David

What is your job title?

Health, Safety and Technician Manager

How long have you been part of the One team?

2010 - since the beginning!

Tell us about your employment prior to joining One

I worked in two other schools in Suffolk as a Physics Technician and then a Senior Science
Technician, before joining One in 2010.

What personal qualities do you need to be successful in your current role?

You need a degree of empathy for the challenges that others encounter in their roles in order to be able help them. I think a calm and methodical approach is needed to be able to steer others to success and the ability to interpret legislation and its impact on the organisation is important.

What qualifications do you need for your role?

To act asa legally competent person for the organisation you need to have adequate Health & Safety training; I have NEBOSH National General Certificate and am a registered Technical member of IOSH.

What elements of your role do you enjoy most?

The variation is great - 'm always dealing with different topics throughout my day, but | also have time to be able to develop policies and procedures that take a lot longer time to develop; I love a project too.

What's the most challenging aspect of your role?

Sometimes it may not be possible to say ‘yes’ to a project someone wants to undertake and that can be disappointing for them.

What's a typical day at work for you? I usually have a lot of questions to answer from staff who need help so some of my day is spent seeing staff, answering their emails or phone calls. I have on-going projects that need working on all the time, so time at my desk is important to research, develop my ideas and create plans for improvements. I also spend time with my team to help where | can before ensuring all the safety features of the building and grounds are in good order.

What spurs you on to work each day?

I always like to strive to try to make things better than they are today. It’s a team effort every day and the sense of accomplishment in a task well done is important for me.