Case Studies

At university you studied Environmental Health, and the course incorporated an internships which you spent in SHE departments. Do you trace your interest in health and safety back to this?

My interest in health and safety started as far back as 2009, which was the second year of my university degree. One of the lectures I attended covered the principles of occupational health and safety. Whilst discussing the tolerability of risk (TOR) framework we were tasked with using real life examples to apply the framework. I am an avid reader and had read an article previously on the Chernobyl Disaster many years prior, so my group and I chose to link this tragedy to the TOR Framework. It was at this moment that I decided that I would pursue health and safety as a career. 

My undergraduate programme required me to undertake practical training in the various industries that covered the five main pillars of environmental health. Having decided that I wanted my future to be in health and safety, I tailored my internship applications to ensure that most of the training and experience I got was in health and safety. I was fortunate enough to secure placements with organisations operating in both the mining and manufacturing industries during undergraduate studies.

After graduating in 2013 you secured your first position as an Environmental Health and Safety Officer and have been a part of the profession ever since. What do you enjoy most about working in health and safety?

My core profession (Environmental Health) means I am a health practitioner who is trained to protect human health with the focus being on prevention. By choosing to work in health and safety, I have been able to practice my core profession across the various industries I have worked in. 

In addition, health and safety demands from a practitioner continuous learning, which I love because it helps me continue to grow and improve personally and professionally. Furthermore, health and safety requires you to engage with the various functions across the business such as human resource, finance, operations and legal to be effective. 

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of choosing health and safety is how it has helped shape and continues to shape my overall leadership and interpersonal skills. I have had to learn how to successfully influence people and decisions even in the absence of positional power. 

There is a never dull moment in health and safety and it keeps me active, both physically and mentally.

You have worked in a range of industries during your career. Do you have any tips to help others ensure a move between sectors goes well?

 

• Clarity of thought - When I have been making choices about my career, I have always been deliberate about my moves, ensuring I first have clarity about the direction I want my journey to take. Clarity guides your focus, steps and interactions. I recommend take the time to decipher exactly what they want as this will help them to have confidence when choosing which direction or role to take.
• Know your health and safety fundamentals and principles – They have universal application and so are critical in ensuring success as you navigate between sectors.
• Keep learning – Consider is there are any risks in the new sector that you have not had experience of previously. If there is, look at ways to strengthen your knowledge in these areas to give you confidence in your new role. Continuous learning is of vital importance in our profession, and it can be gained by speaking to peers, gaining practical experience, reading up on a subject or by taking additional qualifications (academic or professional). The important thing is to never stop learning as health and safety is dynamic and multi-faceted.

You completed your first NEBOSH qualification, the NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, with Gold Learning Partner RRC International, in 2021:

• Why did you choose this qualification? - My employer at that time, British American Tobacco (BAT), encouraged me to take this qualification. When I worked for them they had an EHS Academy which was focussed on upskilling EHS Professionals across the BAT Group. The NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety was one of the qualifications the group recommended employees in certain roles complete including myself.
• How did achieving the NEBOSH International Diploma help you? In addition to upgrading my technical expertise and knowledge, the NEBOSH International Diploma improved my analytical skills, critical thinking and report writing skills. It also helped me to adopt more of a holistic view of health and safety, which meant I provided practical risk-based solutions to the business, that were not only from a compliance perspective. Whilst the knowledge gained was pre-dominantly health and safety related, I also found I was better able to provide solutions to non-health and safety focussed parts of the business such as Communications, Operations and Retail.

In the same year, you were appointed HSSE Manager by Vivo Energy in Zambia. Please can you tell us about:

• The company - Vivo Energy Zambia is part of the larger Vivo Energy Group, which is a down stream oil and gas organisation that distributes, markets and supplies high quality fuels (under the ENGEN Brand) as well as lubricants (under the SHELL Brand) to retail and commercial customers across Zambia. Safety is a key focus for Vivo Energy Zambia. The organisation is focussed on maintaining its industry leading safety performance and always seeks to achieve “Goal Zero” - no harm to its people.

• Your role and key responsibilities - My role is essentially to act as an advisor to the Managing Director and the rest of Vivo Energy Zambia senior management on all matters relating to HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment). I am also responsible for the development and implementation of strategies and initiatives that are designed to positively influence the organisation’s HSSE culture and thereby drive positive performance. I am also responsible for compliance monitoring, incident investigation and for providing assurance to the Vivo Energy Group that the prescribed and existing controls are functioning as per design and requirement.

You are now a Dual Diplomate having completed the NEBOSH International Diploma in Environmental Management, also with RRC International, in 2023.

• Why did you choose this qualification? - After I completed my International Diploma in Health and Safety, the then Group Head of Safety recommended that I also pursue the International Diploma in Environmental Management as it would ‘complete’ my ‘knowledge triad’ in EHS. Within our organisation and in many other settings, health, safety and the environment work in tandem, so it made sense for me to complete the Environmental Diploma as well.

• How did it help you? – The impact that achieving the Environmental Diploma had for me was very similar to my experience with the International Diploma in Health and Safety. I gained technical expertise and knowledge that helped me to be more effective in my role and it also further enhanced my professional credibility.

Please, can you tell us about your future ambitions?

I would like to continue to learn, grow and evolve in the profession. I would like to transition to bigger HSE roles ultimately with a regional or global remit. As I mature in the profession, I would also like to offer my services by lecturing at local universities in my home country of Zambia. I would welcome the opportunity to give back to my country by helping top to enhance HSE there by imparting my years of knowledge and experience to upcoming HSE practitioners.

What qualities do you think help an individual be an effective health and safety professional?

The main one which comes above everything else is passion. Being passionate keeps you striving to succeed and encourages others to come along for the ride.

Other skills and attributes that will help you succeed are attention to detail, the ability to communicate effectively across different audiences, adaptability, being open to continuous learning, critical thinking and analytical skills.

What advice would you give someone who aspires to make health and safety their career?

Just like any other career, you must be driven by passion as it will keep you going when things get tough and frustrating (because they will). You should also have love reading and learning, because there is a lot to read and learn! It is a never-ending cycle of learning, unlearning and re-learning but it is such a rewarding profession to be part of.