66th SPA Conference - 15th & 16th October 2007
Welcome to delegates
Chairman Graham Sutherland opened the 66th Conference of the Sheet Plant Association by welcoming around 60 delegates to the opening session at the Holiday Inn Runcorn on Monday October 15th 2007.
Representatives from new members N Smith, CRP Print & Packaging, Korsnas UK and Neil Osment Associates were introduced, as were visitors from Anderson Containers, Reedbutt, Board Products Stoke and Sigma2 Solutions.
Safety training on line
The first speaker was Hugh Owen, of Safety Media, who gave a presentation of his company’s safety-related E-training package. Hugh began by explaining that, in these days of increased computer literacy and the proliferation of pc’s in both the home and the workplace, there is a growing role for computer-based employee training.
Safety Media offers pc based health and safety training that includes a suite of risk assessment tools and incident reporting software that may be web or intranet based. The content may be tailored to the needs of the individual client, and the inclusion of a management module allows for ongoing monitoring of employees progress. Employers using the package are assured that there is consistency of content, and that weaknesses in the understanding of specific elements by individual employees is constantly measured and dealt with. Individuals may undertake to do their training at home, or at work or both, and a single database provides a permanent record of compliance for future reference.
The system is said to reduce training costs, may even reduce insurance costs, and is updated to take account of any changes in legislation.
Swanline Print
From the date of its purchase in 2001 from its previous owners, the turnover of Stone, Staffs bases Swanline Print has grown from £350,000 to around £5 million. Managing Director Nick Kirby explained that the activities of the business had been re-focussed, and that Swanline was now firmly established as a trade only quality specialist printed packaging supplier, offering a range of high quality print options such as litho lamination, screen print and film lamination with full complementary die cutting and multi point gluing.