Case Studies
Globally
recognised
health, safetyhealth,
Globally
recognised
and environmental
qualificationsqualific
and environmental
Globally recognised health, safety
Why NEBOSH?
Around a quarter of a million people throughout the world hold a NEBOSH health
and safety or environmental qualification.
Our qualifications test the knowledge, skills and competence of people in workplaces
and also help to assure employers that they have the right personnel in place to
prevent ill-health, injury and environmental failures.
At NEBOSH we see it as our mission to preserve and improve health, safety and
the environment in workplaces worldwide. We do this through a framework of
qualifications, rigorous awarding procedures and the promotion of high quality
education.
Our qualifications
A NEBOSH Diploma is a UK degree equivalent level qualification, sought after by
health, safety and environmental professionals and their employers.
Our Certificate level qualifications are taken by people starting a career in health
safety and environmental management, as well as managers and executives, who
have responsibility to ensure activities under their control are carried out safely,
healthily and sustainably.
Our Award level qualifications are popular among employers who understand the
benefits of their workforce having a basic understanding of health, safety and
environmental controls and practices.
This booklet highlights the personal experience and benefits some of our students
have gained from completing their NEBOSH qualification.
2
CONTENTS:
Contents
Featured Qualification
Page
Royal Mail
NEBOSH National General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety
4-5
ADM Cocoa UK
NEBOSH Environmental Awareness at Work
Qualification
6-7
Ali El Farouki
NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work
Qualification
8-9
Jo-Anne Baur
NEBOSH National General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety
10-11
Dawn Leighton
NEBOSH National Certificate in the Management
of Health and Well-being at Work
12-13
Joel Nadamo
NEBOSH International General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety
14-15
Dhayalan Jeyeram
NEBOSH National Diploma in Environmental
Management
16-17
Lisa Pearson
NEBOSH International Diploma in
Occupational Health and Safety
18-19
Maisaa Nasrallah
NEBOSH International General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety
20-21
Mark Davenport
NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction
Health and Safety
22-23
Claire Jones
NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental
Management
24-25
Notes
26
3
CASE STUDY:
Royal Mail
Royal Mail...
...setting high standards
Making sure that over 150,000 people are
kept safe and well at work each day is a big
responsibility. It’s one that Shaun Davis of
Royal Mail thrives on...
Shaun. Key initiatives include “target zero” for
fatalities, working towards an accident free
workplace and placing a strong emphasis on
employee well-being.
As Group Director of Safety, Health & Wellbeing for one of the UK’s biggest employers,
Shaun Davis is determined to maintain high
standards within his organisation. NEBOSH
qualifications are playing a part in this
continued success.
Shaun is a great believer in well-being
programmes. Royal Mail, for example runs
regular “health fairs” where simple medical
tests such as for lung-function, diabetes and
obesity are offered. Workers are encouraged
to raise any concerns identified at these
events with their GPs.
In October 2013, privatisation resulted in two
thirds of Royal Mail being sold to shareholders,
with the remainder remaining in state-ownership.
Despite this change the organisation’s focus on
health and safety has remained, according to
4
“If you have a healthy and health conscious
workforce, this in turn has a positive impact
at work,” explained Shaun. “People are more
active, more capable of doing their job and
less likely to be injured when moving and handling, for
example. So there is a domino effect with well-being, for
health, safety, productivity and more.”
Royal Mail works closely with trade unions CWU and
Unite to improve health, safety and well-being. This strong
relationship and partnership approach is very important,
says Shaun. He also highly values the backing of Royal Mail
Chief Executive, Moya Greene, who he describes as a “huge
supporter of the well-being agenda.”
When it comes to Shaun’s extensive team of safety, health
and well-being managers and advisers, he highlights
another valuable partnership. One which has developed
with NEBOSH.
“I came through the NEBOSH route myself,” said Shaun.
“The qualifications are well recognised and respected so
when I was setting minimum standards for the team, this
was aligned to NEBOSH qualifications. Safety Advisers must
have Certificates, while Senior Safety Advisers and Safety
Directors must have Diplomas.
“This gives the organisation two very important things. Firstly
there is an assurance that we have well trained people who
have gone through a robust programme and examination.
