Academy for hydraulics-focused training

Hydraulic hose, fittings and service provider Hydraulink announced in November 2019 that it is setting up a training school to offer a range of hydraulics-focused training programs. ‘Hydraulink Academy’ will offer courses that combine communication, environmental, safety, service and technical skills, and will be available to hose centre staff, hydraulic field technicians and customers onsite at a customer facility or via a dedicated venue in Australia or New Zealand. It is intended to provide a learning resource and skills development hub.

“The courses involve nationally recognised units of competency, which can be used by the graduate towards a later higher qualification such as a Cert II, III, IV or Diploma within the Manufacturing and Engineering Training Package,” said Julian Tullier, Group Technical Trainer at Hydraulink Australia and New Zealand. “Hydraulink’s training staff have more than 90 years’ combined industry experience, and we have invested in capital equipment for course attendees to practise on, within a controlled environment. An online training portal is provided for easy and intuitive access to relevant information,” Tullier said.

It is planned that courses will run approximately every four weeks in Australia and New Zealand, with the core outcomes for graduates including competence to safely identify, select, assemble, install and remove high-pressure hydraulic fluid conductor components and assemblies. The program will also instruct participants on: safe equipment shutdown, hazardous energy source identification and pre-work risk assessments that identify hazards to individuals and the environment together with how to implement appropriate controls for any hazards identified.

“The potential adverse outcomes of a fluid conductor product prematurely failing in service are very serious, and can include serious injuries, permanent disability or death, loss of productivity for the equipment the fluid conductor is fitted to, additional downtime and repair costs to repair the equipment,” Tullier said. The training courses have all been developed in consultation with external safety consultants.

“The new Hydraulink Academy training courses are a great way to ensure our staff and our customers are up to date with best practices in safety and environmental and practice processes,” said Hydraulink’s Group HR Manager, Jim Thompson. “Hydraulic technicians are often working with high pressures — in many cases 5000 psi or more — so keeping up to date with the latest safety practices is essential not only for their own safety, but for those who will end up using the machine being worked on.”

Top image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/auremar