Dr David Provan is the co-founder of the Safety At Work podcast, as well as the director of Forge Works, who provide support to businesses around the globe, focusing specifically upon interaction between people in the workplace, adhering to the maxim that people are the solution and not the problem.

In this week’s show, Dr Provan talks about the importance of open communication, and why we must always ensure that we value the work itself as much as the workplace.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Judgment helps no one. We are at the point in our journey as a result of how far we’ve travelled so far, not despite of it. We should seek to elevate others without reservation.
• Safety professionals always seem to approach their view of the workplace through safety itself. We need to consider the job that people are trying to do. We need to make sure that the job does not become obscured.
• Open communication must be the main thing that companies improve. If we remove barriers in this way, then the flow of information increases dramatically, and our workplaces become exponentially safer.
• Metrics that measure implementation of safety measures are ultimately of little value. Operational information and insight are the real markers of where our attention should be focused.

BEST MOMENTS

‘We meet companies where they’re at and help them to take the next step forward’

‘Our business is to be the sort of people that we always wished we could talk to when we were on the other side of the table’

‘Our starting point as safety professionals needs to be to understand the work’

’Necessity becomes the mother of all innovation'

‘It’s inspiring to think that you can go and help organisations to make that difference'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

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

Dr David Provan LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-provan-forgeworks/?originalSubdomain=au

The Safety Of Work Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-safety-of-work/id1487405500

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).