And secondly there is what that syllabus gives them. I know
when they’re out doing their job they are giving sound and
competent advice.”
Shaun’s overriding philosophy is that health and safety
is something that should be done “with people” not “to
people”. His approach is reaping rewards at Royal Mail and
we’re proud to be playing a part in this.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
5
“The qualifications
are well recognised
and respected
so when I was
setting minimum
standards for the
team, this was
aligned to NEBOSH
qualifications”
CASE STUDY:
ADM Cocoa UK
Because people...
...can make a big difference
Food ingredients manufacturer ADM Cocoa people are hugely important for delivering
UK are ticking all the right boxes, when it continuous environmental improvement,
because often, the biggest changes occur
comes to environmental management.
when employees understand environmental
At their plant near Liverpool, they’ve developed
impacts and what they can do about them.
an effective Environmental Management
System (EMS) that in 2013 led to ISO 14001 That’s why ADM Cocoa UK was very keen to
Certification. In addition, they have what they be among the first companies to put a number
call a “15 by 20 plan,” which sets a target of its people through the new NEBOSH
of reducing energy consumption by at least Environmental Awareness at Work qualification.
15 percent by 2020. Waste management is As well as being a progression route on to
Certificate and Diploma level environmental
another key area of focus.
qualifications, the NEBOSH Environmental
But perhaps the most crucial thing ADM Cocoa
Awareness at Work qualification is designed to
UK has done to develop its environmental
improve environmental awareness among the
management program is to recognise that
general workforce.
6
Altogether, nine employees ranging from food hygienists to
production staff, took part in the course. All of them passed,
including Food Safety Manager Anna Ollier.
Anna, 27, who has a degree in Agri-Food, Marketing and
Business Studies, told us: “It’s an ideal first step. I think it’s
given everyone a good understanding of how everything fits
together, and you can easily relate the program content to
your role. It certainly improves general awareness and can be
taken by employees at all levels.”
Anna is now one of several at ADM Cocoa UK who is
planning to take the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental
Management. HS&E Coordinator Greg McCannon is another.
Greg, who already holds a NEBOSH General Certificate in
Occupational Safety and Health, felt confident from the
outset that the new NEBOSH Environmental Awareness at
Work qualification would deliver.
He said: “NEBOSH sits right at the top of the pile for
qualifications. It is a good , quality program. The idea behind
the Environmental Awareness at Work qualification was to
get employees to understand how their job impacts energy
usage, our packaging materials waste and so on at the
facility.
“We’ve immediately seen that our employees are being
more proactive. They’re also coming forward with ideas of
their own. Altogether, it’s proving very positive and given
everyone a more structured approach,” McCannon said.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
7
“We’ve
immediately seen
that our employees
are being more
proactive”
CASE STUDY:
Ali El Farouki
Can NEBOSH...
...change your life?
Who is responsible for health & safety at
work? Is it the health and safety manager? Is it
the board of directors? Is it line management?
The answer of course is, all of these people
and more. Everyone is responsible for health
and safety at work, employers and employees.
Ali El Farouki is Business Development
Manager at DMM, a company that owns and
operates two land based oil rigs in Algeria
in North Africa. It’s Ali’s job to make sure
everything runs smoothly - accounting, HR,
business relationships and more, including
health, safety & environmental (HSE). HSE
is important in the oil and gas industry. Ali
describes it as “the number one requirement.”
But Ali doesn’t have a background in health,
safety or environmental management. First
and foremost he’s a business man. In fact
he’s from a successful Jordanian family that
has a number of business interests around the
world.
8
Ali was raised in Washington DC. He
went to university there, where he studied
international business management. In 2005
he moved to Dubai in the UAE to work for
one of the family businesses, a construction
company. Here, he learned a lot about
contracting and project management.
When a family member acquired an interest in
the Algerian drilling operation, Ali was asked
to take up a strategic management role there,
overseeing various aspects of the business. He
soon recognised the importance of HSE to the
operation - in his own words “it had to be
top notch.”
He got to know a group of oil and gas safety
consultants operating in the region. In fact it
was this group who in 2009 suggested that
Ali develop his knowledge of health and
safety further by taking the NEBOSH Health
and Safety at Work Qualification.
