In the first of a two-part conversation, Colin talks to Simon Bown, formerly in charge of health and safety at Luton airport, and now overseeing safety at Keolis Amey Docklands light railway. It’s an insightful, thought-provoking conversation that’ll inspire and empower all health and safety practitioners.

In part one, Simon discusses the principles of good health and safety in business and the importance of disruptive thinking in the health and safety sector.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Over the past few years, many influential thought leaders have sought to disrupt the traditional way of thinking, and dare to be different in terms of approach.
• There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for health and safety. Solutions that work in one environment will not necessarily work in another. It takes creative thinking and passionate people.
• By broadening the conversation around safety, we achieve a far greater understanding of what good safety looks like, not just in each sector, but as an expansive discipline.
• A good business is one that has the ability to hear bad news, and who takes responsibility for making changes without according blame or dwelling on the negatives.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I never say never now’

‘You have to be curious, because you explore and learn different things’

‘You can’t off-the-shelf this stuff’

‘Everyone perceives risk differently'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Interesting Health & Safety Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/the-interesting-health-safety-podcast/id1467771449  

Simon Bown LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-bown-a6225a36/?originalSubdomain=uk

ABOUT THE HOST

Colin Nottage

‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.’

This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry. Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions.

He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes that are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem-solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation.

Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses.

Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive.

He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought-after health and safety speaker and trainer. He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).