IOSH members count themselves in
April 1st 2008

IOSH's Get the best campaign is going from strength the strength, with the call for regulation gaining support in Westminster through an Early Day Motion and recommendations to the Department for Work and Pensions Select Committee The campaign also calls for IOSH members to ensure they get the best from their professional body – by developing their skills, getting involved in how the Institution is governed, and volunteering time and expertise for networking events. And there's now a new way to get involved with the campaign – through an online gallery at the campaign microsite www.iosh.co.uk/getthebest.

Count me in is the place for IOSH members to tell the world what health and safety means to them, and how they're promoting professionalism in their working lives.

It's also the place to find out why health and safety professionals choose their career – or in some cases, how the career picked them. Each of the profiles in Count me in is generated by the members themselves – it's in their own words.

Presidential team first to sign up The IOSH presidential team were among the first to claim their spaces in the gallery and share their stories: Ray Hurst began his career in road safety before moving into health and safety, "I thought 'This can't be that different from road safety – can it?"; Nattasha Freeman "started off in Law but realised that this wouldn't change the world in the way I had anticipated"; Lisa Fowlie had "a close encounter with the effects of industrial pollution at a young age".

For many members, it was a specific event that sparked their interest in health and safety, including an accident at work in the case of Michael Kirby: "Following rehabilitation and return to work, I was asked to take up the post of Health and Safety Officer. I jumped at the chance, and haven't looked back since..." Tim Wright recalls the near misses that made him take notice: "Trapped in a fire at age 4 and still remembering the exit was padlocked shut & being carried down 4 stories on a fireman's shoulder. Also walking through Kings Cross station 30 minutes before the terrible fire in 1987. It made me realise it could happen to me." Steve Armstrong started his working life on a busy farm, "Some of the practices were positively dangerous, what with machines, chemicals and animals, including a mad bull! I decided that I needed to know more to keep myself safe." Eight greats Count me in also has another feature, which won't be revealed until the first zone is complete. Behind each zone in the gallery is an image of someone who has made a powerful contribution to health and safety at work, and a profile of each of these 'Eight greats' will be revealed once each zone in Count me in is filled.

Anyone can visit the site and view the Count me in gallery, but only IOSH members can claim a space. If you want to find someone who's already in the gallery you can search for them by name, IOSH branch or group and read their profile. They could also be one of the profiles selected to appear on each page of the Get the best site.

To view the gallery and claim your space, go to www.iosh.co.uk/getthebest and click on Count me in.

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