I'm looking for some career advice.
I’ve never said where I work on here because when I first started there about 6 years ago I spotted this very forum open on a PC belonging to a top Bigwig. I thought I’d better refrain from saying anything that could identify myself especially if I ever felt like having a whinge about work.
Today I’m not here to whinge but I am at a bit of a loose end. I’m currently working in health and safety because it was the job no one else wanted and after years of poverty and chaos I just said yes to everything and was grateful for more responsibility and more money. I started H&S from scratch as an assistant, did a NEBOSH NGC and when my team leader unexpectedly ‘pulled a geographic’ I applied for his job and got it. Now I’m the lone H&S person at a company with over 400 employees.
Long story short- the atmosphere at work has changed (budget cuts, redundancies, lack of resources, general miserable vibes) and I’m bored. I was supposed to start a NEBOSH diploma last year but it was cancelled due to the cost.
I don’t mind the work itself, the inspections, accident investigations, improvement planning, toolbox talks, all that stuff. Having a big chunk of work and planning to do is the only thing that keeps me interested. Not so keen on spending 8 hours a day in a beige office listening to Radio 2, not knowing if I’ll be the next one to get my P45.
I’m not sure whether to pursue a H&S job elsewhere. I’m relatively new to it and I’ve only worked at one place. I’m not sure what kind of thing to aim for.
What’s the best I could do?
On the other hand, if anyone needs a bike mechanic somewhere warm and sunny I’ll strongly consider it.
Don't let your lack of experience hold you back. Have a look at different types of industries.
I work in EHS for a very large multinational company that undertakes many projects, both in our own premises and at client locations. I get embedded in project engineering teams and that brings a lot of variety and interest. As well as the usual mundane H&S stuff I get to understand how things are made and maintained, get confronted by new situations where the standards have yet to be set, travel a bit and meet some interesting people.
Being bored in a job is mind-numbing I know so good luck finding something else.
I run a specialist consultancy and we're always on the look out for more good health and safety folks, drop me message and we can have a chat if you want.
our training is fully funded and people are always encouraged to develop further their professional qualifications.
On the other hand, if anyone needs a bike mechanic somewhere warm and sunny I’ll strongly consider it.
If you're under 30, Queenstown has a few bike mechanic jobs at present...NZ extended visa things a few years ago, so young persons working visa can be for three years.
(Eldest isn't taking the mechanic jobs, as they restrict when he can ride. Getting up early for Ferg Bakery means they all ride after work...)
What industry are you currently in?
Lots of health and safety in civil engineering. Both internal H&S and CDM regulations.
Similar sized company here... Employee owned though and i have never heard of refundancies.
Have you checked Indeed for positions available? You could also register on their as an employer I think to see CV's of people who are too lazy to actively look for work themselves, that way you can see what the market is like.
I don’t work in H&S but I’ve worked closely with a lot of people who do in many different employers. I can broadly categorise them as:
- Eager beavers: probably have a NEBOSH with the ink still wet on it but absolutely no clue about the industry they work in. Everything is a form or a procedure, paperwork heavy. Terrified to make mistakes. Makes some senior manager feel that safety is delegated to someone with a qualification so can be ignored.
- HiVis, clipboard wavers. Probably been in the same company for a very long time, and so probably does know the ins and the outs of the business. Seen as a necessary evil. Often focusses on the wrong things because the real issues are culturally too hard to change and they’ve migrated into this role because nobody else wanted it. Collects certificates.
- culture changers - genuinely is focussed on people being able to do their job in a safe way rather than record keeping. Knows how to translate safety to management to get stuff actioned. Knows how to engage the workforce to actually get a benefit. Understands the processes and knows how real people behave so focusses on process not procedures. Is interested in unusual stuff rather than trying to make every business the same. May have qualifications to back it up but is valued for practical experience.
the last are like hens teeth if you can become that person especially if you have any niche knowledge like pressure vessels, explosives, confined spaces, (there will be lots more “weird” examples where an average office HSE person would go white) then you should find plenty of opportunities regardless of qualifications. Even if your weird experience isn’t needed - someone that can put the safety risk of the sharp knives in the kitchen into perspective is always positive.
Haven't had a chance to check in today I've been actually busy doing stuff.
I have been browsing Indeed but nothing has lept out yet. I'll sign up and keep an eye on it. Having my CV ready to go won't hurt.
I still don't want to say where I work (or dump on my current job, it's not THAT bad).
