From original material prepared by Pilot and inspired by Brian, Training Manager of Baggeridge Brick plc, the Black Country Chamber published the following article in its quarterly "Prosper" publication of 2006.

Safety in Numbers- a powerful initiative by Baggeridge Brick plc and Pilot IMS Limited

Around the brickyards and brickworks of Baggeridge Brick, Britain's largest independent brickmaker, new signs of safety are springing up in almost every direction.

They are the first practical indications of a powerful shift towards a positive health and safety culture being developed in the workplace by the company in tandem with Pilot IMS.

The process was launched at the start of 2005, when Baggeridge chief executive Alan Baxter committed the company to the second stage of the pledge instigated by the British Ceramics Confederation to reduce accident figures and days lost at work.

Baggeridge set a target of reducing working days lost from work-related injury and ill-health by 30 per cent by 2010. It soon became clear that such an ambitious objective could not easily be achieved by the in-house management team alone.

A working partnership was struck between Baggeridge and Pilot IMS for the supply and delivery of structured, certificated training for all employees - including the managers and directors.

Under the BCC pledge, every member of the workforce would work towards a formal health and safety qualification. Pilot IMS arranged a City & Guilds course at each Baggeridge site, minimising learners' time away from production and providing relevant examples of health and safety practices directly from their own work experience. Piot IMS also produced a DVD featuring safety measures at the company's sites.

The course embraces in particular the current statutory regulations, risk identification and assessment and the various responsibilities of employers and employees.

The first Baggeridge staff to enter the programme were supervisors from across the Midlands. They were grouped into teams of four or five and invited to produce detailed proposals for improving one aspect of health and safety within their respective works. These were required to be genuine, realistic, costed and time-framed plans.

All their proposals were accepted and most have implemented, such as the barrier gate system protecting pedestrians from the train of dryer cars at the Kingsbury Works.

Following the supervisors, the training programme was rolled out to the remaining workforce at each factory. Everyone involved is first enrolled at a local FE college (Dudley for the Midlands and Crawley for the Sussex works).

Staff attend a series of workshops, with additional one-to-one support provided by a member of Pilot's training team. Successful candidates receive a C&G national level 2 certificate.

The Baggeridge board also commissioned a DVD from Pilot for better inductions of new employees, featuring essential factors like emergency fire procedure, safe practices for manual handling, accidents and first aid, handling harmful chemicals and the correct use of personal protective equipment.

All the company's 550-plus workers are due to complete the course this year.

What about the benefits to the company over and above the supervisors' specific proposals?

John Snelus of Pilot says: "Changes in key performance indicators, such as accident records and days off work through injury, will show up over time. The indications to date are reported to be very positive.

"Site safety representatives at each factory are already receiving a greater number of health and safety queries and suggestions from the workforce. Those involved so far have clearly taken responsibility for improving the safety aspects of their systems of work, with encouragement from the prompt improvements which have already been put in place. "

John Davies of Baggeridge added: "In addition to the improvements in safety practice, we have the satisfaction of knowing that we are fully and unequivocally meeting our legal obligations regarding both the induction of new staff and the safety training of all current employees."

The training partnership between Baggeridge and Pilot IMS continues, with discussions on City & Guilds manufacturing and management courses well under way.

For information about workplace training, contact Pilot IMS on 00845 300 2264 or email enq@pilotims.co.uk