OHS expert says immigrant journey has been humbling but rewarding and wants to help other newcomers
When Reshma Sukdhoe left South Africa for Canada just over five years ago, she also left behind her job as the director of health and safety at a mining organization. After landing in her new home, she was faced with the biggest challenge of her career - establishing herself all over again.
She had to form new networks, gain credibility and get her professional brand out there. To do this, Sukdhoe told COS that, as a newcomer, it's vital to find the organizations, groups and volunteer opportunities.
All the graft paid off, though, and Sukdhoe is now the health and safety specialist at the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) in Ontario. She says: "While it has been a challenge, it has been a humbling and rewarding experience. It has given me the opportunity to meet and learn from some really amazing professionals in the health and safety field in Canada. “
Having quickly gained the CRSP designation, Sukdhoe is responsible for all ESA's health and safety functions – and the department has been busy during the pandemic. Her role also encompasses psychological health and safety. For example, she leads the mental health peer support group, which is made up of trained first-aiders.
Sukdhoe's background is in engineering and, in that field, she gained experience working in project management, design engineering, and even product marketing.
“I came to a stage in my career where I’d had so many different experiences and opportunities to learn about the business,” she says. “There was a head office role opening at the organization I was working at, I saw an opportunity to take my career to the next level by taking it out of engineering and operations and move into safety.
Risk-based approach
After decades of experience in the sector, Sukdhoe has developed a range of skills and believes that being able to quickly assess a situation is fundamental.
“Many people find that difficult to do," she says. "If you don’t have that risk-based thinking and approach – especially with COVID – I think you’ll be scared to do anything. You need to keep in mind that even pre-COVID, there are many risks out there that employees are faced with. And so you need to manage those as well as managing COVID risks.”
She adds: “As a professional, I believe in continuously learning, growing and becoming a better version of myself."
Top woman in safety
A member of the Women in Occupational Health and Safety Society (WOHSS), Sukdhoe previously served as one of the organization’s directors.
Being a member of WOHSS ties into another challenge that she has faced in her career – being a woman working in a man’s world. The world of health and safety in Canada still remains relatively male dominated, though this is changing.
Sukdhoe is part of WOHSS’ mentoring program, while she also serves on the CSA Z1001 Technical Training Committee. She has volunteered and delivered presentations to other new immigrants in the OHS at events arranged by the Centre for Education & Training for Newcomers to Canada.
“I am passionate about helping other immigrants along in their career in health and safety by sharing my experiences and providing them with guidance.”
Reshma was Identified by Canadian Occupational Safety as one of our Top 40 Women in Safety in Canada for 2020 for her contributions to health and safety through leadership and mentoring.
