Groundforce Training is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, safe in the knowledge it has helped thousands of workers within utilities, construction and civil engineering stay equally as safe on site.
The business was established in 2013 by a team of industry experts with the goal of providing practical and effective training solutions for excavation support safety. So positive was the response from the industry that it was only a year later that it opened a new, purpose-built training facility in Worksop.
Another year later and Groundforce Training appointed Chris Gearren as general manager and he was quickly awarded Chartered Membership of the IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health), at the same time as the business was awarded Gold Provider by the EEIAS (Energy and Efficiency Independent Assessment Service).
The industry firsts, awards and recognitions have flooded in since – the pioneering accredited training on EMVs (Excavator Mounted Vibrators) and Pre-Augers in 2016, CITB Approved Training Organisation status in 2018 and winning the Water Industry Training Organization of the Year award in 2022.
Groundforce Training partnered with Loughborough University and Bridgewater and Taunton College. The business continued to operate through the pandemic and launched a new dedicated online booking service. The CITB Levy Scheme, allows Groundforce Training to help fund delegates, and is also signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant.
In the past 10 years, Groundforce Training have delivered a range of courses from their dedicated training centre in Worksop and sites nationwide, from basic excavation awareness to advanced techniques for managing complex excavations, confined space training and health and safety. As well as IOSH and CITB, all the courses are accredited by Government organisations including the EUSR (Energy and Utility Skills Register) and many more, meaning participants can be confident they are receiving training of the highest standard.
Excavation work is inherently dangerous, and accidents can have serious consequences for both workers and businesses. By providing high-quality, practical training with its team of qualified personnel, Groundforce Training is helping to reduce the risks and improve safety on construction sites across the UK.
Chris Gearren said: "We are incredibly proud of everything we have achieved over the past decade and we have seen the positive impact that our training has had on the industry. We will continue to drive our message to protect those working around excavations."