Ali says it was five days well spent. It helped him “learn
the lingo” - something Ali has found really useful when
dealing with health and safety issues and promoting DMM.
It “opened his eyes” to health & safety, helping him with risk
assessments and his ability to foresee dangerous situations.
And it gave him a NEBOSH qualification - something he says
is “internationally regarded.”
However, the qualification did more than just inform Ali.
It affected his whole approach to doing business. He says
the course made him see that risk management could be
“incredibly useful” not only for safety, but “in all areas of
doing business.” Ali now uses a process of risk evaluation
and control in all areas he is responsible for.
Being a business man, Ali has also spotted a few opportunities
since taking his NEBOSH course. He’s aware that some parts
of the world are not up to scratch when it comes to HSE
in oil and gas. So he’s now looking at ways of improving
standards through training and consultancy provision.
Ali says health and safety will never be his specialism. Doing
business is his thing. But his experience in oil and gas,
together with his NEBOSH qualification has helped him see
that health, safety, environment and risk management is
vital when it comes to running a successful business.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
9
“HSE is important
in the oil and
gas industry. Ali
describes it as
‘the number one
requirement.’”
CASE STUDY:
Jo-Anne Baur
It’s valuable work,...
...whether it’s scrubs or suit
Jo-Anne Baur protects people’s lives in two
very different ways. One way you’d expect
of someone with a NEBOSH qualification, the
other less so.
does at the hospital. She is also an Operating
Department Practitioner (ODP). An ODP works
in operating theatres and as Jo explains, with
a grin: “Our predominant role is to assist in
putting people to sleep, and then if they’re
Jo, as she’s known to her friends and good we wake them up again.”
colleagues, is a Health and Safety Coordinator at the Nuffield Health Hospital in Around 12 years ago, and following a brief
Brentwood, Essex. She took on the role a spell as an auxillary nurse, Jo began her two
few years ago when a colleague retired. Jo year course to qualify as an ODP. As well as
had a bit of experience of health and safety gaining experience in theatre, Jo trained in
from a previous job at a Day Centre, working Accident and Emergency and Intensive Care
with people with learning disabilities. She’d Units, to not only assist consultant surgeons,
been sent on a basic trade union health and but to learn about things like airway
safety course after expressing an interest or management.
“opening her big mouth” as she puts it.
“So my working week these days sees me
However, health and safety is not all that Jo wearing two different uniforms,” says Jo.
10
“One is my ODP theatre scrubs, while the other is my health
and safety suit.”
Nuffield Health is keen to maintain high health and safety
standards. In fact it has introduced a policy requiring its health
and safety personnel to gain at least a NEBOSH National
General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.
Nuffield Health is accredited to deliver the NEBOSH National
General Certificate courses in-house to its employees.
Jo, together with several of her colleagues from other
hospitals around the country, passed her NEBOSH National
General Certificate at the beginning of this year. She says the
qualification helped her greatly with legal aspects, but more
than that it gave her more confidence.
“People recognise NEBOSH. We’ve been having
refurbishment work done recently and I’ve had to clamp
down a bit on some of the contractors. The NEBOSH National
General Certificate has given me so much more confidence
and clout to be honest.”
Jo is proud of both her ODP and health and safety roles. She
appreciates the immense value of protecting people from
harm. She has seen first hand the impact accidents can have.
Jo has worked in busy burns units and has also travelled to
India twice to support charities such as the Smile Train and
Sylvia Wright Trust. This year, she travelled to Bangladesh
with a consultant colleague and theatre nurse to work in
A&E and help out with operations.
“Everywhere I go I see just how critical health and safety is,”
she told us. “Simple failures can have devastating impacts
and it’s vital people everywhere understand and appreciate
its importance.”
Well said Jo. Keep up the good work.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
11
“Everywhere I
go I see just how
critical health and
safety is,’ she
told us.’Simple
failures can have
devastating
impacts and
it’s vital people
everywhere
understand and
appreciate its
importance.”
CASE STUDY:
Dawn Leighton
Achieving...
...a healthy balance
Getting the balance right between health and
safety isn’t always easy. Sometimes health
issues can seem hard to address and can get
left behind, but not where Dawn Leighton
works.
