By Sarah Warriner 12/12/2016

Under: News and Events

Meet our Safety Champions: Sam

Job title:
Construction Key Account Manager

How long have you worked at Enfield Safety?
11 years

Special area of expertise:
Twenty-four years in health and safety has given me a broad range of knowledge and experience. These days, I focus on safety issues facing leading construction companies. Key areas of expertise include: Fire Saftey, Tethered Tools and the First Aid. 

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing health and safety professionals today?
Construction is a tough industry; teams are working harder and harder to deliver complex projects on time and on budget. Getting your whole team to cooperate on new health and safety initiatives can be a challenge. Employees are focussed on getting the job done and can be resistant to change and worry that safety measures may affect efficiency.

How can health and safety professionals tackle this challenge?
Health and safety managers need to be expert communicators. Communication should happen before new health and safety measures are introduced; explain to the team why the change is important and listen to opinions and concerns. Work with the team to resolve apprehensions and ensure they understand both short and long term consequences of not complying. In the long run, safe and healthy workplaces are happier, more productive and more profitable.

Which innovations in health and safety are you excited about right now?
Safety Stations. I've already seen the benefits of these products with a few key customers who have brought them on-site and I expect to see their popularity soar. They bring health and safety communication to one easily identifiable place, giving one clear point for safety instruction. It's also adaptable, sites can personalise their own safety station to include all the information their team needs.

What's your favourite piece of health and safety advice or motto?
'Plan A, because there's no Plan B.' I think this attitude is vital in the health and safety world - you must plan to get it right the first time - there aren't usually second chances in health and safety.

If you could have a 'safety superpower' what would it be and why?
Being multi-lingual would be very handy. Construction sites are multicultural environments and language can be a barrier for communication. A magic multi-lingual ability would be a huge help.

Where can people connect with you or find out more about your work?
You can find me on LinkedIn here.