Manny's final words for 2011

Thought I would just wish you all a very happy and safe festive season and let you see me in my new hat! Thank you very much Lisa for my pressie!

I'm really looking forward to 2012 as there are lots of exciting things coming up at Combined Team Services so there will be plenty to fill you in on. So, don't forget to come back in January to check it all out!

CTS - where your training matters

Christmas Greetings from Manny!

Check out what me and the guys at CTS get up to!  Here we are dressed up as elves having loads of fun. http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/HLSCi2Z2DMHavy8n?cmpid=ey_url
(My mate is on annual leave and while Manny's mate is away Manny plays!!)


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Fully grown moustache - looking good!!

As it is now the end of Movember, I thought you would all be interested in seeing Manny with his fully grown moustache! Tomorrow will see him having to shave it off but as he quite likes himself with one he is sure to grow another.

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Fun at our Christmas Party

Twenty of us had fun at our annual Staff Christmas Party held at the Yallingup Maze last weekend. Just over an hour after piling on the bus we were at our venue - I am not sure how much more our driver Sheryl could have coped with as there was really off-key singing all the way!

The events and timing on the day was organised by Amanda from the Yallingup Maze. After morning tea on the verandah she organised us in to six teams of three members - the Pink Skulls, Stars, Sea Creatures (Jelly Dudes), Geckos, Waves and Pitt Pass. One member of our party was the adjudicator watching for cheating from the tower and Manny was the official spectator (not that he saw much, he just couldn't make it up all those stairs!). There was a lot of yelling, doubling back and misinformation bandied about between the teams and I felt sorry for those people not in our party trying to complete the puzzle as everyone sped pass them on the race to the finish. The winning team was the Pink Skulls but we know they cheated somehow! It took them just 32 minutes to complete the puzzle with last place getter's, the Waves, taking 40 minutes. We all agreed that we had the best fun ever!

We had pre-ordered our lunch from the menu so it wasn't long before we were all tucking in and sitting around reminiscing about our exploits of the morning. Amanda then brought us over some puzzles to attempt and some of them were very very tricky! Those that were more athletic played cricket in the park whilst those that didn't want to be defeated by the puzzles kept on solving them.

By mid-afternoon we packed up to leave but a necessary toilet stop about halfway home had us dropping in to see one of our staff members on maternity leave. Just imagine her face when 19 people turned up to use the facilities!!!! She took it in her stride and we were soon back on the bus and heading  to Bunbury.

More food was waiting for us at the home of the owners for those who wanted to stay for a BBQ so the party continued for quite a few more hours. Manny didn't even make it off the bus, he fell asleep on the way home and just kept sleeping until he was dropped back to his Confined Space the next morning.

  

Variety is the spice of the CTS Christmas Party and each year we do something different. Some of the more recent ones have been a Pirate Murder Party, Collie River Cruise with Dinner, Bunbury's Amazing Race and the Etmilyn Diner train. Thank you very much to Karen and John for treating us to this years fantastic day out. But, I can't wait to see what unfolds next year!

CTS - where your training matters

Movember at CTS

Being a predominantly female company, it has fallen to Manny to be the CTS face of Movember.

Helping Sheryl at the November SHREP course

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Australia and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

Many thanks to everyone who supports this very worthwhile cause.

This is Manny's effort so far for the month, don't forget to check him out at the end of November!

CTS - where your training matters

Invited but not present at the BNI meeting

I was shocked to discover that although an invitation had been issued for me to attend the latest BNI meeting, that the invitation had not been passed on. Aside from the fact that it would have got me out of my Confined Space, it was a great networking opportunity that I MISSED - plus they have a scrummy breakfast at the meetings!

Imagine further my horror when I discovered that my followers had been asking after me and, through no fault of my own, I had disappointed them. Another member of the BNI, Spencer Signs, gave a presentation on their signage with emphasis on the fantastic benefits to be had advertising on company cars. All of our vehicles have had the Spencer Signs treatment and we have been very happy with the favourable response we have received. Call them on 9726 2250 if you want more details and tell them Manny sent you!

Here are some of the photos taken on the morning - you will notice I am not starring in any of them!!

Spencer Signs and CTS Cars with Owners

3 BNI members show their company cars with signage

CTS - where your training matters

How many photos can we take in a minute? - 11.11.11

The ABC posed the question of "How many photos can we take in a minute?" to capture a slice of history. Due to daylight saving and our multiple time zones it will be 11.11 somewhere in Australia for 10 minutes, which is pretty cool if you think about it!

I will be taking a photo of whatever Manny is up to at 11.11 today and uploading the photo to the blog as well as adding his photo to the ABC Facebook Page. There are some great photos on there already, you should check them out and then come back here and look at ours later!

This is what Manny was doing - he was just hanging around in the Confined Space Entry training area harness just waiting for his students to appear!

Using the harness in the Confined Space Training Facility

Manny's photo has now been updated on the ABC Facebook page - some of the photos are really great, you should check them out and "like" Manny if you do!!

