Brick-Tie Training
Most videos we make are educational. We like our clients to know about the basics of preservation, dampness and the wall tie work too.
However, sometimes it’s good to know about the people in a service business like ours; are they reliable, well trained and safe to work with?
Brick tie training days are regular feature of every year. These days are planned well in advance, so that all of our employees get as much from the day as possible.
Sometimes the days may be a mix of ‘trade’ training and health and safety. Other days may be spent on customer service and teamwork.
The video features a day dominated by health and safety. This is our top priority so it receives a larger part of our training budget than any other single subject.
Involving everyone
There is nothing worse than being ‘talked at’ about health and safety. We could just employ outside health and safety trainers to do this. To keep everyone engaged and to back up the specialist training we hire in, we like to get everyone involved in health and safety. This is part of our desire to build what is known in the jargon as “A positive health and safety culture”. This is what Brick-Tie training involves.
Our Technical Director Bryan Hindle is an associate member of the institute of occupational safety and health (AIOSH). He has taken the health and safety of everyone in Brick Tie as his own personal responsibility. That’s no mean task and to help him he talks to all the employees. He really involves them in his mission, to make Brick-Tie the safest specialist contractor in the industry.
Sian Caley is our audio typist and admin assistant. However you will see Sian carrying out the skilled and important role of mask face fit tester. Sian was happy to enrol on an external course to learn this skill. She regularly instructs the technicians in the best way of wearing their dust masks, adjusting them and the importance of remaining clean shaven. Then Sian tests the masks to make sure they really do fit and are doing the vital job of promoting the long term health of every wearer. Outstanding effort and she has taken to this so well, that she is now our Personal Protective Equipment supervisor. This role includes maintaining a stock of all of the relevant PPE. Sian also checks that the technicians PPE bags are well stocked with new equipment and records the issue of PPE and instruction in the use of PPE.
Craig Tarbotton is seen giving a presentation (tool box talk), to his teammates. This time the subject was on hand arm vibration hazards. Craig volunteered to attend a four day external course by our great friends and supporters NG safety. He passed his IOSH Managing Safely course and is now the technician’s own official health and safety representative. He is Bryan’s eyes and ears on site (only where health and safety is concerned so relax boys).
Brick Tie training – nothing to do with wall ties, timber and damp though is it?
Our work is hazardous. It’s sometimes dangerous too. We work at height every week. We carry materials; we make some dust, noise and vibration. There are lots of ways to get injured. There are also less obvious and insidious ways to accumulate long term chronic health problems. Silica dust, asbestos and noise being the most worrisome. Health and safety impacts our ability to get the work done without harm. This includes harm to us and to our customers. It includes other contractors who may be working alongside us too. Spending time reducing the risk of that harm is very worthwhile.
Training costs money. Does this make Brick-Tie Preservation expensive?
No it doesn’t. Every Brick-Tie training day costs of course. PPE isn’t cheap, specialist courses and equipment have to be paid for too. Better and safer working practices to reduce harm can impact on the balance sheet. However the effect is proven to be a positive effect, rather than a negative one. We are more profitable and the business is on a firm footing because of our efforts, in training and staff development.
Engaged employees, know that their company cares about them. We are not just health & safety ‘box tickers’. Engaged staff work smarter, safer and are just much more productive.
A Brick-Tie training day underpins all of the specialist work we do. Much of our work is hidden when we’ve finished work. The important bits may be under floors or in a roof or cavity wall. Customers trust our people to deliver what was promised. The way our technicians and all our staff present themselves matters. The way they go about their work and, our positive health and safety culture is a reflection of the quality and dedication of our people. It’s who we are.
Read on below or call us for free friendly advice Leeds 265 2752 York 566577 or Sheffield 224 5121 or email us via our contact page
The very high standard of our training and staff development work is recognised via our Investors In People accreditation. we are also multiple winners in the Property Care Association annual awards for excellence. Twice winners of the PCA ‘Training and Staff Development award’, twice commended for ‘training and staff development and also the PCA ‘contractor of the year 2014’.
