What do you do for your day job?
My day job is the Health & Safety Manager for NASC (National Access & Scaffolding Confederation). The Confederation is the premier scaffolding trade body, raising and maintaining safety standards across the scaffolding industry: https://nasc.org.uk/about/
The NASC and its volunteers provide a wide range of industry-recognised guidance (probably the most well-known are SG4:22 Preventing falls in scaffolding operations and TG20:21 A comprehensive guide to good practice for tube & fitting scaffolding).
Previously I was the HSEQ director for a large scaffolding group, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I’m enjoying the fresh challenge of working for the NASC.
What is a typical day’s work for you?
Carrying out a typical H&S Manager role, but also researching, drafting guidance, answering queries, and occasionally attending events and seminars.
I was a volunteer for the NASC for ten years before joining them as a staff member in 2022, and it’s quite enjoyable now doing this as a day job!
How did you become a member of the London Health & Safety Group Committee?
I chatted to people on the safety group stall at Sandown in 2012. Nice bunch and they recommended researching local safety groups to find one that suited me. Fortunately, the first one I attended was a LHSG meeting near the City of London, which was engaging, professional and very welcoming, and have continued being an active member ever since.
What benefits do you feel that the Group bring for you?
Being a member enables me to take time out, consider a larger picture – and then to focus on what’s important, such as keeping abreast of developments, keeping my CPD up to date, sharing and receiving advice and guidance, getting a more balanced and strategic view of safety and how it intermeshes with business.
What do you find the most interesting part of your role within the Group?
I’ve only been a committee member for a few years, but it’s very interesting feeling part of a larger support team, who have similar challenges and have different ideas and solutions.
What presents the most challenges?
My own poor time management – I’m a terrible workaholic, which is an awful trait.
What’s your health and safety ‘soap-box’ subject?
Scaffolding safety I guess – I’m 45 years plus in the industry – and it wasn’t the “good old days” when I was a “kid” – it was stupidly dangerous. It’s a real credit to the NASC, scaffold contractors and their clients, and the scaffolders themselves, that safety within scaffolding has improved so much (but you can never be complacent).
What is your one piece of advice for a practising safety professional?
Mentor others and if you can spend a day (or week) “on the tools” to be able to understand the challenges that employees and workers face.
One piece of advice for someone thinking of becoming a health and safety professional?
Read and keep reading (including on business), keep developing and involve the experts (the people at the sharp end who actually do the real physical work).
Finally tell us something personal about you that’s not related at all to Health & Safety …
Something not many people know? I studied literature – poetry predominantly – part time at Kingston University (6 years for degree and 2 years for my masters) while I was a scaffolder just for fun.
After a year I was asked to help 1st and 2nd year students with essay writing in the LRC. Was a bit odd to throw my scaffold spanners and harness in a bag, have a quick scrub, and travel to University and teach writing skills and how to research and reference.
Once I finished my masters, I concentrated on becoming CMIOSH, but I still mentor English Literature students, meet up with ex-University friends to watch plays, and attend seminars – I’m tempted to do my PHd once I retire, but hopefully I’ll talk myself out of that!
