Founded in 1884, Whitworth Brothers has led the UK flour milling industry for nearly 140 years. The company produces high-quality flour for bakeries and food manufacturers. Today, Whitworth Brothers produces nearly 1.5 million tonnes of flour annually. The company has grown from 190 to about 850 employees, making it the largest flour milling company in the UK.
Whitworth Brothers operates 24/7, demanding constant vigilance for safety, efficiency, and excellence. Their milling facilities are among the most modern globally. They monitor 15,000 data points per second to ensure high-quality products and safe operations. The company manages a large fleet of machinery and over 130 flour delivery vehicles. This means workplace transport and safety are central to daily operations.
The Importance of Health and Safety at Whitworth Brothers
Employee safety is paramount for Whitworth Brothers. Ensuring staff are fit for duty is essential to a safe, productive workplace.
Our goal is simple: to make sure every employee goes home safely at the end of the day, without incidents or accidents.
Daren Wade, Group Health, Safety and Environment Manager at Whitworth Brothers
Drug testing is vital to this mission. Whitworth Brothers has conducted workplace drug tests for years to ensure employees working with hazardous equipment are fit for duty. However, the company faced challenges with traditional methods, making the process inefficient, intrusive, and unreliable.
The Challenges of Traditional Drug Testing Methods
Initially, Whitworth Brothers used specialist contractors for urine drug tests. This cumbersome process disrupted shifts, delayed production, and pulled workers from stations. Urine drug testing proved awkward and difficult to manage, resulting in operational inefficiencies.
The company then switched to saliva testing, training internal staff to carry out the procedure. However, saliva drug tests proved unreliable.
When we were using saliva drug tests, the first test would fail, then the second one would fail. We’d end up using 3 or 4 tests to get a result. It was frustrating and didn’t guarantee accuracy.
Daren Wade, Group Health, Safety and Environment Manager at Whitworth Brothers
Despite these challenges, Whitworth Brothers remained committed to workforce safety. The company explored alternative solutions to streamline processes, improve reliability, and uphold employee dignity.
A New Approach to Workplace Drug Testing
The breakthrough came when Whitworth Brothers came across Intelligent Fingerprinting. Whitworth Brothers decided to transition from saliva drug testing to fingerprint drug testing, a change that has already significantly impacted the company’s operations.
Adopting fingerprint drug testing was seamless. Intelligent Fingerprinting provided hands-on demonstrations and thorough training. Team leaders learned the system early to ensure support. Whitworth Brothers’ site teams now independently manage their drug testing, conducting on-site testing as needed without delays or disruptions.
The Benefits of Fingerprint Drug Testing
Since switching to fingerprint drug testing, Whitworth Brothers has seen much more reliable results. Previously, saliva testing required multiple attempts, causing frustration. Fingerprint drug testing needs only one try for consistent, reliable results.
The difference for us is the reliability of the results. We now use one piece of testing equipment per person, and we’re guaranteed a reliable result every time.
Daren Wade, Group Health, Safety and Environment Manager at Whitworth Brothers
Fingerprint drug testing also enables batch testing, allowing Whitworth Brothers to test entire teams in a single session. This is particularly useful for random testing, as it allows them to efficiently test multiple employees simultaneously without disrupting production schedules. The process is quick, clean, and works consistently, minimising downtime and ensuring safety without compromising efficiency.
Investing in Safety for the Future
Whitworth Brothers’ commitment to safety extends beyond drug testing. The company is continuing to invest heavily in safety initiatives across its operations. One such initiative involves installing over £160,000 worth of pedestrian barriers to separate workers from vehicles on site, reducing workplace transport risks. Additionally, the company is upgrading its fleet and forklift trucks to improve safety for both operators and pedestrians.
As Whitworth Brothers grows, the company invests in training and infrastructure. A new office is being built for the expanding workforce, and further safety improvements are planned to support business growth.
Moving Forward: A Focus on Continuous Improvement
Whitworth Brothers’ success with Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug-testing system is just one example of the company’s commitment to continuous improvement. As the UK’s largest flour milling company, the business is focused on maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence and employee safety.
The transition to fingerprint drug testing has not only improved safety and efficiency but has also aligned with Whitworth Brothers’ broader goal of enhancing employee well-being. By prioritising non-invasive, reliable, and efficient drug testing, Whitworth Brothers has set a new standard for workplace safety within the industry.
Conclusion
Whitworth Brothers’ experience demonstrates the value of evolving workplace drug testing to meet the demands of a modern, safety-led, and operationally focused environment. The company found both urine drug tests and saliva drug tests to be disruptive, invasive, and, at times, unreliable. By transitioning to fingerprint drug testing, Whitworth Brothers has adopted a solution that aligns with its operational needs, delivering consistent, reliable results with minimal disruption while maintaining employee dignity. As the business continues to invest in safety and expand its operations, fingerprint drug testing supports a more efficient, scalable approach to ensuring employees are fit for duty and able to work safely.
To learn more about Intelligent Fingerprinting and how it can transform your workplace drug testing, contact us to arrange a demo.
