Career in health and safety

[colin86]

Evening

Looking to see if anyone works in health and safety ? Looking for advice .

Is it a good rewarding career ? Is there good progression ? Also if a dine my nebosh general certificate how would I then get experience in the industry?

Thanks

[Mortarboard]

Full of self entitled aholes who sign their posts with their initials...

M.

[All joking aside, where roughly are you and what do you work at at the moment]

[colin86]

Currently work in the manufacturing industry. Any advice would be appreciated?

Thanks

[lrdisco]

I do.
Started as a Brickie-Foreman-Site manager- PM-Clients Rep-Head of construction management -H&S manager-PM-Head of H&S (current).
Mixed in was having my own businesses.
My background has given me a very good understanding of what drives people and organisations and why they do things.
Financially I’m on similar money to other HODs in my organisation.
Average H&S manager in Yorkshire is on around £45-£60k.
A lot of businesses only pay lip service to H&S until something happens.
You need to be solutions based. You’re not a policeman.
NEBOSH GC is a good start then diploma.
IOSH is not worth the money but expected.
Join your works H&S committee if they have one.

[55palfers]

CMIOSH of 30 years. Retired.

Had an interesting career really. Been to many places in UK and Europe.

Used to work high hazard / high consequence.

I'd go for Dip1 and Dip2 then IOSH. It does give you credibility over just a Cert. but will take a good few years.

Aim to become a specialist in a few key topics too, so take all and any training on offer.. Read everything on HSE website. Try to pick the brains of HSE Inspectors. They are usually willing to help.

H&S can be so much more than checklists and high-viz with the right approach so hone those inter-personal skills and always do what you said you'd do to help folks out on site.

[Mortarboard]

colin86 said:

Currently work in the manufacturing industry. Any advice would be appreciated?

Thanks

Plenty of H&S right where you are to gain experience

Depending on size, your company may have a safety department or not, with smaller places having folks who's main role isn't safety but they cover that too. Get involved with what your company is already doing (or should be doing, as the case may be)

Starting out, you'll be focusing on "what's supposed to be in place to make this safe"? As you gain more experience and exposure, you'll become more adept at spotting gaps, finding better solutions etc.

As a career, it can pay well. Not exactly the "sexiest" career on the planet, so less folks in it means better pay through competition.

To be taken "seriously" beyond 3-5 years experience, you'll ideally have something like the NEBOSH diploma. Takes work but is doable while working (even better if your employer pays/assists). Also IOSH. CertIOSH at least, aiming for Chartered. It shows you meet a certain level of competence. Very important is you plan to move/work worldwide as you can "swap" it for "local" credentials. A lot of recruiters aren't a scooby and without IOSH your CV could easily get binned.

But on the whole, its a very interesting, very rewarding career. Its very people oriented. You'll learn that you're not focused on producing answers, but finding out what questions need asking to find out what needs doing.

99% of safety boils down to the following 3 lines
-what does this job/task involve doing?
-what are the hazards/risks/dangers involved?
-what are the appropriate controls for those hazards/risks/dangers?

At the end of the day, people make mistakes. Safety is about ensure that when mistakes happen, folk dont get hurt.

You "can't fix stupid"- so sometimes you need to put a guard up between stupid amd the dangerous stuff

Any more questions, just shout. PM is good too.

M.

[Mortarboard]

55palfers said:

H&S can be so much more than checklists and high-viz with the right approach so hone those inter-personal skills and always do what you said you'd do to help folks out on site.

Super, super important. Don't promise what you can't deliver. Nothing kills your credibility faster than being the guy who said he'd fix it and didn't.

M.

[colin86]

Thanks for all the reply’s so far been really helpful . Will speak with my current employer to see what they say