Dawn is employed by UK Power Networks,
which distributes electricity throughout
London, the South East and the East of
England. She’s part of the standards and risk
team there, and her main role now is looking
at the health of the workforce.
Originally, Dawn had an administration role
within the health and safety team, having
secured a job there following a period of
travelling after leaving school. Keen to get
more involved in the delivery of health and
safety she took a level 3 NVQ health and
safety qualification.
the drawing up of health and safety policies
and procedures.
A change in approach and personnel at UK
Power Networks meant that Dawn was asked
to focus more on occupational health. Having
learnt that NEBOSH had developed a new
qualification - the Certificate in Health & Wellbeing - she approached her employers with
a view to studying with NEBOSH approved
course provider Stunit. As an employer that
regularly supports its staff to achieve NEBOSH
qualifications, UK Power Networks were all
for it and Dawn enrolled.
When we spoke to Dawn she had only just
taken her exam and was still waiting for her
results, but she told us she had already found
a lot of what she’d learnt on the course “really
useful” in her role.
She then started doing site safety inspections Dawn says taking the NEBOSH Health and
and began studying for her NEBOSH Diploma. Well-being Certificate helped her develop
This led to greater responsibilities, in particular new ideas and highlighted the kind of health
12
issues she’d like to analyse more closely at work. She also
believes the course gave her more confidence in addressing
difficult issues such as stress, anxiety and depression. She
feels more comfortable now raising questions in these areas
and encouraging line managers to address such matters.
Dawn also feels that the course has helped bring those
responsible for health and safety and those tasked with HR
(Human Resources) closer together.
“The course really emphasises the importance of HR,
occupational health and health & safety all working together
to move forward and actually try and change the culture
of an organisation. With health, until you can change the
culture and become a more open organisation, issues such
as mental health can be put to one side.”
Dawn told us she believes all line managers would benefit
from taking the NEBOSH Health and Well-being Certificate.
“It should be something that line managers should be
incorporating into their everyday activities, regardless of
where they work,” she said. “Ill health is very costly to
employers. Early intervention can make all the difference.”
Discover what the NEBOSH Health and Well-being Certificate
can do for your employer and for your career. Visit www.
neboshhealthandwellbeing.org.uk.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
13
“The course really
emphasises the
importance of
HR, occupational
health and health
& safety all
working together
to move forward
and actually try
and change the
culture of an
organisation”
CASE STUDY:
Joel Nadamo
Have knowledge...
...will travel
Joel Nedamo has seen a lot of the world. He
was born, educated and began his working
career in the Philippines. His degree in Civil
Engineering from the Mapua Institute of
Technology in Manila helped him secure work
in many different places such as Kuwait, Taiwan,
Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
to develop his knowledge of health and safety.
He saw it as a useful career move and one that
might lead to a more interesting role.
His target was to gain a NEBOSH International
Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety.
But rather than jumping straight in at the deep
end he chose to take the NEBOSH International
But it’s another qualification that’s brought him General Certificate first, which he passed
even more success recently and it’s a qualification in 2008.
Joel hopes one day to take back home with him.
Two years later he gained his International
A few years ago, when working for a contracting Diploma and Joel now has a very interesting
company in the construction sector, Joel decided and challenging role. He is responsible for all
14
aspects of health and safety at the Dubai World Trade Centre
(DWTC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The DWTC complex includes a 39 storey tower, housing
offices for some of the world’s largest and most well-known
businesses, as well as eight exhibition halls, the Dubai
International Convention Centre and residential apartments.
Joel’s responsibilities include reviewing all risk assessments,
method statements, policies and activities at the centre. As
this includes the operations of all visiting contractors and
exhibitors he’s a very busy man! And as Joel says himself,
it means he needs to know a lot about health and safety.“I
need a lot of information to be successful in my work and I
have been able to develop this because of my Diploma. It’s a
very advanced qualification.
“Taking my NEBOSH International General Certificate broadened
my knowledge and gave me more confidence. It put me on
the pathway to achieving my Diploma and helped me secure
the role I now have.”
