Case Studies

Did you always know you wanted to build your career in this profession, and how did you make it a reality?
I joined India’s largest conglomerate as an engineering trainee through the campus recruitment process. As a mechanical engineer, I had not initially considered EHS as a career option. However, after spending time in the EHS department while working on construction site assignments, my perspective gradually changed.

Regular interactions with my manager inspired me, particularly his passion for health and safety and his professional growth journey. The organisation’s strong culture and commitment to health and safety also demonstrated the importance of the discipline. I realised that health and safety offered meaningful opportunities to make a real impact by protecting people and improving their working environment, which motivated me to pursue and build my career in this profession.

You passed your first NEBOSH qualification, the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, in 2016.

• Why did you choose it?

After gaining practical site experience and foundational health and safety knowledge through national safety courses, I recognised the need to align my skills with international standards. At the time, India was witnessing increased foreign investment, leading to a growing emphasis on globally recognised safety practices. My organisation encouraged me to take the NEBOSH International General Certificate, as it would provide a strong, structured understanding of occupational health and safety aligned with global requirements. I chose to enrol because these factors made it essential for me to obtain an internationally recognised qualification at that time.

• How did achieving this qualification help your career?

The NEBOSH International General Certificate had a significant positive impact on my early career. It enhanced my technical knowledge, improved my confidence, and strengthened my ability to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement effective control measures. After achieving this qualification, my organisation entrusted me with responsibilities on larger projects.

The knowledge gained through my studies meant, I was able to contribute more effectively to workplace safety, support compliance with statutory and international standards, and add greater value to the organisation’s overall health and safety performance.

In 2022 you completed the NEBOSH International Diploma, once again choosing to study with NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner, Green World Group.

• Can you tell us why you chose this qualification?

After gaining nearly a decade of hands-on professional experience, I felt it was essential to complement this with an advanced qualification. The NEBOSH International Diploma appealed to me the most because it is one of the most internationally acclaimed and respected health and safety. I believed it would deepen my technical understanding and broaden my skills due to its comprehensive coverage of core occupational health and safety principles. I felt it was the ideal next step in my professional development.

I chose to study with NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner, Green World Group, due to their strong reputation for quality training, structured learning support, and experienced tutors. This support helped me balance my studies alongside my professional commitments.

• How completed this Diploma has benefited you?

Completing the NEBOSH International Diploma benefited me significantly. It gave me greater clarity in my thought processes, strengthened my analytical and problem solving abilities, and enhanced my understanding of safety leadership, risk management, and strategic safety implementation. The qualification enabled me to apply safety concepts more effectively at both strategic and operational levels, influencing not only compliance but also organisational safety culture.

Following the successful completion of the diploma, I experienced substantial professional growth. It opened new career opportunities, improved my credibility within the organisation, and supported my progression into more senior roles with higher levels of responsibility. Overall, the NEBOSH International Diploma has been instrumental in advancing my career and enabling me to contribute more meaningfully to workplace safety and organisational excellence.

In one sentence, what has been the best thing you have learned through your NEBOSH studies?

I have greater clarity on the hazards and risks present in the workplace, the mitigation measures that are effective, and a comprehensive understanding of health and safety management systems. I also have a strong understanding of the moral, legal, and economic aspects of workplace health and safety.

You have worked for Godrej Properties Limited in India since 2025. Can you tell us about the company and its health and safety ethos?
Godrej Properties Limited (GPL), part of the Godrej Industries Group, is one of India’s leading real estate developers, with a legacy of over 129 years built on trust, integrity, and sustainability.

At GPL, health and safety is treated as a core business value rather than a compliance requirement. The company follows a robust health and safety management system aligned with national legislation, international best practice, and standards such as ISO 45001. Safety is integrated into every stage of the project lifecycle, from design and planning through to construction, handover, and post completion activities.

The safety ethos at GPL emphasises proactive hazard identification, risk assessment, and the implementation of control measures based on the hierarchy of control. There is a strong focus on safe systems of work, contractor safety management, and the continuous monitoring of high risk activities such as working at height, lifting operations, and excavation. Regular audits, inspections, and incident investigations are conducted to drive continual improvement and prevent recurrence.

GPL also places considerable importance on building a strong safety culture. This is achieved through regular safety training, toolbox talks, behaviour based safety initiatives, and active worker participation. Leadership involvement and accountability are key elements, with senior management visibly demonstrating their commitment to safety through site engagements and reviews.

Overall, the company’s health and safety ethos reflects its broader purpose of creating safe, sustainable, and high quality developments while protecting the wellbeing of employees, contractors, customers, and the surrounding community.

Please can you tell us about your role and responsibilities as a Deputy Manager (Safety) with the company?

In my role, my key objective is to achieve operational safety excellence on the projects I support. To achieve this, I:

• Promote a positive safety culture, encouraging open communication on OH&S with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Support project teams to ensure organisational OH&S policies and procedures are implemented effectively and that all essential resources are available.
• Collaborate with GPL’s regional safety team to ensure alignment with the GPL Safety Management System and to develop annual safety targets and implementation strategies.
• Maintain a strong and visible presence across all projects by regularly undertaking safety walks.
• Lead safety performance review meetings, ensuring all identified safety issues are addressed appropriately.
• Evaluate contractor performance and make recommendations to Project Managers where critical safety issues are identified during audits and inspections.
• Participate in and review investigations into major incidents.

