10 QUESTIONS
10 QUESTIONS WITH… JOHN RUTHVEN
Each month, we ask a health and safety professional our 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to John Ruthven, Quality & EHS Manager at Traka.
might be more painful than not being able to do it in the first place.
Q4
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND
SAFETY INDUSTRY? I think there is a big trend at the moment for the larger businesses to pass down responsibility for health and safety to the smaller companies that provide services to them. Whilst there is obviously a need for everyone to take responsibility for health and safety, I’m not convinced that this approach is taking us in the right direction.
Q1
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? When I first left school
back in the 70’s I spent several years working on large-scale poultry farms. Looking back, the understanding of Health & Safety was virtually non-existent and I still feel very uncomfortable about some of the risks we used to take. But, at the time, it was all just taken for granted as part of your work and you didn’t complain.
Q2
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY
INDUSTRY? I came into the industry quite late in my career after spending nearly 30 years in Operations and Project Management. Our business was growing fast and we needed to put more focus onto health and safety, which had previously been overseen by our Production Manager. It was a very steep learning curve for me as I also took on Quality and Environmental at the same time.
Q3 56
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER FOR A DAY,
WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? It’s probably a common wish, but the power to fly would be the ultimate for me, although losing it after a day
Q5 Q6
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO
SOMEONE NEW COMING INTO THE PROFESSION? Talk to lots of people who’ve been doing it for a long time and don’t take anything for granted.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT NEGATIVE
ATTITUDES TO HEALTHY AND SAFETY? Get people involved with health and safety on a regular basis; don’t just tell them when something has gone wrong. Regular updates on and performance, suggestion schemes that are accessible (and that result in actions being taken) involvement with initiatives that we implement, and a high level of buy-in from the whole management team, are all ways by which we keep the whole workforce engaged and informed.
Q7
IF YOU COULD HAVE A DINNER PARTY WITH ANY
THREE PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY? Peter Scott, the naturalist, as I think he had a wonderful view and experience of the world around us, Billy Connolly to give us a good laugh, and Victoria Coren-Mitchell for her intelligence and wit, although I think she would probably get bored with me very quickly.
Q8
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY INDUSTRY? I think that Brexit is going to bring us all a period of uncertainty, not immediately but a couple of years down the line. We need to make sure that the right people are going to be making the decisions about health and safety in the future but I don’t think anyone knows how that is going to happen.
Q9
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
Move to the Yorkshire Dales, keep a dozen chickens, and buy my son a house (that doesn’t need me to do any decorating in it!).
Q10
CHRISTINE HUSBANDS, MANAGING DIRECTOR
AT REDARC NURSES: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY INDUSTRY? Keeping the industry on an even keel through and after Brexit is probably the biggest challenge, not just from a Health & Safety perspective but for all aspects of our ‘normal’ life.
www.traka.com www.tomorrowshs.com
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