Speaking to SHP Online, Terry Daine, the Co-Founder and Director of Keep Safe Solutions, said they have teamed up with the charity Veterans HQ to offer one free place on every single IOSH Managing Safely course it delivers, starting in July at the company’s offices in Liverpool.
Mr Daine is a former Royal Marine and added that his brother and two uncles, who co-founded the company, all have strong military links.
“Three out of the four Keep Safe directors have served in the military, and so we know how hard it can be to transition from military service to civillian street – a process we have all personally experienced,” said Mr Daine.
“During my time in the Royal Marines, we had a saying – ‘once a marine, always a marine’.
“However, this sense of belonging and comradeship is not unique to the Corps; it’s common across all military services. It’s this feeling of brotherhood that drives our passion for helping veterans who are less fortunate than ourselves
“We promised ourselves that once we were in a position to give something back to veterans in need, we would, and we hope we can do a lot more in the future,” he added.
“People often ask me, ‘how did you go from being in the Royal Marines to being in health and safety?’.
“People assume they’re at the opposite end of the job spectrum, and at first glance, they’d appear to be right. However, in truth, health and safety runs through everything that the military does.
“The ‘seemingly unreasonable’ amount of uncomfortable kit worn on operations; the majority of which is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), specifically designed to minimise the risk of serious injury.
“The job is inherently high risk, and so, of course the training must be tough – but safety should always a priority,” added Mr Daine.
“A career in health and safety not only offers the opportunity for a good salary, company car, and excellent benefits, it also provides the genuine possibility of progression to director-level management in larger organisations.
“And if you’d rather not take the corporate business route, the profession also offers opportunities for a varied career in consultancy, or a flexible work/life balance in freelance training.”
Mr Daine added he would encourage other health and safety companies to help army veterans in any way they can.
“In fact, since launching this initiative, Keep Safe Solutions have partnered with one of the UK’s leading recruitment companies – Hays Plc – to ensure that the development of attending veterans doesn’t end when the course does.
“We aim to provide support from training, right through to employment. Our veterans have sacrificed an awful lot, and now it’s our turn to give something back,” said Mr Daine.
