WINTER
DECEMBER 2019
InSite Staying ahead If there is any consensus in the current political turmoil, it surely is centred on the need to build more homes. Confident of strong demand ahead, and with a successful year behind us, we are more determined than ever to maintain our position as the number one provider of aircrete to the housebuilding industry.
H+H Group is very supportive of our work in the UK – our region is widely regarded as one of the most significant production operations within the Group. Over the last two years we have talked publicly a great deal about the upgrade to the Borough Green plant, but significant changes are also being instituted in Pollington. Changes which are starting to produce the results we are looking for in terms of improved safety and increasing efficiency. Keeping people safe is our first priority, and I am delighted with the roll-out of the driver safety initiative, spearheaded by Commercial
Director, Kelly Hunter and Russell Austwick, our Distribution and Warehouse Manager. This involves some wide-ranging guidance across both our teams and our distribution partners, but top of the list was the urgent need to ensure noone needs to climb on the back of a lorry to load it. Introduced quickly and efficiently, this initiative should be considered as a blueprint for changing working practice for the better and I look forward to seeing a range of similar schemes emerging in Pollington as we work towards increasing the output of the plant. Calum Forsyth, Managing Director
Pollington prepares With very clear production targets, the Pollington plants are undergoing a quiet revolution to hit the numbers. While there is considerable ongoing financial investment, the major issues are not around machinery or technology; the biggest gains can be made from unleashing the enthusiasm and potential of the 150 or so people who form the Pollington Team.
A new broom Visitors to the plants will immediately sense a change of direction. A newly organised yard, refurbished offices and a focus on cleaning the factory all point to a collective sense of pride. And for anyone visiting the site by vehicle, the changes are very apparent indeed. “Our number one priority was to address safety issues” begins Distribution and Warehouse Manager Russell Austwick. “Working at height is a huge safety issue for us and for our distribution partners: we needed to stop people climbing onto lorries during the loading process.” Working with the yard team we have come up with an entirely new process for loading lorries and then got everyone – including the hauliers and the Health and Safety Executive – on side to implement a new regime. “Keedwells, the main haulier from Pollington, saw the value immediately,” Russell continued. “They have a dual safety responsibility for their people and for the safety of the load in transit, so they were happy to work with us on designing the new processes.”
Time and motion Kelly Hunter, Director in charge of logistics, was completely behind this important initiative, and saw wider benefits to a review of safety. “Our safety review prompted us also to consider how reorganising the yard could contribute to the efficiency of the plant logistics.” Safety is the number one consideration, but efficiency is important too. Yard Manager Craig Carter is keen to point out the new ways of working. “We have entirely changed the traffic flow around the yard. We have separated goods vehicles from visitor cars, instituted a strict one-way policy and moved the yard office. Not only is it much safer, but also much more efficient. The delivery guys get their paperwork immediately, waiting time is reduced and the whole process runs much more smoothly.” Changing ingrained habits is not always easy but with the team on side the introduction of the new system has gone well. “Our priority now is to maintain the progress,” says Kelly Hunter. “Everyone visiting the site needs to understand the new working practices to make sure no-one reverts back to previous habits.” To help this process a new handbook has been introduced detailing everything about the new loading systems. Every delivery vehicle has a copy and a large, poster-sized version is prominently displayed by the yard office.
An inside job While the newly organised yard makes an immediate impression, changes inside the plants are equally significant, and here too safety considerations are leading the way.
“We want any visitor to our plants to feel immediately safe, in control and impressed,” summarises Operations Director Phil Ball. “With safety our first priority, we have significantly increased our reporting process. We need not only to eliminate incidents but also to understand why they happen and change behaviour to stop them emerging at all. “Then we need to put our people centre stage: create an environment where everyone recognises that they have a say in how the plant is run. “No-one understands a task better than the person responsible for doing it day after day. You can read all the process management books you like, but nothing compares with an operative saying: “Perhaps if we tried it like this….”
A progress route Pollington long-timer Andy Goldspink is noticing the change. “The refurbishment work going on here shows that the company is bothered about its employees and is investing to make the plant better. “It’s also great that the company is open to supporting people who want to progress – the opportunities are there for anyone who wants to do something that adds value.”
Planning for growth Interim Production Manager Artur Hilmi is keen to capitalise on the knowledge of the Pollington people. “When the whole team is truly focused on improvement, problems can be anticipated – rather than reacted to. “Planned and proactive maintenance reduces downtime and the H+H teams can handle more of this in house rather than looking to outside contractors to help us out of problems.”
Getting rid of the bottlenecks While increasing output volume last year, the plants nevertheless faced some headwinds. The installation of the new packing line was one very challenging project, but now it is operational one potential bottleneck should be removed from the production process. For Project Engineer Leyton Austin, further gains can be made by identifying where those bottlenecks occur and finding solutions. “We are currently working on eight active projects. It’s about constantly pushing the boundaries and making the most of marginal improvements.” As Art observes: “Both plants have performed well this year – we have had some issues along the way and there is a lot of room for improvements. Bringing our business up to world-class level will take time, but we are definitely on the way.”
H+H UK Ltd Celcon House Ightham Sevenoaks Kent, TN15 9HZ hhcelcon.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 88644