Careers in focus: NEBOSH case study Nigel Clamp

NEBOSH talks to Nigel Clamp, Senior SHE Manager for aggregates and cements producer Hanson UK, about his career in health and safety and about how to win friends and influence people (to be safer).

Nigel Clamp believes that one of the key skills that any health and safety manager needs to possess is a strong ability to relate to and influence people.

“If you’re talking to sales personnel, for example, you need to engage them,” he explained. “So it’s best not
to talk about rules and procedures, but about margins, losses, bottom line and all of the things that will get them
switched on to your key messages. And you have to listen to people. That is so important.”

Go to SHP 4 Jobs for the latest health and safety jobs

Nigel is Senior SHE Manager for aggregates and cements producer Hanson UK. The company employs 3,450 people
and Nigel’s team of SHE Managers and Advisors cover 308 sites, including vast quarries, cement works and sea
dredging operations.

His strong influence there in recent years, has made a significant contribution both to increasing awareness about safety and improving the safety record of Hanson; something which Nigel is rightly proud of.

He also greatly enjoys his role. “I really love the complexity,” he told us. “From trespassers to unexploded sea mines, there are all kind of risks we need to manage here.”

His ability to influence is partly innate, but also comes from his experience of general management. As someone who
has had full operational responsibility for quarries in the past, he knows the ropes and always puts this knowledge
to good use. His experience also means he is held in high regard by colleagues, so as well as being a listener, Nigel is
listened to.

Nigel, 48, is a geology graduate. He started off as a Quarry Manager, small scale at first, but ultimately he became
the manager of Europe’s largest granite quarry – Lafarge Tarmac’s Quarry at Mountsorrell in Leicestershire. It was
only much later in his career, in around 2002, that he was asked to fulfil a health and safety role. He immediately took his NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

“If you are going to be a professional in anything, you need to be formally qualified and then, as you progress, you
need to ensure your knowledge progresses too,” he told us.

Nigel has stuck by this. He has a long list of safety and environmental qualifications, including a NEBOSH National
Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which he describes as the “benchmark qualification for health and
safety professionals.” He is now close to achieving his ultimate goal of Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH).

Nigel’s ability to demonstrate competency and his relevant experience led to his senior role at Hanson UK, which he
finds highly rewarding. He thoroughly recommends the NEBOSH Diploma to others and encourages his team members to complete the qualification. Currently, five members of the SHE team are working towards it with the support and encouragement of Nigel and Hanson UK.

“Without doubt, the NEBOSH Diploma is what employers look for on CVs. It demonstrates that a candidate possesses a depth of knowledge, quality, consistency and determination to achieve.”

We wish Nigel and his colleagues the best of luck with their continued professional development.

How has your NEBOSH qualification helped you? Email NEBOSH with your story: [email protected]

NEBOSH is the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. Our qualifications are designed to meet the needs of those with responsibilities for health, safety and the environment. Around 50,000 candidates each year take a NEBOSH qualification. Find out more: www.nebosh.org.uk