or one that hasn’t? In a world in which health and safety is increasingly under the spotlight, training can hugely impact the image of your business.

Alongside this, staff members are motivated by companies that invest in them and their future. Your workforce will be more motivated if they feel valued and important! This will also increase the loyalty of your workforce. It is reported that those who can see their company investing in them are four times more likely to stick around, reducing your staff turnover.

Training is also all about improving existing skills and learning new ones. Training your staff will make them better at their jobs and it will allow them to complete jobs more effectively. As businesses we should always be striving to improve the quality of what we provide, and training is one way to do this! As the famous saying goes ‘There is always room for improvement’.

One of the most important reasons for training in the fencing industry is to help new entrants learn the skills of the trade alongside addressing the industry wide skills and staff shortage. If this great industry to which we belong is to continue and thrive we need new entrants and we need them now!

What Is Available?

FUNDING FUNDING FUNDING! The government have provided funding to build upon the skills and secure the future of the industry. Funding is available to support the achievement of Blue FISS CSCS cards, which are now the standard requirement on many sites in the UK.

Many sites now also require the CITB Site Safety Plus programme of courses. These courses can also be used as part of the requirement for the different levels of FISS CSCS card.

There are also many vocational courses that can be utilised to upskill your workforce. Courses such as; Abrasive Wheels, Cat and Genny, Safe use of Power Tools and much more!

Below we’ve provided a list of some of the courses and qualifications that are also available:

Qualifications

Level 1 Health and Safety for Labourers

Apprenticeships (Funded)

Level 2 Diploma for Installers (Funded)

Level 3 Diploma for Supervisors and Contract Managers

Level 5 Diploma For Senior Managers

Health And Safety

Health and Safety Awareness for Fencers and Labourers

Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme

Site Management Safety Training Scheme

Health and safety testing

Vocational

Cat & Genny

Manual handling

Safe use of abrasive wheels

Safe use of power tools

Asbestos awareness

And many more

Get in touch or visit our website, if there is something that you would like more information about. You can also click on the course names above which will direct you to the course pages.

Give us a call on 0121 476 4731

Health And Safety In The Construction Industry- Where We’re At Now

The construction industry is clearly a rewarding and engaging career. However, it is often dangerous due to the nature of the work. The fast paced environment, heavy machinery and tools, working at heights and various other aspects all combine to make the industry one of the most hazardous to operate in. However, strict and detailed health and safety legislation is in place in order to reduce these risks. Furthermore, health and safety in the construction industry receives a lot of attention. Stories of firms receiving fines and penalties for flouting these rules and regulations are common. The statistics concerning health and safety in the construction industry are still very worrying.

A Brief History

Historically, the construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the UK. Previous statistics have made uncomfortable reading. For example, according to the HSE, there were 80 fatalities in 1997 in the construction sector. In 1998 and 1999 there were 65 and 81 respectively. Evidently, health and safety has traditionally been an issue in the construction sector.

Year	Fatalities
1997	80
1998	65
1999	81

Over the years various legislation has been introduced in an attempt to tackle the health and safety issues in the industry. For example, Working at Height Regulations were introduced in 2005. More recently in 2015 were the CDM (Construction, Design and Management) regulations. The implementation of this legislation, is of course, important to health and safety. However, we believe that education is crucial. Through training of all levels of  workers, from operative to director, we believe that these worrying statistics can be reduced. However, there are many dangerous misconceptions regarding training.

A worrying trend.

We recently exhibited at UK Construction Week at the NEC. The show was a lot of fun and we met some great people. However, there was a worrying trend of replies we got when talking about training. Many self-employed contractors and non-site workers would reply that ‘I don’t need training’ or ‘I don’t work on sites’. We want to highlight why these opinions are so dangerous. The HSE states ‘Risks on larger projects can be substantial but, generally, large projects are better at controlling risks than most small projects, where there can be a lack of awareness of even basic health and safety standards’.  Furthermore, they identify that small businesses account for the majority of fatal incidents. Yes we acknowledge that the smaller businesses outnumber the larger construction firms. But the risks on smaller jobs should be easier to control. We believe that basic health and safety training for operatives and managers will hugely improve these statistics.

Clearly, health and safety in the construction industry is improving. The health and safety legislation and training is making a difference. This is evident with (30) the lowest number of fatalities on record in 2016. However, there is still a long way to go. 30 deaths in the industry is 30 too many. Furthermore, although the construction industry makes up just 7% of the UK workforce, around 25% of workplace deaths in the past 5 years have occurred in the construction industry. The industry needs to work to reduce these figures and training is one method of making a drastic change.

For information about our products and services please visit our website, or get in touch today on 0121 809 3177.