Joel believes so strongly in the value of his qualifications
he has set himself a long term goal of delivering NEBOSH
courses in the Philippines, to try and improve health and
safety standards there.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
15
“I need a lot of
information to
be successful in
my work and I
have been able
to develop this
because of my
Diploma. It’s a
very advanced
qualification”
CASE STUDY:
Dhayalan Jeyeram
Starting afresh...
...can be incredibly rewarding
Success can sometimes take more than just
hard work and commitment. Sometimes it’s
also about taking chances, making sacrifices
and being courageous.
accept that financially he needed a career that
would bring greater reward. He researched
various options and decided that construction
was the way forward.
After almost ten years working in a profession
that he studied long and hard for, Dhayalan
Jeyaram had the courage to reassess his life,
change career and then move himself and his
family almost 7,000 kilometres to another
country. His strong decision is now paying off
in more ways than one.
He felt that his professional experience would
be best suited to a role in health and safety.
Passing the NEBOSH International General
Certificate (IGC) with distinction helped
Dhayalan to make the switch.
There has been a massive escalation in
construction activity in Qatar in the Middle
East in recent years. In March 2012 Dhayalan
moved his family from India to Qatar to
take advantage of the opportunities this has
created.
Born in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu
state in southern India, Dhayalan gained
a good education, culminating in a post
graduate qualification in cardiorespiratory
physical therapy. A varied career followed
with Dhayalan using his knowledge to teach He now works for UrbaCon Trading &
Contracting (UCC); helping to manage safety
others as well as care for his patients.
on a range of projects in Qatar, including most
However, people’s lives change. Dhayalan had recently the Anantara Doha Island Resort.
started a family and despite his passion for
his work, after almost ten years he began to
16
Dhayalan has continued his studies. He is making good
progress with his NEBOSH International Diploma and is now
preparing for a MSc in Occupational Health, Safety and
Environment with Greenwich University.
However, his recent performance with the NEBOSH Diploma
in Environmental Management has really helped Dhayalan
to stand out from the crowd. Environmental management is
important to UCC, and they value the NEBOSH qualification
highly.
The knowledge Dhayalan gained by completing this
qualification has really helped him to “better deliver his
duties relating to environmental management”. As a result
of his pass, he was immediately promoted to the position of
HSE Engineer and his salary almost doubled.
Not only did he pass, but he also gained the highest mark
out of everyone taking the qualification in 2013/14, making
him NEBOSH ‘Best Candidate’ Award winner.
Dhayalan is glad to have made his switch in career. Not only
has it led to wider recognition for his abilities, but perhaps
most importantly he feels it has brought greater security and
stability for those closest to him.
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
17
“The NEBOSH
Diploma in
Environmental
Management
has really helped
Dhayalan to stand
out from the
crowd”
CASE STUDY:
Lisa Pearson
Should you be afraid...
...to take your Diploma?
It’s been said that fear isn’t necessarily a bad This resulted in a lot of hard work and
thing. For Lisa Pearson, this certainly appears revision, leading to Lisa’s achievement of top
Diploma candidate. But a little bit of fear
to be true!
hasn’t been Lisa’s only motivation for success
Lisa recently achieved the joint highest with NEBOSH. She also sees her qualification
mark for her NEBOSH National Diploma in as a passport to career development.
Occupational Health and Safety exams, after
already having been recognised for the top Lisa left school aged 16 and went to work for
mark for Unit C. She says a little bit of fear ICI in a general administrative role. She was
soon given an extra task of safety, health and
had something to do with it.
environmental (SHE) “champion”. It was all
“I have a need to know,” explained Lisa. “If part of a behavioural safety initiative at ICI,
I went into an exam without knowing, or at designed to generate worker involvement
least thinking I knew all that I could, I’d be in in SHE. She enjoyed the task so much
she ended up moving into the health and
absolute panic mode!”
18
safety department full-time, passed her NEBOSH General
Certificate and started her NEBOSH Diploma.
Unfortunately, a series of redundancies at the ICI Huddersfield
site where Lisa worked meant she had to find another job
elsewhere and put her studies on hold. She worked at a
few different places before settling into her current role at
greetings cards company Hallmark, where she is a health
and safety manager.
At Hallmark Lisa was able to restart her Diploma. She
needed to convert from the old Diploma 1 course to the
current NEBOSH Diploma and she decided to complete all of
her studies in one year.
