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 | | DOW BUILDING SOLUTIONS WALKS THE SITE SAFETY TALK | | | Dow Building Solutions | | 21/07/2008 | | | Sales people, technical experts, customer service and administrative staff from Dow Building Solutions – the company behind the blue STYROFOAM® insulation material – have been getting to grips with construction site safety this summer.
More at home behind the wheel of a car visiting customers, or on the phone dealing with enquiries, the team spent three days at the National Construction College (NCC) learning about construction site safety.
Attendees were required to pass the Construction Skills Health and Safety test in order to gain a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card. They were also given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with large plant equipment commonly used on construction sites, and were asked to dig trenches according to strict criteria.
“As part of a large chemical company strict adherence to health and safety legislation is part of our DNA,” said Jayne Law, UK and Ireland sales manager for Dow Building Solutions. “However, the climate is certainly changing in the construction industry as the Health and Safety Executive rightly continues to put it under the safety spotlight, and we felt it would be helpful for our customers if our people have a full understanding of safety requirements on site.
“With many contractors demanding proof of competence before allowing workers on to sites, we also felt it would be appropriate for our own staff to carry CSCS cards, even if they wouldn’t normally be expected to do so.”
It’s not the first time customer-facing staffs have been expected to get their hands dirty on site. Previous training courses - which were also run at the NCC - covered how to install inverted roofs and floor screeds, both of which can involve insulation products manufactured by Dow Building Solutions.
“Hands-on training like this means I’ve got a much better understanding of the pressures my customers are under when working on site,” said Richard Powell, National Roofing Account Manager.
“Of course, having the CSCS card gives a certain level of confidence to them as well; as they know I’m familiar with fundamental safety requirements and am less likely to cause issues for them!”
Matthew Dyke, National Distributor Account Manager for Dow Building Solutions, agreed: “It’s about going the extra mile for customers, and means I can talk their language and appreciate their issues more clearly,” he said. “It says a lot for the company that it’s prepared to take its entire sales force off the road for three days and invest in such site familiarisation and training primarily to make its customers’ lives easier and its people more confident.” | |
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