Building Safer Workplaces Together
AllTrain was proud to welcome members of the Horowhenua business community to our new Levin training facility for The Horowhenua Company Ltd's (THCL) Business After Five event on July 30th.
It was a fantastic opportunity to open our doors, introduce our new facility, and connect with local businesses that share our commitment to creating safer, stronger workplaces.
Celebrating our new Levin training facility
The evening began with AllTrain Director Maria Bayley sharing the story behind AllTrain and our journey to establishing a dedicated training facility in Levin.
Our investment in Horowhenua reflects our commitment to the communities that we work in and making high-quality driver and heavy machinery training more accessible for local businesses and individuals. Whether it's truck licensing, forklift training, working at heights, or workplace safety, our goal is simple: deliver practical training that builds confidence and helps people return home safely at the end of every day.
Guests also enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and live demonstrations from Troy Twomey (who was hanging around), showcasing safe working at heights and the importance of using the right equipment and following correct procedures.
Health & Safety changes: What businesses should know
A highlight of the evening was the engaging panel discussion led by Jan Houston of Houston Health & Safety Consultancy and Thane Young, Health & Safety Manager at Ō2NL.
Rather than overwhelming attendees with legal jargon, the discussion focused on practical advice businesses can start applying now as New Zealand prepares for upcoming Health & Safety legislative changes.
Some of the key takeaways included:
Listen to your people. Jan encouraged businesses to adopt a "You said, we did" approach, showing employees that their feedback leads to meaningful improvements.
Focus on your critical risks first. Ask yourself: What could seriously injure or kill someone in our workplace? Identifying and controlling these risks should always be the highest priority.
Health & Safety is about behaviour, not paperwork. Thane reminded attendees that good safety performance comes from creating a culture where safe practices are part of everyday work, not just something written in a manual.
These practical discussions gave attendees plenty to think about and reinforced that effective Health & Safety is about people, communication, and continuous improvement.
Building safer workplaces together
Events like THCL's Business After Five are a great reminder of the value of bringing local businesses together to share ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen our community. We're incredibly grateful to The Horowhenua Company Ltd and all their staff for hosting the event, to Jan Houston, Thane Young, and all the AllTrain staff for sharing their expertise, and to everyone who came along to network, ask questions, and support our new Levin training centre.
A special thank you also goes to The Old Courthouse Eatery for providing the delicious catering that kept everyone well fed throughout the evening.
We look forward to continuing to support Horowhenua businesses with practical, hands-on training that helps create safer workplaces across the region.
If you'd like to learn more about our training courses or visit our Levin facility, get in touch with the AllTrain team. We'd love to help you and your team build the skills and confidence to work safely.
