Door Industry Journal - Winter 2019

17 THE door industry journal winter 2019 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk industry news Training: the heartbeat of dhf : One of the areas for which dhf has become most known, is its exceptional training offering. In the past year alone, 787 people have been trained by dhf , with 563 candidates attending the two-day safety diploma courses and 224 trainees opting for the one-day safety training certificate. 84 fire door courses were held with BRE Academy. In all, more than 2500 individuals have now completed at least one of dhf ’s safety training courses, whether a diploma or certificate course, and in October 2018, it announced the launch of a new one-day automated gate safety certificate course. There is little doubt that the organisation’s move to state-of-the-art training facilities in September 2018, has resulted in a significant swell in numbers, demonstrating the federation’s continuing dedication to training. In fact, in 2018, dhf beat its training target by a healthy 9%. The launch of a new online booking and payment system last October, for would-be delegates of their training courses, has undeniably contributed to this increase; it has provided ‘speed’ and ‘ease’ for both members and non-members and reduced the administrative booking and payment procedure from days to mere minutes. This summer, dhf continued to ‘set the standard’ by offering Ofqual-regulation training, and in doing so, became the UK’s very first organisation to offer an official theory-based qualification for three of the industries it serves: the automated gate, industrial door and domestic garage door sectors. The formal qualifications are recognised by employers and are vital in demonstrating a competent workforce. It is another feather in dhf ’s cap, so to speak, and is described by Bob as ‘a game changer’, bringing the federation “one step closer to our objective: to offer a ‘one stop shop’ for our members and respond effectively to their needs. We are already widely renowned as experts in technical knowledge and training; now, we can add accredited courses to our ever-expanding list of benefits.” ‘Gate Safety Week’ becomes ‘Gate Safety Month’: Of course, dhf and ‘Gate Safety Week’ have become synonymous with one another. The now-national campaign to ‘make gates safe’ is a dhf initiative and was started six years ago. It has become a crusade supported by some of the most influential organisations in the security, enforcement, inspection, education and safety sectors, with The British Safety Council, the British Safety Industry Federation, (BSIF), the Federation of Private Residents’ Landlords (FPRA), the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) choosing to support its objectives. The federation’s continuing crusade has been credited with bringing the issue of unsafe automated gates ‘from the margin to the mainstream’ and in September 2019, it was announced that ‘Gate Safety Week’ would, in fact, become ‘Gate Safety Month’. “Essentially, ‘Gate Safety Week’ is a year-long campaign; we never stop lobbying for safer standards in the installation and maintenance of automated gates,” says Bob. “By using the month of October to highlight the issues around the dangers of unsafe gates, we are shining an even greater spotlight on what can go wrong, and how to prevent accidents and worse, fatalities.” And in July of this year, and in an effort to extend its training offering to a wider audience, dhf held its very first one-day public Automated Gate Group Certificate Course in Dublin, Ireland. “Another successful year for dhf has set the scene to continue our good work, both for the industry and the public,” concludes Bob, “and we have much to look forward to. This year will also see the launch of CSCS cards, an NVQ Assessment Centre, a new training website and further additions to our workforce. We continue to expand our training offering and welcome new members, with their needs up-front-and-centre. Moreover, dhf remains an acknowledged and pioneering ‘Centre of Excellence’. We are always looking forward.” For more information visit: www.dhfonline.org.uk