Things are hotting up. I’ve had some extra short-term work I can do from home. A year ago I would have been delighted to have more work that fits around the family. But circumstances are that I really want to do some work which involves going somewhere else. It doesn’t look like they’ll be work within cycling distance. However, I have had two interviews in the last week which will get me out of the house (albeit in my gas guzzling car). One is working directly for a small company who want some assessments and procedures written, to keep the local environmental health officer off their back. I wrote a proper proposal, just as I would have done when I worked for a risk management consultancy. Except that it didn’t have to go through three rounds of quality checking with the boss insisting on changes up to the last minute. Pressing the “send” button on the email with the proposal attached was pretty scary. Had I bid too high? Or had I undersold myself? Had I included enough time? I expect I’ll have to put in more time than I’ve actually bid, but I suppose I feel I should know more, and that if I have to spend a few hours reading up on the control of workplace transport in order to produce a safe procedure for them, that should be on my time not theirs.
The other interview also involved me offering to give my services away for nothing. I’m pretty confident that once let loose on real companies employers will see that I have an eye for spotting what can go wrong, and a knowledge base to suggest how to make practical improvements. I just need to convince someone to let me try. So I’ve offered to work for nothing for a small health and safety consultancy for a short period of time to show them what I can do. This is not the first time I’ve made the offer to an organisation, but this time they’ve accepted. But not until the Autumn. I can’t believe how hard it is to give work away.
Friday, 24 July 2009
Friday, 3 July 2009
Risk assessor on a bicycle
I guess the person who got the job heard by telephone on Friday. Those of us who didn’t get the job received a letter in the post Saturday morning. I so loved the idea of working within a twenty mile radius of home.
On Friday I cycled up to the local youth club, clip board and risk assessment checklist on the bicycle pannier. I guess you’d describe the work as “pro bono” – in other words, helping them out for nothing. Something else to go on the CV, but also trying to get people to understand the benefits of a risk assessment, beyond the “elf and safety gone mad” discussions. I really enjoyed the process. I’ve been involved in small parts of so many enormous risk assessments, that to take charge of a small risk assessment from start to finish is really satisfying. And being able to do the job without enlarging my carbon footprint.
I approached one company who do office risk assessments and asked them to consider me on an associate basis to do assessments in my area. They explained this wasn’t the way they worked. I had to be prepared to cover a quarter of England, potentially driving hundreds of miles in a week. I just can’t see the sense.
So what about a campaign for carbon-free risk assessments? There was an interesting article in Health and Safety at Work in January, What’s in store for 2009? which suggested that companies should consider their carbon footprint in preparation for the Carbon Reduction Commitment. This should take account of where the consultants they use travel from. There are more than enough companies within cycling distance of my home. There must be enough work there for one person. I’d be interested to know how far other people travel for such work, and whether, unless it’s a really specialised area, they can justify their carbon footprint?
On Friday I cycled up to the local youth club, clip board and risk assessment checklist on the bicycle pannier. I guess you’d describe the work as “pro bono” – in other words, helping them out for nothing. Something else to go on the CV, but also trying to get people to understand the benefits of a risk assessment, beyond the “elf and safety gone mad” discussions. I really enjoyed the process. I’ve been involved in small parts of so many enormous risk assessments, that to take charge of a small risk assessment from start to finish is really satisfying. And being able to do the job without enlarging my carbon footprint.
I approached one company who do office risk assessments and asked them to consider me on an associate basis to do assessments in my area. They explained this wasn’t the way they worked. I had to be prepared to cover a quarter of England, potentially driving hundreds of miles in a week. I just can’t see the sense.
So what about a campaign for carbon-free risk assessments? There was an interesting article in Health and Safety at Work in January, What’s in store for 2009? which suggested that companies should consider their carbon footprint in preparation for the Carbon Reduction Commitment. This should take account of where the consultants they use travel from. There are more than enough companies within cycling distance of my home. There must be enough work there for one person. I’d be interested to know how far other people travel for such work, and whether, unless it’s a really specialised area, they can justify their carbon footprint?
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