CTS - where your training matters

Goldfields Minerals Processing Project - Rob Brogan, Lead Trainer

Although Manny and I are mainly involved in the training of Confined Space Entry (CSE), Working Safely at Heights (WSAH) and the Safety Representatives Course, other trainers and staff at Combined Team Services (CTS) have skills in different areas. Rob Brogan is primarily involved with our Resource Processing mining clients and is working on a major project to train 40 employees in either the Certificate III in Resource Processing or Certificate IV in Resource Processing from the one site. He makes regular flying visits to the Goldfields (in a very small plane!) to see the students and he sent me these photos showing one of  the bigger "toys" he stumbled across. He was most impressed that his head didn't touch the top of the tyre! Rob's time on site is spent observing, mentoring and training the students and customising the manuals to take in to account the various working conditions and site specific equipment. He is also available at our Bunbury offices on a regular basis for project work and catch-up time with his other students.


I'm just not tall enough

Hopefully there is no driver in there!

Before joining Combined Team Services, Rob worked at the Greenbushes mine site of Talison Minerals as a Process Operator but by the time he left he had also spent time as the Plant Co-ordinator.

Being passionate about safety and emergency response, Rob completed his Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety last year and is heavily involved in his local community having completed his Bush Fire Fighting Training and is a volunteer for his local Fire Station.

He enjoys passing on his knowledge to others so who knows what avenue he will pursue next! All of us at CTS enjoy his Scottish sense of humour so hopefully you will see him on our blog for some time to come.

CTS - where your training matters

Training in Confined Space Entry last week (26/10/2011)

Last week Sheryl and I conducted training in Enter and work in a confined space (RIIOHS202A) for a class at our Bunbury offices. The small class size was great - we had four guys from the same company - so they each spent a lot of time with Sheryl working in the confined space! They did an outstanding job of rescuing me (my size sometimes makes me a bit harder to manoeuvre) and were happy to have a photo taken with me showing how it was done.

CTS - where your training matters

Enter and work in a confined space training - 26th October 2011

Manny is really looking forward to next week as he has an Enter and work in a confined space course to participate in on Wednesday 26th October 2011.

Safe and sound!

He and Sheryl will be running the training and there will be a maximum of eight students to get through the course in the one day. The smaller class size means that there is more one-on-one training with each student and there is time for all participants to gain a thorough knowledge base of all aspects of the unit. Plus there is time for everyone to try all the various pieces of safety equipment covered by the course.

The training cost covers all theory and practical training, a workbook, catering for the day (Cafe Panini supplies our lunches), a Statement of Attainment and wallet card of the nationally recognised unit.

PLUS you may be eligible for a subsidy from the Construction Training Fund.

There are still a couple of places available on the course so contact us now if you need this training.

CTS - where your training matters

Skill Set for Mining Supervisors - BHP Contractor Course

Great news! We have now scheduled the Skill Set for Mining Supervisors course at our Bunbury office on the 2nd and 3rd November 2011.

The four units covered by the course are a pre-requisite for all supervisory contractors wishing to work on a BHP site. On successful completion of these nationally recognised units you will receive a Statement of Attainment and a wallet card to show your compliance.

The cost of the course includes a comprehensive learning manual and catering both days. Parking is available on site.

Comments made by previous students in answer to the question "What were the best aspects of the training?"

• Learning how to do the paperwork side of things and learning how to do a presentation.


• The overall presentation. New tools and skills I gained.


• Interaction and getting new ideas. Making me get out of comfort zone. Appreciating the requirements of the company to go ahead.


• Group discussions and feed backs from practical tasks.

Numbers are limited so enrol today and get your BHP compliance for your supervisors.

Our phone and email contacts are on our website

CTS - where your training matters

Safety Rep Course comes with a bonus St John's First Aid Kit

As Manny is off-site at the moment he has asked me to let you all know about our upcoming Safety Rep Course that is being run in November - the 21st to the 25th.

Our interactive five day course provides the essential knowledge and skills that elected Safety Representatives and other relevant supervisory/management personnel require to work within legislation. By completing the course and being found competent in the assessment set at the end of the week, you will gain partial completion of the Certificate III in Occupational Health and Safety (BSB30707) and receive a Statement of Attainment for 6 of the 12 units with your Certificate of Attendance. If you decide not to undertake the additional task you will still receive your Certificate of Attendance for completing the course.

The cost of our course this November includes 5 days of training, a comprehensive workbook, free assessment against six nationally recognised units of the Certificate III in Occupational Health and Safety and morning tea, a light lunch and afternoon tea on all 5 days of the course. As a BONUS and in the interests of promoting safe work practices we are giving all participants on this course date a FREE St John's First Aid Kit for their car once all course fees have been paid and the course completed.

PLUS you may be eligible to receive a subsidy through the Construction Training Funding.

  
Please access the CTS Training Calendar on our website to see costs and dates of upcoming Safety Rep Courses.

CTS - where your training matters

National Bike to Work Day - 12th October 2011

We at CTS really like to get behind the events happening in our community and this year we once again joined the thousands across the nation cycling to work. This event is sponsored by Bike Western Australia with the following objectives: 

• Getting More People Cycling More Often through our participation events, campaigning and community initiatives
• Improving the health of Western Australians and our community
• Serious Fun for Recreational Cyclists

That wasn't hard!

