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Mentoring
Our mentoring programme has been
very valuable in supporting succession-planning efforts and helping
us meet the challenge of opening the way for capable people from
diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to succeed in Smiths. This
year we are extending the programme to target specific groups
such as graduates and young engineers aiming for charter status
in their chosen disciplines.
Lean initiatives
Active training and development
programmes operate in our businesses worldwide, and include a well-established
commitment to vocational training in a wide variety of skill areas.
As most of our companies move towards lean manufacturing, there
is intense focus on training that supports the lean initiatives
by ensuring that every employee understands the job they are expected
to do and the contribution they make to the company's success. By
focusing effectively and working in smarter ways, employees can
ensure they enjoy an interesting job and add value to Smiths. Lean
initiatives featured in our European Communication Forum discussions
in Lille this year, and delegates have taken the opportunity of
familiarising themselves with
best practice in Smiths. We have encouraged their visits within
the company, and on sites where we have recognised trade unions
they are also an important element of that partnership. In a highly
technology orientated company such as Smiths, it is essential for
us to retain the key skills and experience to fuel our future growth.
This is a clear message that all employees understand: it makes
for more knowledgeable, better-motivated, and better-rewarded employees
– wherever they work in the company.
Dignity at work
Throughout our businesses we
have standardised our approach to human resources policies and practices
to ensure that all employees receive fair and
equal treatment, and that every employee is afforded dignity at
work wherever in the group they are based. Respect for each other
in the workplace is a cornerstone of our business success and gives
employees pride in working for Smiths.
Health and safety
Our corporate management procedures
are designed to promote health and safety (H&S) as a business
issue rather than simply a compliance issue, and this fully supports
the company-wide lean manufacturing initiative.
The Chief Executive, Keith Butler-Wheelhouse, has taken the role
of Health and Safety director, through the director, Human Resources
– in line with a UK government recommendation – and will
keep the company's Board fully informed of all current H&S aspects.
We have also appointed a Health and Safety manager for North America
to our corporate H&S staff – gaining valuable new insights
into corporate H&S management from his previous experience in
risk management with a major insurance broker.
Policies and practices
The Smiths Group Policy Statement
for Health and Safety was revised in April to incorporate a commitment
to continuous improvement and make it truly global. Signed by the
Chief Executive and distributed to all the subsidiary businesses
through the group managing directors, its implementation will be
monitored
as part of the forthcoming internal audit programme.
Internal working groups, set up through the safety conferences,
represent all sectors of the Smiths Group, with
members from Portex, Aerospace (Cheltenham) and Vent-Axia as well
as the newer businesses Hamble Group, John Crane and Dowty Engineered
Seals. These groups are investigating the implications of new standards,
UK government initiatives such as 'Revitalising Health and Safety'
and 'Securing Health Together', and of our initial audit findings
during the year. The results were collated under four headings:
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'People' issues, which has generated a series
of reviews to ensure that HR and H&S policies are compatible
in areas of overlap such as induction training.
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Occupational health issues including
such hazards as stress, vibration, non-ionising radiations
and musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive motion tasks.
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Changes needed for us to achieve certification
under the emerging world-wide standard OHSAS 18001.
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Auditing activities, largely concerned with
arrangements for the imminent move to
internal auditing within each of our businesses. |
Where appropriate,
findings and recommendations from the on-going work of these groups
is being translated into template procedures for the Smiths Best
Practice Safety Manual.
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