I don't have a HiViz or a clipboard.
I will say that I started in an area with very diverse activities with lots of action kicking off all over the place so I was exposed to lots of stuff in a short period of time that I would not have seen anywhere else. So pressure vessels, confined spaces, asbestos, high voltage electricity, DSEAR, gases, chemicals etc. the list goes on and on but I haven't had time to become a specialist in anything. We had lots of custom made, one-off and experimental equipment which had to be designed and brought into service in a way that wouldn't kill anyone and the process of doing so was interesting.
Last year I had to move and became office bound. Lots of reviewing processes and polices in a place where everyone is deskbound with nice clean hands. It was alright for a while but I'm craving a change of scenery and I can't go back to where I was because they're overstaffed and downsizing.
You just know there's a load of bigwigs on this topic right now trying to work out if you're their employee 🙂 I bet they could work out it too...
... Unless you've dropped in some red herrings to disguise your tracks!
So pressure vessels, confined spaces, asbestos, high voltage electricity, DSEAR, gases, chemicals etc.
Combined with the user name I’m fairly sure you were in Jaws
Where are you based @sharkattack
We have a few SHEQ advisor vacancies in Reading and Bristol at present https://careers.mottmacbentley.co.uk/
I have some contacts in the nuclear world and we are always looking. An awful lot of what we worry about isn't nuclear at all but conventional industrial safety and we can offer everything on your list above, and plenty more. We have sites across the UK and I'm working with some of our 'culture changers' at the moment. Drop me a DM if you want to know more.
I did some consulting in construction in the mid-noughties. It's ok if you can tolerate people lying to your face, trying to avoid their personal and managerial repsonsibilities. I wouldn't recommend it.
Working in-house would be my preference as it can all be left in the office. There was always a couple of hours paperwork most weeknights in the consulting job and it was too well paid for all the extra hours.
I'll drop this here in case anyone is job hunting... https://www.bikeparkwales.com/health-safety-compliance-manager
Two different people sent me this link last week because they know I've got itchy feet. The job description is exactly what I'm doing now but it's a bloody bikepark rather than a boring, anonymous office block. I've love to go for it but I can't drag the family even further away from home and relatives. We'd never see anyone if we lived in the Valleys.
It wouldn't bother me not seeing the inlaws! But, I can't do it to the Mrs and Junior.
If you are looking to move then it worth considering the merits of small and large companies. Depending on the activity, 400 may be quite small if it is safe. Working in a chemical plant that might be quite a big role?
Anyway, I started my career at a massive global company. Got lots of good training - worked with some great people, learnt a lot on the job. Got a bit silod and stuck in a niche role. I then went to a consultancy of 15 using those skills. It was an eye opener - learnt a huge amount and had all the roles from sales to delivery. Now in a middling sized company. Not much in the way of training but I'm able to pick up on the things I've learnt and build systems and change things for the better.
Both big and small offer you something different and can be useful at different stages. If you are early on and want to learn decide if you want formal training and structure or to be thrown in the deep end and learn on the job.
To anyone reading this, wondering why we post such seemingly daft/extremely niche questions on STW, this is why. You never know who's in here!
Pretty sure that anyone who’s been here for more than a week realises what an incredible human information resource this place is!
The STWiki community is a marvellous thing. 😁
I don't have a HiViz or a clipboard.
Worth mentioning that in some places it’s an absolute, non-negotiable requirement to have hi-viz on everywhere bar the bog or the canteen, in which case you keep it on all the time anyway.
My last job was like that, and everyone, including the boss, wore one. On a couple of occasions when he walked across the car park without, he got shouted at by a bunch of employees!
There were constant car/vehicle movements right through the day, even visitors were expected to have hi-viz, on one occasion a driver turned up to pick up a vehicle, and didn’t have one. He was sent to a place half a mile away and buy one, then come back to get the vehicle.
It’s always a good idea to keep several in the car, just in case.
Conversely I had to do a job at a zoo and they had a "no hi-viz allowed" policy. There was a page in safety manual on what to do if a lion escaped though.
He was sent to a place half a mile away and buy one, then come back to get the vehicle.
Hope he claimed that back from his employer. Though if hi-viz is a requirement on site and this is not given as a warning before arrival there should be communal PPE available from the site management.
We had 3 visitors (customers) from the middle east rock up on Monday this week.
We require hi-viz, safety shoes, safety glasses.
They had none of that with them!!
