A Neath-based training company has developed a unique approach to health and safety training so effective it is now in demand on the other side of the Atlantic – demonstrating the global leadership of the UK in this sector.

Call of the Wild spent many years refining an approach to health & safety training based on high levels of staff engagement, experiential learning and continuous development. Having delivered it successfully to clients in Wales, the approach became sought after further afield after one of its clients was acquired by a US-based firm.

NIDEC Control Techniques is a global company that manufacture drives and motors for industry. Through a survey, it established that its employees globally were disengaged with the subject of health and safety. Having heard about the remarkable effectiveness of Call of the Wild’s approach, the company engaged its services globally.

The programme has been rolled out to NIDEC companies within the UK and Europe and the USA. During 2017, more than 75 supervisors completed the programme.

The programme is based on experiential practice activities followed by on the job evaluation of what was learned before developing a strategy for continuous improvement. It was also adopted to suit the specific learning styles of the staff: some preferred more practical learning scenarios, others more theoretical.

Simultaneously to this, a HSE Climate Tool developed by Call of the Wild was used to survey the workforce aiming to source ideas for improvement. The four-day course was followed up with support for practical risk assessment projects.

Geraint Lewis, Managing Director of Call of the Wild, said:

“We were delighted to deliver this course to such a large global client and see first-hand the difference it made. The same programme has won a health and safety award for innovation in training in Wales and this proves it is scalable beyond the UK. 

“UK companies are leaders in health and safety. In part, that is due to legislation including the UK’s framework for health and safety first devised in 1974. That legislation has not only saved hundreds of lives, it has also provided a global template for health and safety which is transferable across many countries worldwide.

“It was fantastic to see that the feedback from the candidates was exceptional – it had not only improved engagement but also gave the supervisors the belief they can make a positive improvement to areas they have direct responsibility for.”

Steven Powell, global health, safety & environment manager at NIDEC Control Techniques, said:

“Engagement has improved beyond recognition; employee turnover has reduced. Supervision now have belief and practical tools to drive continuous improvement.

“Without the support of Call of the Wild and trainer Darren Rodrigues in particular, this would not have been possible. Darren has a warm personality that immediately puts employees at ease and engages them on the subject of Health and Safety.

“Such is the success, we plan to roll this out across all sites throughout our Global Structure. I would not hesitate to recommend Call of the Wild to anyone wishing to engage their employees on Health and Safety.”