Case Studies

You spent more than nine years working as a wind turbine technician before moving into health and safety. What inspired that career change, and what made you realise health and safety was the right path for you?

Working as a wind turbine technician gave me a strong understanding of high-risk environments and the importance of effective health and safety. Working at height, working with electrical and mechanical systems, and carrying out maintenance in challenging environments meant that safety was always an important part of the job.

Over time, I became increasingly interested in the health and safety aspect of the work. I enjoyed understanding why procedures were in place, identifying hazards, and, most importantly, looking at how we could prevent incidents from happening in the first place.

Being a technician also made me realise that I wanted to use my practical experience in a different way. Rather than being responsible only for my own safety and that of those immediately around me, I wanted to develop my knowledge and skills so I could have a broader influence on workplace safety. That was what ultimately led me to pursue a career in health and safety.

You have recently been named the Best Candidate Joint Winner for the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Congratulations!

A) Why did you choose to pursue this qualification?
The NEBOSH National General Certificate was a natural starting point for me as I transitioned into health and safety. I had a lot of practical experience from my previous career, but I wanted to develop a much stronger understanding of the principles, legislation and management systems behind effective health and safety. I also wanted a qualification that would challenge me and give me a solid foundation to build my future career on. The NEBOSH General Certificate is highly regarded within the industry, so it felt like the right qualification to help prepare me for my new career in health and safety by bridging the gap from my practical experience.

B) How has the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, which you studied with NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner Rawlings Safety & Training Consultancy Services, helped you so far? 
The qualification has given me a much broader understanding of health and safety and has provided the reasoning behind many of the practices I encountered throughout my previous career. It has also given me greater confidence when approaching health and safety issues in the workplace. I can now draw on both my practical experience and the knowledge I gained through NEBOSH to assess risks, identify suitable control measures and communicate with people at different levels of an organisation. Perhaps most importantly, it has changed the way I look at safety. I now consider not just whether something is safe, but why the controls are required, whether they are effective and how they can be improved.

What is the most valuable thing you learned through your NEBOSH studies?

Effective health and safety is not simply about having rules and procedures in place; it is about understanding risk, implementing proportionate controls and creating a culture where people genuinely want to work safely.

You currently work as a Health and Safety Coordinator. Could you tell us a bit about your role and what a typical day involves?

My role involves supporting the organisation in maintaining and continually improving its health and safety standards. No two days are really the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about working in health and safety. A typical day can involve workplace inspections, reviewing risk assessments and method statements, following up on actions, supporting incident investigations, engaging with employees and contractors, and helping to identify and control hazards.

A large part of the role is also communication. Health and safety is ultimately about people, so being able to build good relationships with colleagues and contractors, understand the challenges they face and help them find practical solutions is extremely important. My previous experience as a technician is particularly valuable here because I understand what it is like to be on the other side of a safety conversation. I think that a practical perspective helps me approach health and safety in a way that is both realistic and effective.

You've worked in some demanding environments throughout your career. What lessons or practical advice would you share with others working in high-risk industries?

Never become complacent. In high-risk industries, people can perform the same task hundreds of times without incident, but that does not mean the risk has disappeared. I would encourage people to take the time to properly understand the hazards associated with their work and to speak up if something does not feel right. Good health and safety should never be about simply following a procedure because it is written down; it should be about understanding the risks and making sure the controls genuinely work in practice.

I would also say that experience is valuable, but it should never be allowed to create overconfidence. Some of the most important lessons in safety come from being willing to stop, ask questions and learn from others.

Looking back on your career to date, what achievement are you most proud of?

Being named a joint winner of the NEBOSH National General Certificate Best Candidate award is certainly one of my proudest achievements. I put a lot of time and effort into the qualification, particularly while balancing work and the demands of everyday life, so receiving that recognition was incredibly rewarding.

However, I am also proud of the career journey that led me there. Moving from being a wind turbine technician into health and safety has required me to step outside my comfort zone, learn a completely different side of the industry and to develop professionally. Being able to take the practical experience I gained over nine years and apply it to a new career in health and safety is something I am particularly proud of.

Can you tell us about your ambitions for the future?

My immediate ambition is to continue developing my experience and knowledge within health and safety and to build on the foundation I have established through the NEBOSH General Certificate. I would like to progress into a more senior health and safety role over time and continue developing professionally through further qualifications and practical experience. Ultimately, I want to become someone who can make a genuine difference to health and safety performance within an organisation, particularly in high-risk industries where strong safety leadership can have a significant impact.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing health and safety professionals today?

I think one of the biggest challenges is maintaining engagement with health and safety while avoiding a culture in which safety is seen as simply a collection of rules, paperwork and procedures. Health and safety professionals need to demonstrate that good safety management adds value rather than simply creating additional bureaucracy. That means understanding the realities of the workplace, listening to the people carrying out the work and finding practical ways of controlling risk.

Building a positive safety culture, where people feel comfortable raising concerns and taking ownership of safety, is something I believe will continue to be particularly important.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to transition into health and safety?

Don't underestimate the value of your existing experience. You don't necessarily need to start from the beginning just because you are changing career direction.
My previous experience as a technician has been extremely valuable in my transition into health and safety because I understand what it is like to carry out the work being discussed. That practical understanding can be a real advantage.

I would also recommend investing in your knowledge and gaining a recognised qualification such as the NEBOSH National General Certificate. Most importantly, be willing to keep learning. Health and safety covers a huge range of subjects, and you will never know everything. Ask questions, learn from experienced people and don't be afraid to admit when you don't know something.

For me, moving into health and safety has been a significant career change, but my previous experience has given me a strong foundation to build upon. If you're considering making the same transition, I would encourage you to go for it.