I've worked in this industry for over a decade, having spent a good week perusing this chat forum it is obvious to me that 'we' often get embroiled in lengthy references to legislation/ regulation etc. now I have to admit that H&S does indeed 'float my boat' but it's not really about us is it? Why did you as an individual emabark on a career in OH&S? What I do now is concentrate on HOW the people we advise can achieve the aim not WHAT they need to do to achieve it.

Clark It is only to be expected that h&s practitioners often discuss h&s legislation because we are guided by it in most that we do. We then apply our own understanding of legislation when we carry out our daily work. Sometimes the law can be nebulous, hence there is often a degree of interpretation involved in the process.

Amen I often think H&S practitioners should look at themselves when they are 'advising', we need the people we work with just as much as they need us

I dont know a lot, and I like to talk to the guys to better understand how they do their tasks, and how it can be made easier, be it taller benches to reduce bending over etc etc etc. A gas pipe was hit on a site I was on recently, and I asked the gas guys if it were ok to stand over them and watch the repair as I had never seen it being done before, they said it was fine and talked me through the process. I do find a lot of the time that some of the Clients H&S people can be awkward, in that, they will stop the works because it is 'unsafe', they wont offer advise on how to do the task in a way that suits them, nor will they look at the task, see how it has to be done and work from there, I dont carry the safety book around with me all day as if I did no works would be done.

I come from a different angle. I wanted to become a Solicitor, but flunked A-Levels so couldn't get into a Law Degree, so fell back on what I liked during work experience, Environmental Health. By the time graduation came around, after a year working for a LA, I knew that I wanted to work in the private sector, so eventually moved into the role which I have been in for 3 years. In some ways I do act as a company "lawyer", getting involved in various aspects of law and dealing with enforcement agencies in a bid to prevent / minimise any business implication, and acting on behalf of the company should anything go wrong (be it H&S or any other regulatory area). I enjoy the nuances of OHS, but much prefer the strategic work setting the organisational policies and procedures and enabling our line managers to manage the on-the-ground issues. Whilst I accept many practitioners turn their noses up at people who don't work on the ground, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I genuinely want to make a difference, but it is mainly because I would get bored not doing the juggling act: Health and safety managers are having to manage over 30 different priorities during the course of their work, according to research by Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS). ARMS asked 200 health and safety managers about their workplace priorities at the Safety & Health Expo event in Birmingham 2012 and the following 33 issues were highlighted. 1. Accreditation 2. Reduce accidents 3. Zero harm 4. Training 5. Risk assessments 6. Maintain current performance 7. Board involvement 8. Asbestos 9. Environmental 10. Behavioural/cultural 11. Accident investigation 12. Legal compliance 13. Management systems/policy 14. Violence 15. Fire safety 16. Manual handling 17. Work at height 18. Lone workers 19. Home-working 20. Driver/transport safety 21. Stress 22. Health and well-being 23. Slips & trips 24. Display screen equipment 25. Hazardous substances/chemicals 26. Dangerous goods 27. Costs 28. Staffing 29. Near misses 30. Supporting business objectives 31. Noise 32. Dust 33. Improve communication

Like most people of a certain age I drifted into it because I had (well some) of the necessary knowledge required at the time - I had worked in heavy industry for years (steel) and had an reasonable knowledge - in the 90's we saw the fist real appetite for safety - I was by then working in the NHS and got roped in to it and it went from there.

I was a Union Safety Rep with the TGWU and was fortunate to be selected to be one of the first delegates on their NEBOSH general cert. After that and a lot of luck (and some hard work) I found my first professional position and fortunately have never looked back. Like some of the other posters here the general diversity of work and the people I work with and for make it the job it is.

Many, many years in the engineering/manufacturing field, so I had a reasonable understanding of many of common hazards/risks in that line of work. Then became foremen in a company with a fair sized workshop (30-40 machine operatives); so as part of my training undertook NEBOSH NGC, was then more qualified than the company HR manager who at that time also oversaw H&S matters; so got asked (or was it roped into) assisting him. Some years later HR manager wished to leave and after discussion with MD and other Directors it was decided to split the HR & H&S role into two jobs; I was asked if I’d be interested in H&S role. I asked for additional training if I took on this role; company agreed and sponsored me undertaking the old two-part diploma, passed part one, but not enough time to get onto part 2 before this route closed (to new single part Diploma). Been in same role now for the last seven-years; mind you, the role has expanded a great deal over that time; you know what I mean it’s often (or is it always) a matter of “oh give that to H&S to deal with” along with the justification (spin) that if you look hard enough or dig deep enough, then its somehow related to some form of health, safety, welfare or environmental matter, if not that then it represents some other form of business risk. Not that this is all bad, makes the job very interesting at times (figuring out which hat I should be wearing :-), sometimes I even get to get to wear a few different ones at the same time). That said there is most certainly never a dull moment because I never know what’s going to come up next. Plus I have had the opportunity to undertake lots of other types of training (as well as additional H&S/environmental stuff) and I see this as no bad thing, because you never know what’s around the corner and it provides plenty of options to include on the old CV should one desire or need to move on.

I think I was a very bad person in a previous life. On a more serious note, I put a management system in for Quality and the company wanted that extended to H&S and Env. So did the NEBOSH Cert & Diploma, became the HSE & QA Manager and found the variety in the job rewarding and more interesting than I would have first thought. I feel the lengthy debates on legislation actually interesting, but find it a shame that nothing ever gets resolved by them, one way or another. We have to work within the wording of quite a lot of legislation, sometimes with poor or no proper guidance, so discussion is inevitable. I find it a little odd that other professions also have to work within legislation, but don’t seem to be criticised for discussing it (outsiders view). I agree the main place for discussion is amongst ourselves (this forum?) not our own Company's or Clients, but that does not make doing so evil. People on this forum for example often want to know what legislation / guidance there is on a topic, so they can read it for themselves and make their own mind up, does a little debate that then follows hurt anyone. I used to work for an engineering company, who actively wanted to know the wording in legislation and guidance, so we could all collectively work together to find solutions to issues, whether H&S, HR or anything else. I’m sure other organisations don’t want this information which is fine. You meter out the information at the level you feel the people you are speaking to want, in the same way you change your language to suit your audience.