Naturally I led the charge cycling up the Highway and collected the rest of the team on my way to work - fortunately we live close to each other and close to work! But, being a competitive bunch we still had to race each other - following the road rules of course. I broke the tape first and the others limped in behind.

Exhaustion setting in

I put on such a sprint at the end that I toppled over and now I am definitely the CTS Crash Test Dummy.

Over I go!

CTS - where your training matters

Enter and Work in a Confined Space training in Busselton

On Monday Sheryl and I went to the Busselton Waste Water Treatment Plant to help some of the team get their Enter and Work in a Confined Space (RIIOHS202A) competency.

The weather was great, the water very blue and the confined space stuffy. SO stuffy in fact that I collapsed and had to be rescued by some of my course mates with their newly discovered skills. The Senior First Aiders in the group administered CPR (my ribs are still hurting) but I am happy to report that I made a miraculous recovery without the aid of the smelling salts. So I was able to join the CTS team on our annual "Bike to Work" on Wednesday, which was a relief as they couldn't have done it without me.

Oh yes, we found them all competent and then the guys went on to do Work Safely at Heights (RIIOHS204A) with Murray the following day.

CTS - where your training matters

Skill Set for Mining Supervisors - Nationally Recognised Training

Hi Jim in answer to your query in the comments on the last post,

The Combined Team Services course "Skill Set for Mining Supervisors" contains the four units of competency that comply with the requirements needed by Supervisors to work on BHP and other mine sites. The units offered are RIICOM301A Communicate information, RIIRIS301A Apply risk management processes, RIIBEF402A Supervise on-site operations and BSBMGT401A Show leadership in the workplace. Our trainers can deliver the program over 2 or 3 days on your site or ours as long as you have a suitable training venue and we can customise the course to suit your safety requirements. If you already have the skills and knowledge required to be assessed against the four units of competency you may be able to utilise our comprehensive online RPL service - just call or email us and we can guide you through the process.

We have offered the course on site in the goldfields and Perth as well as in our Bunbury training rooms so I am sure we will be able to accommodate you - just contact us through here and we can take it from there.

Thanks for asking about the course, I hope I have been helpful!

CTS - where your training matters

Manny's New Mentor

Meet my new mate Sheryl!

Sheryl going over course material with me

Sheryl started work at CTS this week and already we are firm friends - here she is showing me some updates in our Skill Set for Mining Supervisors course. She will be helping faciliate this course in Perth next week and then doing CSE training for one of our clients in Busselton next week. I'm trying to convince her to let me tag along but no luck so far!

Before joining us, Sheryl enjoyed working with The Laminex Group, Alcoa, Millennium Cristal Global and the South West Institute of Technology. And earlier this year she spent time as a tour guide/coach driver at Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks, so ask her about these fabulous places when you next see her. Will have to keep my eye on her in case she wants to do ALL the high risk training, my family needs the income.

CTS - where your training matters

Prime Industrial Products Visit

Yesterday I took the opportunity to have a yarn with my friends at Prime Industrial Products in Bunbury. CTS have purchased many items from them including the harness being modelled below by my fellow trainer, Orlando.

So, take the time to visit or call Mike and the team and check out their fantastic products - the number is on the ute!!!



Orlando, our OHS and Quality Auditing trainer, helps me sometimes when we are holding Confined Space Entry training. Last time he just couldn't resist having a go in the harness and, as you can see, he thought he was Tinkerbell! We have a great time on these courses learning all we have to learn and having a laugh at the same time.


So join us next time you want to learn, laugh and be found competent!

CTS - where your training matters

Walk to Work - 16/09/2011

Cancer Council Walk to Work day was on Friday 16 September 2011 this year and most of us "tried" to walk to work or walk from parking close to work.

Being of a more robust build than some of the others here my mate Manny took the chance to rest, check out the Bunbury skyline and scan for dolphins.

Great exercise, great cause!

CTS - where your training matters

Manny goes to Northam - May 2011 for Department of Health

I recently spent a week in Northam helping one of our Safety Rep course trainers run the course for 13 participants.

Here I am taking part in a simulated workplace accident - don't worry, I didn't hurt myself, I'm just a really good actor!

I was soon back on deck at our Bunbury office helping out on the Enter and work in a confined space, Working safely at heights and Safety Rep courses. I really enjoy my time in the classroom and believe I am a real asset to the team.

As the other trainers say, "Keep up the good work Manny!".

CTS - where your training matters

Action photos from latest training day

Hey Manny

How much fun was that the other day?

You looked awesome in the stretcher but Orlando was just a bit rough with you!

You'll be able to practice your skills at the Enter and work in a confined space course on the 12th May with all the other participants.

Looking forward to hearing how it went when you get a chance.

CTS - where your training matters

Returning to Work - Manny

Back to work

After quite an extended break (I tried pirating for a while but it didn't pay well enough to support the family) I am back in action doing what I do best - helping to train others.

When you book in to a course at Combined Team Services use me to practice your Confined Space Entry and Work Safely at Heights training.  I am working with a new trainer/assessor as well as welcoming back Murray.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!

CTS - where your training matters