Posted By Anne Smart Dear members, Chartered status is big news for IOSH, the health and safety profession, and all of you who develop your professional skills through the IOSH membership structure. We have been asking some of our soon-to-be Chartered members to share their views on this event and what it means to them professionally. You will see more of these opinions on this website and in the media over the coming months. But now we’d like to hear from the rest of you, regardless of your current membership category, professional experience or career path. Each week you will see some new threads appear, asking you to share your thoughts on various topics. Please don’t be shy, just be polite. We may want to use your views as part of our ongoing media campaigns, but if we quote you directly we will contact you first. The first question can be found on the OSH chat forum, but here is one relevant to anyone using this forum: What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting their career within occupational safety and health? Anne Smart, IOSH Media and Marketing Assistant

Posted By Fornhelper Don't be an 'office safety advisor' Go into the workplace, discuss the issues and ask people their opinions/ views / suggestions. In my experience many of the better ideas and practical solutions for resolving health and safety concerns come from the people who are actually involved in carrying out the work. This way you can add to your experience by using the experience of others. One other piece of advice I was given as an apprentice many moons ago that I still follow "If you don't know don't be afraid to ask" FH

Posted By Frank Hayes My advise is to remember that it is not just a job, it's a vocation peoples lives are at stake. You either love Health and Safety Practice or hate it. If you are doing it for Mega Bucks then forget it and find something else to do. Get qualified and experienced in another trade first, preferably engineering then go for it big time and go through the mill, fail a few examinations on the way through then come out the other end smiling. Then get yourself commercially experienced, at least five years worth of experience preferably ten. Never stop learning because you will never learn everything. Never cheat during your courses by using other peoples work, it's just not worth it, lives are at stake. Remember you will never be a 'Peter Perfect for want of a better expression' so keep at it and shine. Regards Franky

Posted By RT A few bits of advice: Don't quote law, nothing annoys people more: "the PPE Regs state that...." Try to avoid just telling people they need to do a risk assessment assessment, it's quite meaningless to most people and you'll sound just like an HSE Inspector - help them to look for the hazards, assess risks, and identify suitable control measures. Remember that if you work for a company that makes widgets, your job is to make widgets - your role is to ensure they are made safely. You are not there to stop people doing things - you are there to help them do things safely.

Posted By David Kimmins Integrate, don't add on. 'Add on's' don't get done. Safety should not be an add on. RT's advice, "if you work in a widget factory, you're there to make widgets" is the best advice. Become a well rounded expert of the business you're in and look for opportunities to integrate improvements to processes. This way you are part of a team with a common purpose. By nature processes that are efficient are productive. Processes that are productive are naturally safe. If a process generates lost time days, then it is neither efficient nor productive. Those who find themselves in conflict with operations managers and are upset that in their business’ 'management sees production as more important than safety' need to take a step back and re-evaluate their approach. Safety should be a win-win. Companies exist to make widgets, it’s not safety first. It’s not production first. It is safe about producing safely.