Passing the Diploma was all part of a bigger plan for Lisa
and for Hallmark. The company had not had a Chartered
Member of IOSH (CMIOSH) on its health and safety team
before. Lisa was able to attain this membership thanks to
her NEBOSH Diploma success and has now moved into the
position of Group Health and Safety Manager for Hallmark.
Isn’t it funny where a little bit of fear can get you?
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
19
“...a little bit
of fear hasn’t
been Lisa’s only
motivation for
success with
NEBOSH. She
also sees her
qualification as a
passport to career
development”
CASE STUDY:
Maisaa Nasrallah
A health...
...and safety role-model
Although just 27 years of age, Maisaa
Nasrallah is already having a major influence
on the development of health, safety and
environmental practice and policy in her
homeland, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, Maisaa’s journey to where she is
now has not always been easy. Like many
women throughout the world, she has had to
fight hard to establish herself in an arena of
male-dominated industries.
safety was an emerging issue, and so she
decided to take a course leading to a NEBOSH
International General Certificate in order to
“use her time wisely.”
“My NEBOSH International General Certificate
changed everything,” she told us. “At the
time in the Middle East it was something new.
It was very topical, almost exotic, with very
few people offering this course. Shortly after
completing the certificate, I was hired for my
Her original career choice was strongly NEBOSH qualification, not for my degree, so
inspired by her Iraqi father, who moved to the it turned out to be a life changing decision.”
UAE around 40 years ago. He is an electrical
engineer with his own consultancy. Maisaa is To say that Maisaa threw herself in at the
one of six siblings who followed in her father’s deep-end would be an understatement.
engineering footsteps, by studying chemical She was appointed by the government as a
project engineer on what was the biggest
engineering in Jordan.
non-oil and gas project in the UAE - a $1.2
When Maisaa graduated in 2007 and billion investment to build an integrated
moved back to the UAE, she struggled to steelworks complex. Her role was to advise on
find a position to match her degree. What occupational health and safety on site.
she noticed however, was that health and
20
“It was, shall we say, challenging because not only did I have
to prove myself as a graduate, I also had to prove myself as a
female,” she explained. “Not just with the local workforce,
but also with consultants from the UK and contractors from
Italy.”
Her strong contribution meant she was soon accepted on
site and three and a half years on this project taught Maisaa
a great deal. To develop her skills further she successfully
completed her NEBOSH International Diploma, which in turn
led to a new role as a HSE Consultant, working on a variety
of high profile projects in the region.
Maisaa is now a senior consultant for Lloyd’s Register. She is
currently working with the regulator for the utilities sector in
Abu Dhabi, developing baseline surveys and benchmarking
for the sector. It is vital work that integrates health, safety
and environmental procedures into the licensing system for
the industry.
“Shortly after
completing the
certificate, I
was hired for
my NEBOSH
qualification, not
for my degree, so
it turned out to
be a life changing
decision.”
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
21
CASE STUDY:
Mark Davenport
Sound fatherly advice...
...leads to success
In fact, one of Mark’s first jobs was working
on the construction of an oil refinery in the
South East. The scaffolding was over 300 feet
high. Mark has no real fear of heights, quite
the opposite in fact, but what he enjoyed
most was the camaraderie on site. He got
on with everyone he worked with, having a
When he left school, Mark actually started out laugh but at the same time never being afraid
as a trainee chef, but the hours and culture to speak up when he believed people’s safety
didn’t suit. The only time he got to socialise was being compromised.
was on a Tuesday night and he missed going
out with his friends. So when he was told “It’s something I’ve always done.” he
about a job in scaffolding, he thought he explained. “I don’t mind challenging people.
would give it a try. He loved it right from the I’ve worked for many years on site and there’s
not much I haven’t seen. I think that’s one of
start.
Around twenty years ago, Mark Davenport’s
father gave him some simple but important
advice when he was offered a job as a trainee
scaffolder. He told him to stay safe and also to
care for the safety of others. It’s advice he has
followed ever since.
22
the reasons I ended up with a health and safety role. As
everyone says on site now, ‘there’s nothing you can get past
Mark’.”
