You have an extensive background within the OHS industry, can you tell us how you started; what is your educational background and what lead you in to this industry?
Well, I didn’t grow up looking for a career in health and safety – it found me. My first degree was in Literature and Philosophy. Then I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Further, Adult and Higher Education. I used this to gain employment working for a Charity to help special needs and disadvantaged young people develop employment skills. This included finding them work placements, where I had to undertake health and safety checks before they started. This was my first introduction to occupational health and safety. I then joined HSE where I undertook a comprehensive 2-year training programme learning the legal and technical skills to become a Health and Safety Inspector. This included completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety. Since then, I’ve continued to develop my skills becoming a trained fire risk assessor, mental health first aider, and most recently a coach.
Tell us about your role at BSI…
It’s a really exciting and diverse role where I get to use all my technical, business and marketing skills – a rarity in health and safety! It breaks into three areas; I oversee the delivery of our ISO 45001 assurance services ensuring that we meet our accreditation requirements; take the lead on the strategic development of our health and safety solutions; and provide thought leadership in health and safety through writing whitepapers or presenting at conferences. What really makes the role enjoyable though is working with our fantastic global teams.
What sets BSI apart in its ability to support organizations?
We have the most amazing range of services developed or delivered by industry leaders, which means that we can support organizations in a way that meets their needs, not ours. We bring our expertise and global reach to help make organizations the best they can be, wherever they are on their journey, whatever their size or industry sector.
As a non-profit distributing organization, BSI has no shareholders, meaning all profits are invested back into the company, ensuring we stay independent and focused on excellence. In addition, as the first national standards body, BSI is responsible for originating many of the most used and implemented management systems standards worldwide including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
What do you think are the greatest opportunities for businesses as it relates to OHS?
Looking after your people has the most amazing ripple effect throughout the business, to customers and shareholders. Organizations that demonstrate that they genuinely put their people first and are committed to ensuring their workers go home healthy and free from injury each day will see improved innovation, productivity, commitment, quality and loyalty which will all add up to a stronger bottom line and more resilient organization – that’s an amazing opportunity, why would you not cease it?
ENDS
About BSI
BSI is the business improvement company that enables organizations to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence. For over a century BSI has championed what good looks like and driven best practice in organizations around the world. Working with 84,000 clients across 193 countries, it is a truly international business with skills and experience across a number of sectors including aerospace, automotive, built environment, food, and healthcare. Through its expertise in Standards Development and Knowledge Solutions, Assurance, Regulatory Services and Professional Services, BSI improves business performance to help clients grow sustainably, manage risk and ultimately be more resilient.
To learn more, please visit: www.bsigroup.com
