Posted By Mark H Hi all, Been in H&S management about 4 years now just coming up on finishing nebosh dip. Is it just me or do others out there find that some line managers can go and attend a seminar on something like corporate manslaughter and come back with completely the wrong end of the stick. Overnight they turn into H&S experts and start questioning my every utterance. I then have to waste time digging out regs / acops / acts etc (so they can see it in black & white)to point them in the right direction. Just wondered if this is common in this profession and one of those minor annoyances I'll just have to live with in my career. Thoughts please.

Posted By The toecap I'll tell you what i would do. I would write down your concern. Give it to the manager, and ask him to confirm that he will sign your concern and that you have discharged your concerns. They may then sit up and take note.

Posted By Philip McAleenan Hi guys, Reverse your thinking for a moment and consider why it is problematic to be questioned on what you do, or advise. If we are not open on being questioned on what we do, and are not able to provide justification when asked, then we have a closed mind set, holding ourselves aloof from the rest of our colleagues in the mistaken belief that we know better. And don’t worry too much about what motivates the question, it is the question itself, and your response that matters. Regarding the problem of digging out Regs., ACoPs etc. this should never be seen as a waste of time. Dig them out, and all other information locked away in your files and make it all easily available to any and everybody. Health and safety is not the preserve of a “safety professional”, it is everyone’s business, and it is integral to the competency of every worker and manager. The safety professional has a short-term job, and that is to get everyone up to speed on safety and then withdraw, completely if that is the right thing to do, or to the wings if there remains a particular specialism that is not rightly held by another in the workplace. So, support the managers and the union reps., facilitate their competence development rather than jealously guarding your own. Life will be a lot easier, and work safer, in the long run. Regards, Philip

Posted By Mark H Phillip, Point I was making was that SOME managers dont 'get it' (and probably never will) even after attending a seminar and having me set them straight. Mark

Posted By Darren (Daz) Fraser So glad I am not the only one that has come across this situation. Know what you are saying, had a director (qualified lawyer - contract law), argue that I had it wrong about H&S and Environmental law, presumed guilty and need to prove otherwise, even showed relevant text, comment back was - do not like that, change it............... Keep your chin up, look on the bright side, at least they are showing an interest, which some in our profession would love.

Posted By Andy Brazier I am being a bit controversial here, and please do not take this personally. As others have said, you may need to take a different view. What is the role of H&S management in a company? If you think it is to do H&S for the company, I guess you have some right to feel agrieved when others get it wrong. However, I would suggest your role is to make sure the company as a whole is competent in H&S. Therefore, if some of your managers are getting it wrong is that not a failure on your part? Communication is the key. It is easy to blame the person 'receiving' the communication for mis-understanding it, but it is actually the fault of the person giving it. OK, in the case quoted the person went to a seminar, but did you brief them before they attended to make sure they got maximum benefit.