HSE People - Health and Safety Community

Experience Health Safety Environment and CDM Consultant/Manager & Auditor.

Ex-commercial (deep sea) diver, rescue boat coxswain, survival instructor and water baby turned health and safety practitioner; specialising in construction and inshore marine safety, but with experience of offshore sector. Started my career as a Commercial (Deep Sea) Diver, or as a colleague referred to it, an "Aqua-paddy"!

In 1997, following the publishing of the Cullen report into the Piper Alpha disaster I found myself recruited by the offshore industry to deliver OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Association) and MNTB (Merchant Navy Training Board) maritime safety, rescue and survival training. As an instructor I delivered specialist training for offshore and Norwegian Sectors, from Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), to Basic Offshore Survival and Induction Training (BOSIET), Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC), lifeboat and Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) crew and coxswains, Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Advanced Powerboat Coxswain and general powerboat crews.

I went on to run my own business offering marine safety training and consultancy, and RYA Powerboat training as a Centre Principal. It was at this point that I started to realise that my “safety” experience was greater than I thought and was fortunate enough to be offered a role as a Safety Advisor for an onshore pipeline in the north west of England. From there I stayed in heavy civils for a few years, later moving on into the built-environment, from there into consultancy offering Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1995 (now 2007) consultancy. A short stint in the highways industry enjoying the benefits of fiscal stimulus during the recession and now back to consultancy.

In recent years I have progressed more into management and provision of consultancy services to corporate and construction clients, contractors, designers and other large organisations. Currently employed by Confluence, delivering and managing a team of multi-disciplinary safety consultants throughout the UK, Europe and into the UAE.