I have been with Warwick since October 1994. I started off as an operator on TAED production before promotion to supervisor after 12 years. The promotion saw a move to the granulation department, which meant had to familiarise myself with new plant and equipment..
Throughout my time at Warwick I have actively looked to further my education and have completed an ILM level 3 course in First Line Management, gaining the IOSHH qualification. I have also broadened my learning through in-house training such as Green Belt training and Six Sigma qualifications. The NVQ process has also been prevalent throughout, firstly in helping prove my own competence then as an assessor then an internal verifier – it helped raise my own profile and then used it in conjunction with training/developing new starters in the granulation.
When I was approached to become involved in the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) program I was a little sceptical. But by adopting the philosophy and approaches set out in the 4-day program I enjoyed the straightforward and common sense approach. It also gave me a better understanding of the mechanical side of equipment used and potential problem areas which led to rewarding results and overall improvement of plant production – importantly improved communication and standardization of the running of the plant.
I am now involved in the FD2 TPM program, adopting the same principles which will hopefully lead to similar improvements. Involvement with the audits carried out, maintaining standards expected and the general up keep of plant housekeeping has raised my awareness of what is required to maintain equipment so that it performs to its maximum capability, to systematically assess problem areas, and to use pictorial evidence to aid training/understanding and improve housekeeping. The aim is to continue reaching the high standards set out in the first phase of TPM or even bettering those achievements while involving more people in the process to ensure its continuation and success.
