What are the main duties of your role, and what attracted you to the job?
As the EHS Manager for site, my main duties are to ensure that we have the right culture and systems in place to help protect the health, safety and well-being of all individuals on site, whilst at the same time minimising our impact on the environment.
When I heard that Siemens Healthineers Llanberis was looking for a new EHS Manager, it was like a dream come true as it brought together everything I was looking for – my perfect job role, within a great company and in a beautiful location – a ‘win-win-win’ scenario.
What does your typical working day look like?
Although it is hard to define a ‘typical day’, as they are always so different, one fundamental cornerstone is that I always start my day by reviewing the Electronic EHS Reporting System, as I want to know if any injuries have occurred. All injuries are preventable, so whenever one occurs, there has been a failure either by the injured individual themselves and/or by the site, so we must identify the root causes and implement actions to minimise the likelihood of a re-occurrence.
I can be involved in any of the following activities, including; responding to emails asking for advice or guidance, preparing communication information for any one of the numerous meetings that I need to attend, progressing EH&S improvement projects, supporting the investigation of accidents/incidents to identify the true root causes, reviewing and updating procedures, maintaining an ‘open door policy’ to anyone who has a question to ask, managing our legal register to ensure compliance is maintained and going ‘out and about’ to speak to individuals to discuss the positive areas that we need to maintain, and also any opportunities for improvement.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Knowing that every day I am working with my EHS colleagues to help morally and legally protect the most important asset the company has – its workforce. My happiest days are achieved when I know that everyone has gone home safely at the end of their working day without hurting themselves, others or the environment.
What are the greatest challenges you face?
Dealing with the most challenging aspect of EH&S – the people. This may sound awful, but what I mean is that from my experience, people sometimes do the ‘wrong thing for the right reasons’, and it is this known human behaviour that leads to accidents/incidents. Having the fortune of previously being a Behavioural Safety Consultant has given me the additional knowledge, experience and skills to help understand why we sometimes put ourselves in positions of risk, and more importantly what can be done to change our behaviour for the better.
If you were encouraging others to take up employment at Siemens Healthineers, what would you say?
I would wholeheartedly say ‘go for it’, as you will not regret the decision. I see Siemens Healthineers Llanberis as a family that wants to look after and protect everyone working within, including the environment around us.
If you were to describe the culture of the business, what five words would you use?
Focused, knowledgeable, caring, helpful and supportive.
What advice would you give to young people considering STEM careers?
Working with Siemens Healthineers Llanberis will give you a great starting point for a happy, effective, beneficial and rewarding career.