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Flogas Maintaining its Lpg Gas Engineer Standards at In-house Training Facility

Rurally located in picturesque Shakespeare country is Flogas’ in-house lpg training facility at Binton near Stratford Upon Avon. There, Flogas ensures that its engineers are kept abreast of the latest practises and that their service levels meet the standards required by the company and the Gas Safe Register.

Flogas’ training centre at Binton was set up by the company’s technical installations and maintenance manager Andy Mackie two years ago, providing the company with a base to train and audit its lpg engineers.

“Although there is a large training room in which theoretical aspects of the training can be discussed with the lp gas engineers, it’s the hands on outdoor facilities that have been developed that are most beneficial to me as the trainer, and also to the lpg engineers’ learning,” said Andy.

In the grounds of the centre lie a number of different lpg installations and applications that simulate real life tasks that lp gas engineers may come across in their day-to-day work, including lpg gas cylinder installations, a simulated metered housing estate, and an autogas dispensing tank and system.

Flogas’ lp gas engineers visit the training centre at least once a year to ensure that their working standards still reach those required by Flogas and the Gas Safe Register, under which lpg engineers must be audited annually on gas work. At the same time, Flogas undertakes an internal audit of other aspects of engineers’ lpg installations, tests and checks, including 10-year thorough tank testing, annual liquid inspection for liquid dispensing installations, liquid transfer using vapour compressor and vessel valve replacement.

Flogas’ head office-based emergency team manages calls from customers that are concerned with their lpg gas supply, and all emergency team staff are given starter and refresher training at the training centre so that they are familiar with the workings of the equipment, helping them to visualise the set-up when talking to customers over the phone. Area sales managers who have daily contact with current and prospective customers also benefit from basic technical training to help them convey technical information to customers, as well as understand matters, such as lp gas tank positioning regulations.

“The training centre at Binton has been central to Flogas developing and testing new procedures used in the field by lpg engineers,” said Andy. “New working practices are developed at the centre, with thorough testing taking place before lpg gas engineers begin using these procedures on a customer’s site. This has enabled practices, such as enhanced valve testing and re-valving vessels, to be carried out on customer sites thanks to the ability to trial the procedure beforehand. This makes for a more efficient engineering service for the customer, as well as a more streamlined engineering approach within Flogas.”

Phil Wayne, a Flogas lpg engineer, had been working as a cylinder and tanker driver for three years in the Midlands. Phil showed an interest in training to become an lp gas engineer, so Flogas decided to develop his initial skills at its training centre whilst he continued to work for the installations team at its Merrylees Depot in Leicestershire. Phil spent six months training and carried out his hands on portfolio, required to pass his ACS accreditation, at Binton. He accompanied this training with time spent in the field with Flogas’ head engineer Steve Palmer.

Steve said: “I believe Phil’s hands on experience at Flogas’ training centre helped him gain a greater understanding of lpg installations and maintenance in advance of the ACS assessment.”

With plans to install a large tank at the training site, Flogas lp gas engineers will soon be able to gain skills in large tank testing within a controlled environment – a test that is currently contracted externally.

“The training and testing facilities in place at Flogas’ Stratford Upon Avon centre will continue to ensure Flogas’ employees are trained to a high standard so customers receive the very best level of service,” said Andy. “Whilst there are no current plans to open up the training centre to non-Flogas employees, the facilities available could allow for it to be useful to contractors and apprentices in the future. However, for now at least, it will continue to help maintain technical standards within the lpg industry through that of Flogas staff.”

Contact Flogas UK Ltd on 0116 264 9000 www.flogas.co.uk

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