How long have you been working in health and safety and what’s one lesson you’ve learned
I’ve been working in health and safety for a little over a year at this point so I’m still pretty new to the game. One thing I picked up on right away is that powerpoints don’t work very well
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I switched from production at my facility to the safety manager position after 1 1/2 years with the company. I have been in safety for exactly 8 months and 7 days.
I too have learned that powerpoints and presentations don’t work very well but that personal conversations with individuals work amazingly.
Follow this simple process (learned while selling cars)
The [customer] needs to : like me, trust me, listen to me, buy from me. If we get our teams to like us first they will then trust us, listen to us and buy into the idea of [safety].
Hope this helps somebody.
I've learned that knowing the right thing to do is often easier than getting your employer to do it and fund it.
Make your recommendation, do your best to sell it, and if they decide to not listen; document (save it) and move on....it's not worth the stress to dwell on it. You can always say I told you so later on.
I have been doing EHS now for 10 years. I worked at a small urethane plant in WV when i received my associates degree in OSHA and bartered safety responsibility. I then was employed by a coal company as an Engineering Tech where I completed my Bachelors in Environmental Management while assisting the environmental department with permits and inspections. I then went to work for AEP, a major power company in the Ohio Valley region as an Environmental Coordinator for 3 years for their construction projects (demolitions, gas conversions, landfill expansion, pond closures). I worked 4 states with 15 projects and drove around 1200-1500 miles a week while I completed my Masters in OSHA with an emphasis in Environmental Management. I was let go from contract after 3 years and went a year unemployed. I was then picked up by a company in SC as a on-site EHS representative to help with their sites for Duke, a major power company here in the Carolina's. I spent almost two years with them and decided I didn't want to do construction anymore. I was picked up by Chase Corp to head up their on-site EHS for the Carolina's last December. It has been a well traveled road and wouldn't change it for the world. If anything I have picked up is that the people need to respect you and the position you are in. You can be freindly but they need to now you still have a job to do.
I have found that if you narrate the power point and then turn them into a video they work very well for presenting your subject
been 22 years for myself as well
one thing I learned from the get go was never tell someone what your opinion is on a question
if you don't know the answer tell them you will get back with the correct answer.
and make sure you follow up
Wow. It has been 22 years since I graduated with my Bachelors in OSH Management from Murray State. I've worked in the field since graduating with a 7 year stint in Production and Ops. Something I've learned is to not take an OSH position that reports to HR. Insist that the position report to a higher OSH person OR directly to Plant or Engineering Managers.