UK

Nifco UK receives National Training Award

On behalf of Nifco, Frances Hoy, Helen Cowper, Alan Mulcahy and Brian Wilson represented the Company at the National Training Awards Ceremony and received a Regional Training Award.  This Award demonstrates outstanding achievement for lasting excellence and success through training and learning in the North East region.

The National Training Awards are the UK's number one accolade for businesses that recognise and celebrate the vital link between training and development, business success and personal development.   They are aimed at those who have decided to improve their chances of success through learning new skills. The Awards support the Government's commitment to lifelong learning, crucial to individuals' and business' success and to the benefit of the UK economy as a whole.

 “Company has a healthier future thanks to safety focus 

“Nifco UK Limited, a Japanese-owned specialist in making injection moulding and assembled plastic parts for Nissan, Ford and Toyota and Honda turned to training for survival – and earned itself a Regional Training Award at the National Training Awards 2006.

The company, based in Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, had already lost money in the previous two years, and the directors developed a plan to return to profit – with health and safety as a key issue.

Frances Hoy, Nifco’s Human Resources Manager, says there were 17 accidents a month in 2004.

“The main objective for individuals was to manage health and safety better in their respective areas. We as a company believe strongly that if you can’t manage health and safety then quite simply you can’t manage!”

Staff, whose average age was 38 and the majority of whom had done little or no further education since school, needed to be able to conduct risk assessments, re-design the workplace to remove hazards, improve housekeeping and reduce the rate of production rejects.

Nifco chose Century 21 Projects to deliver the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health Managing Safely course to 72 people – managers, team leaders, technical staff, union workers and health and safety committee members.

All 72 gained the qualification and the benefits of the training, which represented an investment of £27,000, were enormous. The company did not just survive it thrived!

Accidents were reduced to four a month, reject rates fell, staff turnover and absence were reduced, overall equipment efficiency improved and the company made a seven figure saving on costs, including insurance. The company has achieved four-star British Safety Council health and safety rating and last year won the CIPD 2005 Tees Valley Best Practice Award.

Frances said the programme overcame the fear of learning among the workforce. “The improved performance of people and teams following the training has far exceeded the company’s expectations, because we believed people would be reluctant to take responsibility but it shows once you give people ownership of tasks they will strive to achieve excellence in performance.  These outstanding results have given individuals a great sense of pride and the belief that they can achieve excellence in performance and that the company can go from strength to strength.”

Nifco UK Limited registered in England & Wales, company number 1392769

Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3RX, UK