When you're reaching for your much needed, refreshing cup of tea, do you ever think how it reached you from plant to packet?
For CHSS's Lead Consultant, Dr Geoff Lloyd all the aspects of tea production were uppermost in his mind when he visited one of Finlays largest tea plantations in Kericho, Kenya to review health and safety and put together a training programme for the managers at James Finlays, Kenya (JF(K)) where 24 million kgs of tea are produced per year.
James Finlays is part of the Swire Group and produce tea and fair-trade accredited flowers at their site in Kenya .
Following a first week spent reviewing all aspects of health and safety, Dr Lloyd provided the managers at Finlays Kenya with an intensive training course, specifically designed for their needs. The course was for managers involved with tea production and also the fair-trade hydroponic (growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid with nutrients but no soil) flower production for Worldflowers and Omniflora.
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The course covered key issues of:
- Health and safety management system models
- Policy setting
- Communications for health and safety
- Machinery hazards and their control
- Transport safety precautions
- Fire safety management
- Physical hazards such as noise
- Ergonomic hazards such and lifting and carrying heavy loads.
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This was an integrated training course using interactive classroom delivery, syndicate exercises, practical sessions and video footage. The team responded very professionally to the course and there was a very delighted 100% pass rate.
One of the Senior Managers, Wesley Bosuben, commented that, "The course is very relevant to Finlays operations and will help to enhance health and safety management in the company."
Dr Geoff Lloyd said, "It was fascinating to see the Finlays plantation in operation with the processing factories, 16,000 employees and over 60,000 dependants on site with their own hospitals and schools. Every time I drink a cup of tea I am reminded of my time in Kenya and working with such a dedicated and professional team". | 
