22-12-2022

Hidden Savings: The incredible value of proper training

Almost every refinery, chemical plant or manufacturing facility has experienced that horrible moment. The moment a pump fails, an injury occurs or a release happens. How many of these moments could have been avoided through proper training? That is a difficult question, but what we do know is accidents happen for a reason and can be avoided through proper training.  This happens countless times every day when operations and maintenance tasks are executed safely because the men and women working in the unit, running the board and supervising the shift are properly trained.

Hidden savings is the biggest issue in justifying spending on training programs. With most investments that refineries make, there is a cost benefit analysis that guides budgets and willingness to purchase. At Becht, we are often called in to create training programs for two specific scenarios: plant start-ups where training is required or after a catastrophic event has occurred, fines are being levied and senior management is required to satisfy government agencies or legal orders. However, we know there should be a third scenario, bigger than the other two; continuing education, training, and knowledge retention programming.  This is critical for existing plants, regardless of current reliability and safety metrics, to help prevent issues from happening and reversing the hidden savings to very real losses. Is that continuing education a priority on your plant’s operations and HR plan?

In a world where your employees have many options and  your most knowledgeable workers are retiring, it is more critical than ever for leaders to develop competent, effective, and efficient  retention strategies. When your workforce knows their safety is taken seriously and is given learning opportunities to advance their careers, there is a greater likelihood that employee turnover rates will be low. It’s another way that effective training programs can increase productivity and profits by creating the absence of a negative. It’s not often measurable. It’s not glamorous. But the impact is immense.

You Can’t Afford to Skip Training! The Becht Performance Group https://becht.com/plant-services/performance-group/ <https://becht.com/plant-services/performance-group/>  will work collaboratively with you to ensure that your workforce is safe and efficient, your training curricula is rigorous and focused on best practices, and your leadership teams are up to the task of cultivating and maintaining excellence.  We can review where your company stands currently and assist in making actionable plans for the future. Contact Becht today.