Creating Diversity in Safety; Award-Winning Health and Safety Leader Jessy Gomes

Colin talks to Jessy Gomes, an award-winning safety leader and member of the IOSH council, with a proven track record of commercial success and development, including management of construction design, health and safety, processes, communications and people. Jessy discusses the importance of challenging the safety sector when it comes to crucial issues such as diversity, especially in the construction industry, the importance of mentorship and guidance, and how she visualises the future of safety in the workplace. KEY TAKEAWAYS As safety professionals we must always be learning, but more importantly, we should also work to build upon the lessons we have been taught so far. Refine our knowledge and we build our skills. Construction is renowned as being a male-dominated sector. It will take a creative female perspective in order to disrupt this balance, but the benefits will be enormous. We need a far more holistic view when it comes to the safety industry. Effective safety is built upon better communication and better collaboration. Organisations must not be complacent. We must make ourselves uncomfortable in order to learn more. When we step outside of our comfort zones, our sense become heightened. Therefore, we must challenge ourselves regularly in order to maximise our potential. BEST MOMENTS 'This is where I really learned about the safety culture' 'Learning is such an important part of life' 'We must understand that we can change the landscape of health and safety' 'The safety industry is huge number of individual cogs that make up a bigger machine' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Interesting Health & Safety Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/the-interesting-health-safety-podcast/id1467771449     Jessy Gomez LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jessy-gomes IOSH - https://iosh.com/ 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).