How did you get into health and safety?
When I worked for Lovell Construction as a site foreman, the health and safety advisor gave me a great deal of help and encouragement in the safe running of my sites. This gave me the impetus to look further into the health and safety side of the industry as a future career.
What qualifications do you hold?
I hold CMIOSH, FIIRSM, RMaPS, AIEMA, EurOSHM, and I also hold CSCS Platinum, as well as PTS (Personal Track Safety) for the rail industry.
Which aspects of your health and safety role do you most enjoy?
I still enjoy going out on to the sites and talking to and advising the lads; however, I am not as operational as I was. As chair of the East Midlands Working Well Together group I also enjoy arranging and taking part in events to “spread the word” to small businesses.
What have been the highest and lowest points in your career?
The highest point of my career was when I gained my CMIOSH. It was a lot of hard work, but worth it. The lowest point was returning from an overseas posting to find the construction industry here in the UK at an all-time low.
What has been the biggest change in H&S since you have been working in it?
The introduction of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. I feel these gave the industry the shake-up that it required.
What do you think will be the biggest developments in the next 10 years?
A better education of the workforce with regard to health, safety and the environment, as this will enable them to better cope with their day-to-day roles on site.
If you were PM for a day, which H&S law(s) would you introduce, or repeal?
I would introduce a law limiting the amount of “paperwork” a company can produce to explain its Safe System of Work, therefore giving the uninitiated a better chance of understanding it. It does not benefit the industry to bury people in paperwork, which never saved anybody’s life!
How do you capitalise on your IOSH membership?
I sit on the Peer Review Panel, which gives me a great insight into the candidates that are coming into our profession; without my IOSH membership this would not be possible.
What are your top two tips on getting a job in health and safety?
Firstly, talk to as many people as you can who are already in the profession to get a good idea of which branch of industry you prefer. Secondly, never give up, and don’t take any notice of those who tell you otherwise. Believe in yourself.
Who has had the biggest impact on your career, and how?
The health and safety advisor at Lovell Construction, who took the time to explain to me what health and safety was all about rather than just arriving on site, telling me what was wrong and then just leaving (thanks, Roy!) Also, my supportive chairman (thanks, John!)
If you could be anything other than a H&S practitioner, what would you be?
This is the hardest question of all, because I enjoy my job. I suppose I would still have a role in the construction industry because of my background as a joiner, so I would have to say construction manager.
CV Andrew Cartridge
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