We are our own trade!

Stand up and shout it!

We are our own trade, and safety professionals are not going to take it anymore! There, did that feel good? No? Do it again!

It is time that we talk about “our trade,” the health and safety professionals. We are not unlike other trades in many ways. We must be educated in our field, usually at our own expense, and we must do our field hours because hands-on experience is essential, and you can’t do safety just from a schoolbook. We need to learn in the field and apply our knowledge to real-life situations. The hazards present and variables of change tend to be project specific. So, we must adapt as we reach goals and milestones and progress to the next level. We seem to be overlooked in the project planning stages even though we are a consistent presence on site, so the boots-on-the-ground experience is a definite requirement.

We don’t get much unity, as we often are alone or in small groups in some companies. We are often judged on our success and progress by individuals who have no experience in the field and do not understand the legislation. Often, we are all lumped into the same basket in relation to our levels of experience, sort of like being a Red Seal vs an Apprentice level. We are often overlooked when handing out awards or recognition for project safety. Health and safety professionals are often muzzled in our roles by others. Employers often put us in place as a scapegoat, between a rock and a hard place, acting as if they care about their employees only to find you can not even order a paperclip, let alone a new harness for a worker. We are often wedged between what the workers need and whether the owner wants to allow things to happen. We are thrown under the bus more often than many others when push comes to shove.

We are also often mistaken for the HR department. We are not there to handle sensitive employee health information and fire people. We are there to build and cultivate safety across the board.

We are our own trade, and HR is its own trade as well. We do not have a union, so we are often very unprotected in our roles and often need to flip firms to get ahead and keep ourselves sane! It is one of the hardest roles out here. We walk on site with a target on our back, and often with little backup, we are left on the front lines to deal with the fallout. Often there is no one to answer our calls for help, and we can not raise a grievance unless it is a direct reprisal for requesting a firm to do what the act and the regulations ask them to do. Even I have been forced to take a firm to the Ministry. I was harassed and made to look like I was the issue. But I survived and thrived and came out on top.

We all need support, some way to get together and discuss the issues we face and to support the mental health of our safety professionals. Not to bash firms or workers but to find ways to tackle our challenges. We need a safe space or platform where it doesn’t matter what your accreditation, age, company, colour, gender, or roles are without being put down or exploited. Supporting our new safety professionals and giving them the tools and knowledge that are needed in critical moments is paramount to the growth and improvement of our field. We need to stick together and show we are a united force with both the worker and the employers on our minds. Maybe reach out or be willing to take a call from a colleague having a rough day. Just knowing your not facing these battles alone can make a huge difference. Got a group? Let us know, or let's start one!