What do you do for your day job?
I am the Director of Health & Safety at the Coty of London Corporation
What is a typical day’s work for you?
There isn’t one, which is why I do what I do. What I do try to do to at least once every day is to show people a different angle to whiner do safety – especially when it’s simply considered as a compliance activity.
How did you become a member of the London Safety Group committee?
I became involved with the group when we used to host them at Whalbrook Wharf, in the City. I was asked to do a presentation and kind of remained in touch finding the group really useful for information and networking. I ended up succumbing to Lisa’s charms and was co-opted onto the committee. I finally took the lunge and joined the committee in 2023.
What benefits do you feel that the Group bring for you?
I find the group really useful for information and networking. It’s also a very easy way of maintaining your CPD!
What do you find the most interesting part of your role within the Group?
I like working with other safety professionals in a role that isn’t necessarily day to day safety. I enjoy the reach of the group and the ability we have to bring fellow safety professionals interesting information or Somme help them ronrmwain abreast! It allows me to contribute to safety outside work.
What presents the most challenges?
Time! As with everything…
What’s your health and safety ‘soap-box’ subject?
Safety is not about compliance! It is a prerequisite for good leadership and business efficiency.
What is your one piece of advice for a practising safety professional?
The Safety profession is in the midst of a very exciting but also worrying nexus point! Exciting f as we are as professionals realising that technical skills alone will not bring us results, especially in the realm of culture change and we are seeing some great thinking in (or a variety of clubs as I call them to put into our golf bag) different methodologies. Worrying, however given recent disasters the knee jerk reactions of governments simply legislating (overly in my view) I order to show how seriously things are being taken – which I believe is a backstep to our Health & Safety at Work act and our risk approach. Take the new Building Act as an example.
One piece of advice for someone thinking of becoming a health and safety professional?
Safety is an incredible profession, rich in technical information, however Safety is about people, this makes it complex straight away! Learn to understand and influence people.
Finally tell us something personal about you not related to Health and Safety…
Many may not know that I’m an active member of the Reserve Forces and I am a serving Captain in the Rifles, and I was a qualified free fall parachutist 🪂
