An August Update from Hemisphere
3 minutes to read
By Hemisphere
It might be holiday season, but things haven’t slowed down here at Hemisphere. In fact, August has been one of our busiest months to date. Here are just a few of the things we’ve got to shout about this month.
Employee Milestones
August saw a number of Hemisphere employees hit significant milestones with the company – most notably John Howard, who reached the magic 15-year mark. Joining us back in 2003, John has been key to the growth of our Ocean Freight division. In his role as Ocean Import Supervisor, he ensures that containers arrive safely in the UK, clear customs and are delivered to customers without unnecessary delays. Recently, John has been heavily involved in the implementation of the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS) , which is replacing the former Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system.
This month also marks eight years at Hemisphere for both Dan Leach and Tracy Chappell. It’s more reason to celebrate for Dan, who was promoted to Projects Team Manager in July. During his time at Hemisphere, he has seen the company grow exponentially, while also being involved in some fascinating shipments. Tracy, meanwhile, is currently part of the Recyclables team, having previously worked in both Ocean Imports and Ocean Exports.
Other people celebrating milestones in August are Jamie Amara, who has been with us five years; Andy Whiting, who joined our Ocean Imports department three years ago; and Kris Creaney, who has also been with us for three years, as part of the Air Imports team at Heathrow.
Dan Norris Completes Dangerous Goods Refresher Course
As an accredited member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), two members of our Air Freight team are required to have an up-to-date knowledge of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. This ensures they can identify any dangerous goods prohibited for air transport; pack dangerous goods in appropriate packaging; correctly handle such goods; and manage all of the paperwork surrounding their transport.
Dan Norris recently completed the Dangerous Goods by Air Refresher course, which must be taken every two years as part of our IATA Accreditation. The two-day course involved one day of training and one day of exams, and covered all types of dangerous goods from deodorant to explosives. “It benefits both me and the company to be up to date with the latest regulations,” said Dan. “Additionally, it puts us in a good position to inform customers and answer any questions they have about goods that may be considered dangerous.”
AEO Reassessment
Our status as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) allows us to ‘fast-track’ certain shipments including e-commerce through parts of the customs process. It also demonstrates our commitment to the safe and secure transport of goods, giving customers the peace of mind they need. As part of our regular reassessment, a customs officer recently visited Hemisphere to confirm our procedures comply with the necessary standards. This involved an inspection of our warehouse and grounds, as well as our regular day-to-day processes. To find out more about our ‘Trusted Trader Status’, feel free to get in touch with a member of the team.