On-site H&S training delivers significant benefits for Rylib Group

A proactive approach to safety and a commitment to fostering a safe working environment for employees led dairy farming company Rylib Group to Business Canterbury’s in-house training opportunities. 

With the Rylib Group team due for a health and safety update, Rylib Group People, Brand & Culture Libby Nicholls approached the learning and development team at Business Canterbury to customise a ‘Skills for Safety Champions’ training workshop for their employees.

This included an overview of the importance of health and safety in dairy farming operations and how key regulations and standards applicable to dairy farming operations, risk management in dairy farming and risk assessment methodologies and tools, strategies for mitigating risks and avoiding legal and financial liabilities, and the identification of unique challenges faced in maintaining health and safety on dairy farms, as well as best practices and innovative solutions for overcoming these challenges.

Ms Nicholls worked closely with the Business Canterbury team to ensure the content aligned with their key training objectives. “We have partnered with Business Canterbury in the past and they consistently go above and beyond to ensure they are meeting our needs. They were proactive and professional and were in frequent contact leading up to the training to ensure the content, branding and overall feel of the day was how we wanted it to be executed. They took the time to understand our exact requirements for the training and delivered just that.”

Choosing on-site training also meant more people could attend the training, says Ms Nicholls. “Having Business Canterbury deliver on site meant we could have a bigger audience – and farm managers could be there too to see what their team is learning about and what will be implemented on farm following the training. As a Group, we are always looking to improve, and the more people engaged in health and safety, and willing to challenge status quo, ultimately means the better the workplace we can provide is.” 

She says the format also enabled staff to relax and openly share among their colleagues, while receiving content that was specific to their challenges. “The training was a success. It was a more relaxed environment for the team, with relatable content, as well as being a comfortable space to ask questions and use real-life examples. They were able to have a laugh while also learning from real-life data. As our own health and safety reporting was used, it meant the team could dive deeper into that incident or situation to understand improvements in process better. It meant for more ‘real’ conversation and better learning.”

Already Ms Nicholls says they have seen the benefits of the training in their operations. “I have seen an immediate change in our reporting. That has been an area of our business we needed improvement, so it is great to see more in-depth reporting. This has a huge impact on our business as we can accurately determine trends to minimise or mitigate future harm. In an industry where health and safety sometimes isn’t taken seriously, it is outstanding to see all our teams prioritising this on their farms.” 

To help promote health and safety with staff, the company recently included two specific health and safety awards in their Annual Performance Awards, which were presented at an evening event on 6 July. The Driving the Cultural Change of Health and Safety Award went to Haze Poutai – Akitu Dairies, and the Health and Safety Management Award went to Cherie Thorne – Delarbe Farm. Both health and safety awards were supported by Business Canterbury. 

“We have seen a huge push in this sector through changing the culture. By including these in our awards it has meant the buy in from the younger team members has improved and the cultural change in our business has too.

“We were thrilled to partner with Business Canterbury and receive two vouchers for full day trainings that were very gratefully received by our two health and safety award recipients – I am excited to see their growth after they have used their training. I also frequently train with Business Canterbury in my own professional development as it is a guaranteed enjoyable day, filled with proven knowledge and great networking.”

The organisation also offers employee assistance programme OCP to all employees, and delivers Good Yarn workshops, with the aim of providing an opportunity for the team to come together to discuss mental health.

To discuss customised on-site training for your workplace, contact Business Canterbury Learning Coordinator Losa Wang: losaw@cecc.org.nz 

Or check out our upcoming training opportunities, including health and safety workshops, here.