Payment in kind

I was paid this week. For doing a risk assessment. A bottle of wine and a card, signed by the management committee of the local hall. But actually, the best payment of all was walking into the hall and seeing the new fire notices, emergency lighting and smoke alarms; seeing that the toilet doors had been shortened so as not to jam on the mat and block the fire escape; opening cupboards in the kitchen and finding they hadn’t been re-filled with open packets of food. And the people doing this work are all volunteers. My risk assessment had been the basis of their summer refurbishment. A council official’s visit overlapped with mine, and she was impressed by what they had done, and by the fact they had such a detailed assessment. Obviously, in the long run I’d like to get paid for doing risk assessments, but rather than spending the day staring at the recruitment pages I’d really recommend job hunters get out there and help voluntary organisations like this. It’s given me more confidence for the next job interview, and something recent and concrete to talk about when I’m there. And the thought that perhaps one small part of the world is just a little bit safer because of something you’ve done is surely why we all got into this business?

The need for voluntary organisations to carry out risk assessments was covered in 'Health and Safety for volunteering employees'.

Identity crisis

The issue of job titles was raised on healthandsafetyprofessional.co.uk last year. 91 visitors to the Safety and Health Expo reported 41 different job titles. I have looked and can’t find anywhere a description of the difference between health and safety advisor, health and safety consultant or health and safety manager? And isn’t a “contract health and safety officer” the same as a health and safety consultant? I’ve seen health and safety assistant posts advertised where there is apparently no senior health and safety manager to assist. But in following the recruitment expert advice to register on job search sites I have to select one of these titles. All this leaves me unsure as to how to describe myself, or the post I am looking for. Perhaps an ‘assistant health and safety advisor consultant manager engineer assessor co‑ordinator’?

I was particular drawn to one job title recently that asked for a ‘responsible nuclear ventilation engineer’. I’m not qualified for this post, but I did wonder how many irresponsible nuclear ventilation engineers would have applied. Let’s hope there is a clear definition of what makes a nuclear engineer responsible.

Post Holiday Blues

I spent the last day before I went away creating or chasing up invoices. Invoices for such small amounts of money - £100 here, £150 there. First day back at the computer after the holidays I’m completing one of the many CPD activities I’m supposed to complete. Six hours of CPD for nine hours of work in the last year. I don’t think of myself as Jack of all-trades, but I do seem to be spreading myself rather thinly. I’d like to give up the (non-health and safety related) job that this year has provided such an overhead for such little reward, but until more health and safety work turns up, I feel I have to clutch even at such flimsy straws. For advice on CPD in the IOSH/ IIRSM context see ‘Ready and able?’

The proposal I submitted back in July has been turned down. See if you can understand this. The company interview 5 people and tell us all that they want someone to work as self-employed, on a contract basis. I was the only person who prepared a proposal based on this. The other four all said they wanted to be taken on as permanent employees. I was told by the company that we were all of equal merit. So if I’m the only person offering what they want, I’d get the job, right? Wrong. They decided that despite having made people redundant this year, despite the costs of employing someone on a permanent contract, the hourly rate was cheaper, so they’d do that. I was cross, especially as I’m suspicious that my proposal will be used as a project plan by who ever did get the work, but in the end I realised I was probably better off out of it. If they can’t understand that the costs of employing that person to do the job will end up way beyond what I was going to charge there may be little hope for their business in the long term…

Still, hols were good. Two weeks with no email – just sand, sea, sun, swimming, canals and culture.