The British Fluid Power Association launches new Hose Assembly Skills Training Programme

Published:  24 May, 2011

The British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) has introduced a new practical, workshop-based course titled ‘The BFPA Hose Assembly Skills Training Programme’. Following in logical succession to the Association’s complementary ‘Foundation Course in Working Safely with Hydraulic Hose and Connectors’ launched in January 2010, the Skills Course takes this basic level of knowledge and trains to a fully assessed level of ability in hose assembly techniques.

The Hose Assembly Skills Training Programme has been written and developed using the expertise available to the BFPA and sets out to establish a benchmark for training people involved in hose assembly. As part of the two-day course, trainees are provided with their own personalised, attractively bound training manual featuring detailed colour images and diagrams, together with easy-to-follow technical guidance. The manual comprises six chapters: thread awareness, hose assembly, contamination, tightening of connectors, hose assembly routing & installation and hose management.

During the course, trainees are taught to identify parts of hose and types of fittings, how to measure and cut a hose and how to assemble and install it correctly. As with the Foundation Course, key safety considerations are also explained as part of the Skills Course. After completing the course to the satisfaction of an adjudicator or trainer, trainees receive a certificate and are registered on the BFPA‘s national database.

Continuing the successful format of the Foundation Course, the BFPA is now in the process of franchising the Skills Training Programme to a number of experienced private training companies and institutions, as well as to independent freelance trainers. Trainees will then be able to attend the course at their own site location or at the trainer’s own premises. Some of the larger fluid power organisations have already assimilated both the Foundation and Skills courses within their own internal staff training regimes. The BFPA is also talking to other trade associations whose members regularly use hydraulic hose and related equipment with a view to encouraging these societies and their members to adopt the course as their recognised standard in hose assembly and safety.

BFPA director Ian Morris commented: “We introduced the Foundation Course at the beginning of last year in the realisation that there was a requirement for a one-day course that clearly spelt out how individuals can work more safely with hose and related equipment. This has proved to be highly successful; so far attracting around 330 trainees from both major hydraulic and engineering organisations as well as from smaller companies nationwide. The new Skills Course provides the natural next stage, providing more practical-based training and setting out to establish a recognised standard in hose assembly.”

 

To book your place on the Skills Course please call 01608 647900 or email enquiries@bfpa.co.uk

Sign up for the PWE newsletter

Latest issue

To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Plant & Works Engineering, click here.

View the past issue archive here.

To subscribe to the journal please click here.

Poll

"How is your manufacturing business preparing for a net Zero target?"






Twitter