Manufacturer’s a-Maze-ing training initiative

Lafarge Plasterboard has just completed a safety training event, which saw its staff across the UK and Ireland learn more about road safety in an innovative and memorable way.

With the help of driver-training organisation the TTC Group the company adapted TV’s ‘Crystal Maze’ programme as the basis of the month-long event. Some 400 staff at Lafarge’s head office and sites at Bristol, Ferrybridge, Grangemouth and Dublin had to answer quiz questions to move into different ‘zones’ – just like contestants on the Channel 4 show, which was popular in the 1990s.

“We have created four zones of home, office, factory and road, with physical and mental safety-related games for each subject,” said Karen Barksby, business unit health and safety manager at Lafarge.

All employees, including the MD, sales, customer services, engineers, production staff, contractors and administration staff took part in the event. Contestants had to win challenges to collect a crystal before they could move on to the next zone.

The TTC Group provided questions on speed limits, road signs, road hazards, trailer towing and spot-the-difference, with competitors winning a new copy of the highway code, and voucher prizes.

Said Karen Barksby: “The event has got off to a great start. Our thanks go to the TTC Group for supplying us with all the information on road safety. Early feedback from the teams is that it has been good fun and really useful to get each team talking about road safety and all the other safety issues.”

TTC’s Alan Prosser added: “We work with companies to improve road safety for their employees, so we are always more than happy to help firms such as Lafarge, who have initiated this well-devised safety-training event.”

For more information, please visit the www.ttcautomotive.co.uk