"I genuinely believe that safety is not conducted from behind a desk or at your workstation. You have to go out engage, help, coach and be involved to build that relationship"
Q. How did you get into health and safety and why?
A. I was previously a Biology major in my first year of university and didn’t particularly love it. I was looking to change fields and had a friend who was doing an undergrad in health and safety. He asked me to come to one of his classes and see what the program was about; I was immediately hooked. I loved the idea of using science to best protect workers' health and safety while ensuring compliance with legal legislation.
Q. What do you like the most about being a safety professional?
A. What I like the most about being a safety professional is the appreciation from my colleagues and knowing the difference you make; it is definitely rewarding. I really love it when people come and tell me how my coaching or new training really benefited them and that they can’t wait for more! I like being engaged and being a problem solver, and a career in the safety profession definitely gives you that.
Q. At work, what takes up most of your time?
A. It would be without a doubt engaging with my colleagues and spending time on the floor. I genuinely believe that safety is not conducted from behind a desk or at your workstation. You have to go out engage, help, coach and be involved to build that relationship. You will reap the benefits later on as you will be ingrained in the business and not be a “safety cop” and only arrive when there is an incident or an issue.
Q. How do you promote safety outside of work?
A. I promote safety outside of work by meeting with small businesses in my area to help and consult with them about basic health and safety legislation and how best they can stay compliant. I also serve as a mentor to people in my community. As someone who is from an underprivileged area, it is essential that I am a resource to them and can actually share the importance of health and safety as well as show it as a potential career path.
Q. What motivates you to do your best at work every day?
A. The people! This is, without a doubt, my biggest motivator. Coming in every day to ensure everyone goes back home safe and healthy is everything to me.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2020 issue of COS.
