Construction safety professional says industry offers more chance for positive change
Safety professionals come from all walks of life. Many start out in different professions and find their way to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) due to personal convictions, or having experienced workplace situations that they felt the drive to change. That is one of the best things about safety, it is a profession within which individuals can make waves.
Jessica McCaughey, Senior Manager – Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Shared Services, at construction services company Bird Construction, initially started her career in marketing.
A few years later, she was working at a marketing firm – “I thought I was living my dream job, and then I realized that I wasn’t being fulfilled.” She decided to take a pause and reflect on a career that would be truly fulfilling for her. “Upon my reflection, I remembered the positive changes I was able to make with my previous employer, and how much of an impact that made within the organization […] safety just seemed like the right fit because I knew that I could make an impact.”
An early professional experience was what led to her exposure to OHS. Her first experience with OHS was within the construction industry, specifically in the road builder and infrastructure sector.
During her tenure within an organization, she noticed a lack of equality within the workforce. The workplace was a unionized environment, and so McCaughey raised the issue with her supervisor and leaders within the organization. At the time, she says, it was relatively unheard of that making a suggestion would affect any kind of positive change.
“But you could really see the industry changing, and things were starting to evolve. My concerns and viewpoint was taken seriously, and positive changes occurred – not necessarily for me, but it influenced positive change for others after. The main goal was to create a more diverse workplace with equality, and we were able to successfully achieve that.”
Despite the career change, McCaughey says that her background in marketing is actually a good thing, and helps enhance her safety skills. “You’re selling something, but you can also understand the financial implications behind it. So, I actually think marketing was a solid foundation for me to move into the career that I’m in now.” She says that it gives her another perspective.
One of the things she enjoys most about safety is working with people. “I love how dynamic and interesting people are and just being able to work with different people, with different points of view where you can create an impact on their daily lives in a positive manner – whether that’s helping them to do their job safely, or just helping them declutter what’s going on in their mind.”
Leading by example is one of the biggest ways to affect change at work, says McCaughey, as is looking at situations from multiple perspectives and having different viewpoints. “To me, the biggest thing is just understanding where people are coming from and taking into account that you’re not necessarily the smartest person in the room, and that every other person has a value.”
And despite navigating an industry where there are few women, McCaughey says it has brought a lot of success stories. So, while it could be viewed as a challenge, she relishes the chance to solve problems and conquer barriers. The profession has progressed, and the industry is evolving to forge a stronger safety culture across the board. “My biggest accomplishment has been having the ability to navigate a place and a roadmap for myself within a very male-dominant industry.”
