A week in the life of… a safety and compliance manager

Tuesday

Being a safety and compliance manager means keeping track of changes to legislation and guidance that may impact our organisation and the wider sector.

There have been a lot of change to regulations in recent years, with plenty more to come, so I’ve carved out some time to make sure I read all the relevant news and analysis which allow me to guide and advise the business effectively. 

Diving through legislation may sound a bit boring, but I enjoy it to the point where I know the Building Safety Act like the back of my hand.

Wednesday 

I present our quarterly health and safety report to the executive team. These reports take time to create, but they’re an integral part of the safety culture we’ve fostered at Legal & General Affordable Homes.

Working with the senior leadership, I’ll also get an opportunity to advise on future projects that the board is considering.

After that, I’m off to a meeting at the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health – I’m vice-chair of its financial and professional services committee. Being a member of the institute adds another dimension to my experience and gives me the opportunity to share learnings from my career.

I’ve worked in health and safety for the past 17 years, and I’m always on the look-out for new and innovative ways to keep our customers safe.

Thursday

Thursday normally starts with scrutiny meetings, where I get a chance to review the safety of our upcoming developments. But today I’m away from my desk and visiting sites; it’s an opportunity to see our controls and processes in action.

My first visit is to a high-rise scheme currently in development to catch up with the project quality managers, with whom I work closely, to ensure homes we acquire meet the relevant standards. 

After that I visit an occupied scheme and liaise with one of our property managers who services and maintains our homes on our behalf. 

I also speak with some customers while I’m there, which is always great. The key (and sometimes under-acknowledged) aspect of my role is its customer-centricity, so there’s nothing like hearing first-hand what residents think is going well or what needs addressing. 

Friday

It’s been a busy week so I spend Friday mostly catching up with my team, reviewing policies and procedures, and analysing our operational compliance.

We have regular ‘lunch and learn’ sessions, and next week is my team’s turn to present one. I’m leading a training session on construction, design and management regulations.

It’s also a good time to come together and share insights from the week gone by to see what aspects of our work can be tweaked for the better. Of course we’ll also look ahead, so that we know what’s on the horizon – across politics and the wider sector – and make sure we’re ready for it.