15th Oct 2021
Joining the company during a particularly busy time, chartered health & safety practitioner Jordan truly hit the ground running thanks to his extensive experience across a variety of sectors.
Bringing with him a particularly unique viewpoint on the importance of health and safety in the construction landscape, we sat down for a quick Q&A to find out more about his background, role and experience.
The first couple of months have been great, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the team and understanding the culture. It’s been busy, but I always say that it would be boring if it wasn’t a challenge.
I am a chartered health and safety practitioner and have worked in this capacity now since 2012 across a range of industries including construction, warehousing and logistics, rail, retail, property management, and healthcare. Prior to gaining my H&S qualifications, I worked as an installation operative for a playground construction company for a few years but changed direction after suffering a serious workplace accident.
As S&C Slatter’s Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Training Manager (or ‘HSEQT Manager’ as I have coined it!) I’m fortunate that I get to work with all of the teams, and support all the S&C divisions. In a nutshell, you could say that my role is to effectively manage all aspects of quality, health, safety, environmental and training, and drive the development and implementation of continuous improvement strategies across the company.
Well, aside from having to knock elbows or bump fists instead of shaking hands, the fact is, a lot has changed! Even with the high vaccination uptake, there are elements of this so-called ‘new normal’ that are likely to be with us for years to come – perhaps even forever.
Without being able to work from home, the construction industry (among others) had to take the first, unsure steps into the unchartered territory of the ‘new normal’, accommodating perspex screens, hand sanitiser and PPE into their every-day working lives. This served as a blueprint for businesses of all types across the nation, and there are little signs of them being phased out.
On a positive note, prior to the pandemic, we “shouted safety but whispered health” but it does seem that the balance has shifted to more accommodate health and wellbeing. The industry has shown real resilience with new ideas on how to collaborate and innovate to enable projects to restart safely.
I think that employers struggle to find the right balance when determining risk mitigation. There is endless information out there, and sometimes it feels like you’re stuck down a rabbit hole when trying to find the right solution. When faced with this ‘analysis paralysis’ – sometimes it’s better to go with your gut instinct. There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to ensuring appropriate health & safety, and the legislation is designed to put the onus on the employer – after all they know their business better than anyone else. It just requires a bit of time and effort to put the right foundations in place.
Based on the first few months, I would say time is my biggest challenge, we are so busy! The most important part of my role is continuously reviewing and improving our HSEQ management system to ensure compliance and enable maximum efficiency.
The opportunity to work with industry leaders in a role that I can develop.
My advice would be to consult S&C Slatter. 😊
I love sport and played a lot of football and cricket growing up, I watch my beloved Liverpool whenever I can. My biggest passion though is probably food – growing it, cooking it and of course eating it.
A huge thank you to Jordan for taking time out to answer these questions, especially during such a busy time. We’re glad to have you on board as our new health and safety manager – welcome to the team!
Putting the safety of our staff and clients is at the forefront of what we do. Every project we undertake involves our dedicated health and safety manager, contracts managers and site managers to ensure best practice is delivered on all of our sites.
If you’re considering a sports construction project and want to ensure maximum quality with minimal risk, get in touch with Jordan and the team on 01635 345 21 or email info@sandcslatter.com.
