What does a day in your role look like?
I generally start my day reviewing my emails and preparing my action list for the day and week ahead. I will touch base with my team to see how things are progressing and if there are any issues that have appeared overnight or that morning. No one day is generally the same as the remit of my department is very broad and busy and we could be planning for an external audit, an accident investigation, risk management programme, development or delivering training or simply providing support and advice to various departments on anything from chemical, vehicular or machinery safety. It is a very busy role, but I have been delighted to have such supportive and dedicated people as part of my team and everyone I’ve met in Dale Farm has been very helpful and keen to embrace our safety journey.
What do you enjoy the most about your role and working at Dale Farm?
I have really enjoyed the people aspect! Everyone has been very welcoming and open to new ideas and approaches, which has been great. Dale Farm has embraced the importance of H&S as a key part of its business and has shown great enthusiasm to keep improving and moving forward. This is very exciting for me and my team and I can’t wait to start seeing some of our plans rolled out across the Group.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted a career in health and safety?
I think you need passion for what we do and a lot of hard work to survive as a H&S professional. There can certainly be challenging days and times that are difficult, but in the end it’s an extremely rewarding profession. To help improve the working conditions for people, to prevent serious injuries and illness and build relationships with people is so enjoyable. After 24 years in the profession, I would advise anyone starting their career in H&S to experience as many different areas as you can, ask silly questions (they aren’t as silly as you may think!) and don’t be afraid to try new approaches and ways of working.