A few years ago he was asked to become a health and
safety advisor by his employer. His experience was a huge
advantage, but Mark wanted to make sure his knowledge
was up to scratch. So he took the NEBOSH National General
Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.
“To be honest I’d never been academically minded at school,
so I found the General Certificate quite tough. But once I got
into it I managed to pass just short of a distinction, which I
was really pleased with.”
Mark says the National General Certificate gave him a
platform to progress from. He chose to take the specialist
NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and
Safety. As Mark had earlier passed his NEBOSH National
General Certificate, he needed to only take units 2 & 3 of
this qualification covering the management and control of
hazards in construction and the practical application.
Mark says that having his NEBOSH qualifications gives
him is the ability to present a case for safety policy and
improvements at management and board level.
“When I go to directors and explain the reasons for doing
something, they understand now that it’s not just Mark
saying ‘you need to do this’ but that I’m actually protecting
them, because it’s competent advice and often it’s the law.”
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
23
“Mark says that
having his NEBOSH
qualifications gives
him is the ability to
present a case for
safety policy and
improvements at
management and
board level.”
CASE STUDY:
Claire Jones
Not bad for a YTS’er...
...who left school at 16!
No one in Claire Jones’ family had ever stayed
on at school past the age of 16. So she hardly
gave sixth form a second thought, despite
gaining a reasonable set of O levels in 1986.
Unfortunately, in the early 90s her employers
decided to embark on bulk manufacturing,
withdrawing from the areas where Claire was
responsible. They did not want to let her go,
so offered her a temporary role in health and
Instead, just like her 6 brothers and sisters safety until something more suitable came up
after her, Claire went looking for a job. She in the technical field.
managed to find a YTS position with a local
chemical company in West Cumbria where Claire admits she was “devastated” by
she worked as a junior process operator. She this. She had a stereotypical view of health
impressed her employer, won a YTS Trainee of and safety at the time - “all clipboards and
the Year Award and was kept on.
interfering!” Fortunately Claire had a good
manager, who recognised her desire for
Claire began to realise her lack of higher learning. He suggested she did a NEBOSH
level education might hold her back. She General Certificate.
wanted a career, so set out to achieve a set of
qualifications that would take her further. This The course changed Claire’s mind completely.
began with an ONC in chemical engineering She wanted to know more and began to see
- equivalent to an A level - then a HNC in health and safety as a challenge that really
chemistry and an honours degree in chemistry suited her. She was also strongly affected by
in 1994.
an incident at work. A popular colleague fell
from height and was severely injured. The
Claire got the promotions she was after, to incident angered everyone at the plant and
assistant development chemist and then to she was determined to do all she could to
assistant technical sales manager. She enjoyed stop something like that happening again.
sales. Claire is a people person. She also
enjoyed the travelling that went with the job. One area she found particularly interesting
was fire safety. As well as being fascinated by
24
the subject, she enjoyed working closely with the local fire
brigade. The other girls at the plant used to look on with
envy whenever she got to show them around!
Claire was appointed safety adviser in 1995 and became
safety manager in 2000. In 2005 the plant where Claire
worked closed and she had to find a new job. For a while
she worked for a contractor at the Sellafield plant. The
Sellafield Ltd safety team were impressed by her knowledge
and experience, so they offered her a position there in 2007.
She’s now a Construction EHS Improvements Manager
employed by Sellafield Ltd. Her collection of NEBOSH
qualifications has grown considerably. She’s passed her
Diploma with credit, as well as the National Certificate in
Construction Safety and Health, again with credit.
In 2009 she not only gained her NEBOSH Certificate in Fire
Safety and Risk Management, but passed with distinction
and achieved the highest mark award.
Claire isn’t stopping there either. She’s just passed her
NEBOSH Environmental Certificate with distinction, which
leaves only the Environmental Diploma for what would be
pretty much a full set!
Not bad for someone who didn’t give a lot of thought to
further education when she left school. Well done Claire,
we’re impressed!
For more information about
NEBOSH qualifications visit
www.nebosh.org.uk/qualifications
25
“Claire had a
stereotypical view
of health and
safety at the time “all clipboards and
interfering!”
NOTES:
26
NEBOSH
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