Get to know Kevin Rooney, our dedicated health and safety specialist
Get to know Kevin Rooney, our dedicated health and safety specialist
Environtec is proud to offer a full suite of health and safety auditing, risk assessment, consultancy, and training solutions for businesses who are keen to outsource the management of this vital element of their operations.
With more than 25 years’ experience in this ever-evolving field, Kevin Rooney is a much-welcome addition to our team.
We sat down with Kevin to discuss his career to date, the far-ranging support he can offer our clients, and what drives him to make a difference in this challenging sector.
Kevin, how did you enter the health and safety space, and what has led to you to us?
My career started when I started a position at a higher education authority in Kettering, Northamptonshire, where I’m still based today. I spent ten years working with the company, managing within its property department, and I found myself engaging more and more with the health and safety management aspect of the job.
I decided this was the route for me, so I gained several specialist qualifications and moved into a new role at a consultancy firm in 2003. This gave me an important insight into how health and safety works in the wider environment, as well as the property sector.
I went on to work on the government contract for Jobcentre Plus, managing and leading the risk assessment rollout programme at hundreds of properties nationwide and liaising with high level stakeholders at the Department of Work and Pensions. After bringing this project to completion in 2007, I took on the position of Corporate Health & Safety Manager at Land Securities, where I progressed to a more senior role offering advice, training, and support to national government departments and many large brands.
More recently, I led on a variety of health and safety functions as Head of Health and Safety at Mapeley Estates, managing and overseeing Health, Safety and Compliance within the estate portfolios for HMRC and Santander.
So, as you can tell, I’ve very much worked from the ground up, dealing with stakeholders at all levels and providing much-needed strategic oversight.
I had been working with Environtec for some time; in fact, Environtec was a key service partner in my previous role. My employer eventually decided to sell off the portfolios and liquidate the company, and I ended up in talks with Environtec’s directors, who were eager to set up a dedicated health and safety division. Given my experience, I felt comfortable transitioning into this role – and here we are! It’s the next chapter in my development and I’m pleased to be part of Environtec’s journey.
What does your role typically entail?
It’s very dynamic. I’m very much the face and voice of the division. Most of my time is spent developing bespoke support packages for our clients and liaising with clients and their own management teams to ensure their health and safety strategies are not only shaped around their precise requirements, but correctly implemented at every stage.
What qualifications have you achieved?
I earned a PGC in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Portsmouth University before going on to achieve a series of industry-specific certifications.
I completed the BOHS P405 Management of Asbestos in Buildings programme, and I am an ISO 45001 lead auditor with significant experience in the implementation and maintenance of the ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 standards (inclusive of transitions), and the re-accreditation process. I am also an IOSH Accredited Trainer.
Crucially, I have been a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH) for many years.
I take my CPD extremely seriously. I think it’s the best measure of my skills, as well as my commitment to my clients and my industry. In the next 12 months, I hope to become a fellow of IOSH – something that’s only ever awarded to health and safety professionals of the highest possible calibre.
What’s the most challenging thing about your role?
It’s a moving piece, and there are lots of different aspects to what I do. Legislation is always changing, and businesses have a moral, legal, and financial duty to manage their evolving health and safety needs. Thankfully, most people I meet are aware of this; they understand that their staff are their most important commodity, and they need to be well looked after. Their biggest challenge is, they don’t often have the knowledge and expertise in-house to handle their health and safety programmes competently and confidently.
So, it’s not usually a case of convincing our clients that they need our help – it’s about meeting them where they are at, and working out precisely what we need to do to keep their people and their assets safe.
And what do you enjoy the most about what you do?
Health and safety is such a varied sector. No two days are the same. I come across so many people, and this keeps my work interesting. I think the single most thing that drives me, however, is that my advice can have a huge bearing not only on a business’s development, but physically prevent accidents and save people’s lives.
Knowing that the advice I impart and the strategies I see through might someday change the course of history by helping these companies and their staff avoid disasters is what inspires me to keep doing what I do.
What would you say to any business that doesn’t yet have outsourced health and safety support?
It’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make in your employees and your organisation as a whole. You have a responsibility to do the best thing by your people, and my team and I can help you achieve this.
If that’s not enough to inspire you to take action, I have to remind you that there are significant financial implications for firms that don’t comply with current health and safety standards. Fines imposed are higher than ever before for H&S breaches – in fact, HSE statistics show that penalties have increased by as much as 35% in the last couple of years alone – so you really can’t afford to ignore this facet of your business.
And, of course, nobody wants to see accidents at work. It’s a nightmare for those involved, and preventable mishaps can have a substantial impact on your company’s reputation, not to mention its ability to find and retain staff.
Want to learn more?
From office-based firms to larger industrial and manufacturing units, Kevin can advise on the health and safety requirements of virtually any business, in any sector.
Contact him today for his tailored recommendations.
Alternatively, please click below for full summaries of each of our health and safety services.
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