Many of us would have heard a saying like “health and safety professionals have a little hand a big S”. If this is true for you as it is for me, then you might have also found the H has felt smaller than ever as the world is gripped by the Covid-19 public health crisis. Similar but different, the public health perspective reveals some interesting insights beyond what an OHS perspective brings, to make us more effective.

Hey, it’s Andrew, and this is Safety on Tap.

Since you’re listening in, you must be a leader wanting to grow yourself and drastically improve health and safety along the way. Welcome to you, you’re in the right place. If this is your first time listening in, thanks for joining us and well done for trying something different to improve! And of course welcome back to all of you wonderful regular listeners.

You’ve heard today’s guest, Steffan on the podcast before, in episode 104. Steffan was the first guinea pig who did a live coaching call with me, so you got a voyeuristic insight into Steffan’s challenge, and how we worked through to a better future. This is an awesome example of really powerful learning not just for him but for you, the listener.

Steffan is back today to offer his insights based on his professional expertise in public health. He was seeing how the little H was leaving many of us scratching our heads in this current mayhem and very generously offered to share an insight into how his public health background has helped him provide the best possible support and advice to his organisation

Here’s Steffan:


 

You can get the transcript of this episode over at safetyontap.com/ep144, along with the [triangle model of epidemiology which Steffan and I talked through https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Epidemiological-Triangle_fig10_261064997]. I’m a little slow on my handwritten notes at the moment so they will be accessible soon after the podcast is released.

 

Here’s my three takeaways from that chat with Steffan Cavil-Fowler:

 

Takeaway #1: You might become more effective, if you draw on perspectives outside of work health and safety. This is one of the core premises of this podcast. There are more and more resources and even podcasts talking about health and safety, but what we don’t have enough of is diverse perspectives, other disciplines and domains, and it is those ideas and insights from other places that I love bringing you, to help you be more effective. Public health is that perspective today.

 

Takeaway #2: You don’t need to be a multi-disciplinary expert in everything. But to have an awareness of the basics will help you know where to dive deeper, or to get advice from a specialist know enough to know where and how to take your next step.

 

Takeaway #3: This discussion does reinforce that a solid understanding of basic health concepts is important for us to provide useful and ethical advice right now. Whether you have qualifications or not, is far less important than the responsibility you take for your knowledge and in turn your advice being relevant, and up to date. Professional development is a lifelong obligation, not because someone will ask you for a certificate or give you a test, but because it’s the foundation of effective professional practice. Like tree planting, the best time to start was 10 years ago. And the second best time to start is today. I know you get that because you are listening to this, but maybe you can share this podcast with a colleague or two who would benefit from you and I generously and caringly reinforcing that message.

 

If you are interested in leveraging your professional development with the help of your professional colleagues, why not join in the collaboration online in the Together Platform, space, and place we’ve created for you to tap into the richest source of social and experiential learning for health and safety professionals globally. Register for free at together.safetyontap.com

 

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, what’s the one thing you’ll do to take positive, effective, or rewarding action, to grow yourself, and drastically improve health and safety along the way? Seeya!

 
 

And here’s your FREE download of the full transcript of this episode. Feel free to share this with your team/colleagues!