W.L West & Sons Ltd
Our company Profile
The West family, for as long as anyone can remember, has been involved with timber. In the middle nineteenth century, they were journeyman sawmillers, felling timber and sawing from a pit in the woods where the timber was cut.
Earliest company records are dated in 1865. The company in its present form, is a traditional home-grown timber merchant who started trading, as W. L. West & Sons, on a permanent site at Midhurst about eighty years ago, sawing round logs by means of pit saws. Mechanisation over the years progressed through steam powered engines and belt driven saws to a fully modern sawmill today. The company was incorporated in 1956 as a limited company.
In 1986, the Company moved to a much larger twelve acre site at Selham, midway between Midhurst and Petworth (just off the A272), to purpose built sawmills and factory with computerised oil fired kilns.
As well as having extensive outside air drying stocks, over fifty thousand square feet of drying sheds have been erected to hold stocks of air-dried and kiln-dried timbers. Continual growth in the Company has meant that it is now one of the larger temperate hardwood sawmills in the country and second to none as far as English oak is concerned.
Forward capital project planning has always been designed to ensure that the infrastructure, machinery and stockholding is such that the growing requirements of the market place can easily be met.
It is pleasing that the business is still firmly in family hands, with five of Walter Luke West's grandchildren and four of his great-grandchildren involved in the business. Walter Luke West can be seen in the picture at the top of this page.
Health & Safety Policy Statement
The following is a statement of the organisation’s health and safety policy in accordance with Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
It is the policy of W.L. West & Sons Ltd to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees working for the company and other persons who may be affected by our undertakings.
W.L. West & Sons Ltd acknowledges that the key to successful health and safety
management requires an effective policy, organisation and arrangements, which reflect the commitment of senior management. To maintain that commitment, we will
continually measure, monitor and revise where necessary, an annual plan to ensure that health and safety standards are adequately maintained.
Dave West and Martin West will implement the company’s health and safety policy and
recommend any changes to meet new circumstances. W.L. West & Sons Ltd recognises that successful health and safety management contributes to successful business performance and will allocate adequate finances and resources to meet these needs. The management of W.L. West & Sons Ltd looks upon the promotion of health and safety measures as a mutual objective for themselves and employees. It is therefore, the policy of management to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent personal injury and damage to property. Also, the organisation aims to protect everyone, including visitors and members of the public, insofar as they come into contact with our activities, from any foreseeable hazard or danger.
All employees have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and are
informed of their personal responsibilities to take due care of the health and safety of
themselves and to ensure that they do not endanger other persons by their acts or
omissions. Employees are also informed that they must co-operate with the
organisation in order that it can comply with the legal requirements placed upon it and in he implementation of this policy. W.L. West & Sons Ltd will ensure continued
consultation with the workforce to enable all viewpoints and recommendations to be
discussed at regular intervals. The organisation will ensure a systematic approach to identifying hazards, assessing the risks, determining suitable and sufficient control measures and informing employees of the correct procedures needed to maintain a safe working environment. We will provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe places and systems of work, safe plant and machinery, safe handling of materials and substances, the provision of adequate safety equipment and ensure that appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision is given.
We regard all health and safety legislation as the minimum standard and expect
management to achieve their targets without compromising health and safety.
________________________________________________________
W.L.West & Sons Ltd was registered in the United Kingdom.
The company number is 577291 and the registered office is:
W.L.West & Sons Ltd, Selham, Petworth West Sussex, GU28 0PJ
