Safety training at Albanian cement plant

In September 2016, the plant contacted RRC, a UK-based provider of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) management qualification training, to explore how this could be achieved. A plan was agreed to deliver of a series of NEBOSH Award in Health and Safety at Work (HSW) courses to more senior site personnel to develop an understanding of fundamental health and safety concepts. The more senior management would then undertake the NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC).

“We wanted a training provider with a strong history of working with clients throughout the world and a reputation we could have confidence in, and having completed extensive research we approached RRC to support our safety training requirements,” said Charles Bouri, General Manager, at the plant. “From the very beginning the team at RRC listened to us, and provided us with a number of options in line with our objectives.”

RRC’s Steve Burke travelled to Albania to start the roll out of the training. Since 2016, Burke has visited the plant on numerous occasions, delivering NEBOSH HSW courses, and has just finished delivering a second NEBOSH IGC course to management and supervisors. The success of the Fushe-Kruja project has led to the rollout of training into other Seament Group plants, with RRC delivering NEBOSH HSW courses at Elbasan cement plant.

In addition to NEBOSH training, RRC have delivered a Train the Trainer course to managers, who have completed the NEBOSH IGC, so that they can effectively rollout HSE training throughout the workforce. Having completed and been impressed by a number of RRC’s short online courses, FK Cement Factory plans to roll these out to its general workforce, having had the courses translated into Albanian.

As a result of the knowledge that managers and supervisors have acquired through their training, the safety standards within the organisation have significantly risen onsite. This has resulted in better working practices among the workforce and contractors.

Management are now effectively enforcing that contractors adhere to safe working practice, which has already prevented a near fatality. With the right knowledge in place, they are now going above and beyond Albanian legislative requirements.

“We are also seeing a real improvement in safety standards, attitudes, and behaviours throughout the factory,” continued Bouri. “One of our objectives was to gain a good reputation and be seen as one of the leading companies in Albania when it comes to health and safety management. We wanted to go above and beyond the jurisdictional requirements placed upon Albanian companies and keep our workforce safe. With RRC’s help and quality training, we are gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace, and I believe our objectives are more than being met.”

As a direct result of undertaking a proactive approach to its training, as well as the implementation of safe systems of work its has made since, Fushe-Kruja has recently been awarded a large contract with a multinational organisation. Going forward, the plant is looking at enhancing the knowledge and competency of its NEBOSH IGC level qualified managers by offering them NEBOSH International Fire and Construction training.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/25092017/safety-training-at-albanian-cement-plant/