How do our members feel about being part of IOSH? How are they involved with our work? Let's hear from some of them about how they make a difference.
Tom Chambers
Greencore – international food manufacturer
We set up IOSH's Food and Drink Group on the back of an award-winning project to develop a best practice model for communicating with ethnically diverse teams in the food and drink industry – now the UK's largest manufacturing sector. We found that after we'd brought together health and safety professionals from all the major manufacturers, there was no-one to take things forward.
Creating the group with IOSH was logical – it's here that you find people to work together to make things happen; hands-on practitioners who come up with and deliver solutions.
It's about connecting people with the right skills and experiences, access to the right networks, and the commitment to get things done to improve health and safety. We've run a series of great networking events, attracting hundreds of people – over 300 at one session – and launched an awards scheme, working with the HSE, TUC and Food and Drink Federation to encourage fresh thinking.
Caroline Raymond
Stress in Perspective – stress management trainers and auditors
I'm involved with the HSE on its stress prevention work, and also run IOSH's stress courses. Since I joined as an Affiliate Member, I've acted as a spokesperson on stress issues too – a really varied and interesting role.
Before I got involved in this area, I worked as a manager for organisations ranging from Abbey Life to the United Nations, so I know the pressures managers are under. I'm a passionate believer in prevention rather than cure.
For too long, we've seen stress as something that's dealt with after it's happened – but surely it's better to stop it becoming a problem in the first place. I offer managers practical tools to manage and prevent stress in their teams. And I focus on the benefits of stress management. It's not just about compliance – managing stress properly results in more motivated, committed staff.
Angela Southall
Southall Associates – health and safety consultancy
The great satisfaction for me is in changing opinions and values – really turning companies around and helping to improve standards. As a consultant, I go into a huge range of businesses and meet such a diverse range of people. In a single day, I'll be talking to senior managers of multi-site internationals, as well as the guys at ground level.
I'm now a Chartered Member, having completed my IPD programme. Chartered status is the ultimate for professionals to have – it's well respected and recognised as the best.
Andrew Sharman
Scottish Power – international energy company
Health and safety professionals need to have a combination of very specific expert knowledge and skills to manage risk. But our role is more and more about developing a positive health and safety culture too.
In an increasingly risk-averse world, where some think wrapping people up in cotton wool is the best way to control risk, I think it's critical for us to push for a different view. That's one of the reasons our branch – Edinburgh – got involved with the Risk Factory. This fantastic local education centre gives children a great opportunity to learn about safety by experiencing risks for themselves. The whole point is to teach important safety messages in a fun way – and if they make a mistake there's no real danger.