UKWA - Driving up standards
October 10th 2007 A determination to drive up professional standards in the warehousing sector underpins UKWA’s activities, as the Association’s chief executive officer, Roger Williams, explains.
The United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) was established in 1944 to help with the distribution of vital supplies from war-time Britain’s Ports throughout the country. Since this time the Association has strived to improve professional standards within the logistics industry and, as a result, its terms of entry have always been notably more stringent than many other trade associations.
“The UKWA cannot afford to compromise on professional standards if it is to have long term credibility as a trade body and that is why the Association is seeking to take a lead in developing best practice within the logistics sector,” says Roger Williams, UKWA’s chief executive officer.
To become a member of the Association, all applicants must, in the first instance, undergo a rigorous inspection by a UKWA Council official to ensure that they operate to the highest minimum standards in 11 critical areas of warehousing. Only by demonstrating compliance with these standards can a company’s membership application be accepted.
However, it had long been a matter of concern to the Association that once this initial benchmark had been achieved no system was in place to force members to reconfirm that they continue to meet the UKWA’s required standards of excellence and so, in 2005 UKWA launched its Annual Audit scheme.
“Our ground-breaking audit scheme provides users of third party warehousing services with a guarantee of professional competency,” explains Roger Williams.
Roger Williams continues: “The Annual Audit – or AA– was devised by UKWA’s Operations and Safety committee in response to a groundswell of opinion that members should be asked to undertake regular operational audits as part of their conditions of membership.
“It is a self-assessment scheme based on UKWA’s existing and proven Standards of Warehousing. Member companies undertake the audit themselves and submit their report by a given date every year.” UKWA members’ compliance with the scheme is acknowledged by use of the AA logo – a distinctive red and blue design that features the widely recognised UKWA ‘warehouse roof-style’ symbol and also highlights the year of the assessment – alongside the individual company’s details on the Association website and in the UKWA Directory of Members’ Services.
Since its introduction nearly 70 per cent of members have undertaken the audit.
“The UKWA’s board is determined to develop the Annual Audit to a position where every member submits annual, compulsory and independent audits. However, it is of course vital that the development of the Annual Audit takes place in a consensual environment and we have a duty to explain the business benefits of participation to those yet to undertake the scheme,” says Roger Williams.
Training
A determination to drive up professional standards in the warehousing sector underpins UKWA’s activities and a trained workforce is one of the keys to achieving higher levels of professional competence within the sector. As an added value service to its members UKWA has recently entered into a partnership agreement with The Resources Group to provide training for members’ forklift truck drivers at attractive rates. The agreement means that, for the first time, UKWA will be provide training throughout the UK.
In addtion, the Association has been in discussion with the training arms of forklift truck manufacturers (and UKWA Associate Members) Translift and Jungheinrich to enable UKWA members to make use of their spare training capacity at competitive rates. “There are so many benefits to employing forklift truck drivers who are professionally trained,” says Roger Williams. “For example, turnaround is quicker and smoother, and accidental damage - to both the truck and the product being stored – is reduced. A sympathetically driven machine also enhances truck reliability and, needless to say, improves general safety throughout the facility where the truck is operational.”
Roger Williams continues: “Most truck operators have realised the significant cost benefits that are achieved by choosing a forklift truck supplier with the service and maintenance credentials and infrastructure required to ensure that truck downtime is kept to a minimum, However, many truck users – both the bigger fleet operators and the smaller one-off buyers – sometimes fail to see the substantial performance benefits that professionally trained operators can bring to their business.
“Of course, no one should be allowed to operate a truck without first receiving training but even experienced employees can benefit from refresher training. Refresher training may be required if, for example, the operator is involved in an accident or a near-miss incident or if he or she has been observed operating the vehicle in an unsafe manner. It should also be considered if there have been changes to the workplace that could impact on the safe operation of the truck or, perhaps, if the operator is assigned to use a different type of machine – say a reach truck when before they had operated counterbalanced vehicles.”
Roger Williams continues: “Training is vitally important to industry. Both the private and public sector is suffering skills gaps and shortages and dealing with some fundamental underlying problems that are damaging the UK’s productivity.
“For example, over 60 per cent of employers are finding it difficult to employ people who are up to the job; an estimated 2.4 million workers are considered less than fully proficient in their jobs; 40 per cent of employers report that they have employed somebody in the last year with less skill than they were seeking; 37 per cent of employers think the gap between the skills they need and the skills in the workforce is getting worse.
“This is all depressing but, I like to think that UKWA is doing its part to reduce the decline – certainly in the logistics sector anyway.” More articles from United Kingdom Warehousing Association: | 