You have worked in several sectors including renewable energy, construction and manufacturing. Do you have any tips for switching between sectors?
Switching between sectors is very achievable and, in my case, it has helped to strengthen my career. Here are some practical tips that helped me:

• Focus on transferable skills: Each sector may use different terminology, but the core skills remain the same. Frame your experience around these capabilities rather than industry specific labels.
• Work on similarities before differences: Initially, focus on skills that are common across all sectors, then gradually build the sector specific skill set.
• Use your ‘outsider perspective’ as a strength: Coming from another sector allows you to challenge assumptions and introduce best practice that may not have been considered. Many improvements in safety, productivity, and efficiency come from applying ideas adopted from different industries.
• Be realistic about the adjustment period: Even with strong transferable skills, expect a ramp up phase. Being open to learning, asking questions early, and observing how work is actually done, not just how procedures describe it, will speed up the transition.
• Build relationships quickly: People accelerate sector transitions more than systems do. Spend time with site teams, operators, maintenance and engineering staff, and those involved in compliance or audit functions. Understanding their realities helps you apply your experience in a way that adds real value.
• Invest in targeted upskilling: Over time, I invested in developing industry specific skills, with a strong focus on sector specific regulations and codes, as well as commonly used technologies and process tools. In addition, leadership and change management training supported my transition into new operating environments.

In short, treat sector changes as skill translation exercises, not career resets. If you are deliberate about learning the new context while confidently applying what you already know, moving between sectors can become a long term advantage rather than a risk.

In your opinion what qualities do you believe a health and safety professional needs to be successful?
Successful health and safety professionals need a balanced mix of technical expertise, communication skills, and personal credibility. Health and safety is not just about rules; it is about influencing behaviour and enabling safe operations. The key qualities I believe are essential include:

• Strong technical knowledge: A sound understanding of health and safety legislation and standards, risk assessment and hazard control, incident investigation, and root cause analysis is essential.
• Communication and influencing skills: Successful health and safety professionals communicate clearly at all levels. They can translate complex regulations into practical actions and influence contractors, supervisors, and senior leaders without relying solely on authority.
• A practical, solutions focused mindset: Effective safety professionals do not simply identify problems; they help find workable solutions. This requires an understanding of operational realities and the ability to balance safety requirements with productivity and time constraints.
• Integrity and courage: Challenging unsafe practices, particularly under pressure, requires integrity and courage, even when such challenges are not always well received.
• Strong observation and analytical skills: The ability to identify unsafe conditions and behaviours early is critical. Strong analytical skills also help identify trends from incidents and near misses, enabling repeat incidents to be avoided by reviewing both leading indicators and lagging data.
• Relationship building and emotional intelligence: Safety is ultimately about people. Successful safety professionals must build rapport, actively listen to concerns from the workforce, and demonstrate empathy while still maintaining standards. Positive relationships make safety conversations more effective and less confrontational.
• Adaptability and continuous learning: Work environments, regulations, and risks are constantly evolving. Effective safety professionals must stay up to date with legislation and industry best practice and be adaptable to change, ensuring long term effectiveness.
• Leading by example: Credibility comes from behaviour. Safety professionals should practise what they expect of others, demonstrate visible commitment, and remain calm and professional at all times.

The real impact comes from combining technical knowledge with the ability to influence behaviour and embed safety into everyday operations. To achieve this, a health and safety professional must be technically competent, people focused, practical, and principled.

What do you enjoy most about being a health and safety professional?
What I enjoy most about being a health and safety professional is the opportunity to make a real, tangible difference to people’s lives, often in ways that are not immediately visible but are deeply meaningful. At its core, health and safety is about protecting people. Knowing that the work I do helps ensure someone goes home safely at the end of the day is incredibly rewarding.

I also enjoy the problem solving aspect of the role. Every site, project, or operation presents unique risks and challenges, and I enjoy working with others to develop practical, workable solutions to address them.

Health and safety sits at the intersection of management and the workforce. Building trust, having honest conversations, and influencing behaviour, often without formal authority, is challenging but highly satisfying. I take pride in influencing culture so that teams begin to take ownership of safety and stop seeing it purely as enforcement. Seeing improvements over time, such as better engagement, more open reporting, and safer behaviours, shows that the effort invested is creating a lasting impact.

Finally, I value that it is a role of continuous learning. Regulations evolve, technologies change, and no two days are the same. That variety keeps the role fresh and encourages ongoing professional development. This role allows me to combine my technical knowledge with my people skills to create safer, healthier workplaces.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to build their career in health and safety?
My recommendation to anyone who wants to build a career in health and safety is:

• Build a solid foundation: Start by developing a strong understanding of health and safety legislation and standards, risk assessment, hazard control, incident reporting systems, and the core principles of occupational health.
• Get hands on site experience early: Spend time on site or within operational areas to observe how work is carried out and engage with workers, supervisors, and contractors. This helps ensure the advice you give is realistic, practical, and respected rather than purely theoretical.
• Learn to communicate and influence: Technical knowledge alone is not enough. Strong communication skills are essential to explain risks in simple, practical terms and to listen to the workforce in order to understand their challenges.
• Be practical, not just compliant: Avoid a tick box mindset. Focus on controls that work in real world conditions and add value to operations while maintaining safety standards. People respect safety professionals who help solve problems rather than simply pointing them out.
• Develop professional integrity and confidence: Have the courage to challenge unsafe practices and stand firm under pressure. Make decisions based on risk rather than convenience, while approaching situations with fairness, respect, and consistency to build trust.
• Keep learning and stay adaptable: Legislation and best practice are constantly evolving, so it is important to stay up to date. Learn from incidents, audits, and near misses, and be open to working across different sectors and environments. Adaptability strengthens career resilience and broadens your skill set.
• Take a long term view: Be patient and intentional. Progression comes from consistency and impact over time. Seek out mentors and learn from experienced professionals. A strong professional reputation takes time to build, but it lasts.

Health and safety is a career where you can make a genuine difference, if you approach it with commitment, curiosity, and respect for the people you are there to protect