In the spotlight with Nick Murray

How did you get into the health and safety industry?

In truth, more by circumstance than design. From an early age, I was drawn to the idea of protecting people and served seven years in the Royal Navy after leaving school. As part of my resettlement, I was offered a choice of extra vocational training courses, including bricklaying, mechanics, window fitting and professional selling. As I had always had something of an entrepreneurial streak, so sales was the natural choice.

After completing the course, I took my first sales role in van sales with Walkers crisps, where I had the pleasure of meeting Gary Lineker. With limited progression available, after twelve months I moved into PAT testing, which proved a rewarding step for a couple of years. Then, in December 1999, I spotted an advertisement in the local paper that would shape the rest of my career. Mike Sargeant, the then owner of Guardsman, gave me my first opportunity in PPE as an area representative. Twenty-six and a half years on, I’m still with Guardsman under the guise of Bunzl and proud to be part of an industry dedicated to keeping the UK workforce safe as sales director.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It may be a cliché, but I genuinely enjoy meeting people and helping our customers keep their teams safer and better informed on PPE. Equally rewarding is identifying talented individuals, bringing them into the business, and supporting their development over time. Watching someone who has never sold a pair of gloves or boots go on to win a multi-site national customer is one of the most satisfying aspects of the role.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the health and safety industry in the UK?

There are several, but a few in particular stand out.

Mental health and work-related stress continue to move up the agenda. People are working longer hours, travelling more, and contending with an ever-growing volume of information across multiple communication channels. Keeping pace with legislation and product developments on top of that is a real challenge for customers and suppliers alike.

Counterfeit PPE sold through online marketplaces is another serious concern. Products that appear legitimate but aren’t properly certified are reaching real sites and real people, creating genuine risk.

The market itself is also becoming increasingly saturated, with non-specialist suppliers offering PPE as an add-on to their core proposition. Over time, that dilutes both standards and expertise.

How do you think these challenges can be overcome?

On wellbeing, employers need to move from policy to practice. Sensible workloads, visible leadership and managers who set the right tone day to day make a far greater difference than any single initiative.

On counterfeit PPE, buyers need to be aware of the BSIF Registered Safety Supplier scheme and partner with specialist suppliers they can trust. Procurement teams have a significant role to play here, because safety-critical equipment is not an area in which to chase the lowest price. We stand by the BSIF Mantra “Anyone can sell Safety, but you wouldn’t buy Safety from Anyone”.

On the wider competitive landscape, specialists such as Guardsman continue to succeed by doing the fundamentals exceptionally well: deep product knowledge, genuine service, and long-term customer relationships. Technology and digital tools absolutely have a role to play, but they should enhance the service we provide, not replace the human element that customers value so highly.

What sets Guardsman apart from its competitors?

Guardsman invests genuinely in its people and its customers, and the results speak for themselves. We’ve been awarded the BSIF Customer Service Award on five occasions and Highly Commended several more, which is strong independent validation of the service we deliver.

It’s the combination of knowledge, experience, and people who genuinely care that sets us apart. As part of Bunzl plc, with 24,000 colleagues globally, our customers benefit from the scale, supply chain strength and resources of a major international group. At the same time, we’ve retained the ethics and culture of a family business. That balance, in my view, is a real and enduring strength.

What are your most memorable successes at Guardsman?

A few stand out.

Winning my first £1m+ customer for Guardsman in 2000, off the back of a cold call as a young salesman. That customer remains with us today, twenty-six years later, which I think says a great deal about the team and the service we’ve provided over the long term.

Joining Bunzl Group in 2014 and, as sales director and head of business, helping to grow the business to more than three times the size it was when I took on the role.

Recruiting excellent people and seeing them progress, whether into senior roles within Guardsman or into wider opportunities across Bunzl.

And raising over £350,000 for Rainbows Children’s Hospice through the Guardsman Golf Day, which we’ve run annually since 2002. It’s become an established fixture in the industry calendar, and the cause is one that matters deeply to all of us.

What’s next in the pipeline for Guardsman?

Continued improvement across the business. Supporting and retaining our existing customers, where the real long-term value lies. Developing new opportunities in the right sectors. Leading the way on how digital is used within our industry, and continuing to invest in our product range and, most importantly, in our people. All while staying a step ahead of the competition.

What’s your vision for the future of Guardsman?

To continue to grow as a leading global player within Bunzl, while preserving the culture, service standards and customer focus that have brought us to this point.

What do you think the medium-term future holds for the safety industry globally?

Consolidation will continue as larger groups bring more specialists into their portfolios. Product innovation will accelerate, particularly around connected PPE and wearables, sustainable and recycled materials, and properly designed female-fit PPE, which is long overdue. Climate change will push heat-stress and environmental protection higher up the agenda in regions that haven’t historically had to consider them.

Regulation will continue to evolve, particularly as UK, EU and international standards diverge. Suppliers who can navigate that complexity on behalf of their customers will be in a strong position. And the line between physical safety and wellbeing will continue to blur, which in my view is a positive development.

What health and safety issues are you most passionate about?

The wellbeing of people at work, considered altogether, rather than split between physical safety and mental health. Getting the PPE fundamentals right, so that the correct equipment reaches the right person, properly specified and correctly used. Supporting customers through Safety Days and on-site engagement. And continuing to challenge the industry to address counterfeit PPE, which remains a genuine risk to end users.

How can we entice more young talent to work in the health and safety sector?

We need to be honest. Health and safety is not the most obvious career choice for a school leaver, but it is a genuinely rewarding one, offering strong progression, good earning potential, real variety, and the satisfaction of doing work that makes a difference.

Apprenticeships and internships are central to this, and the industry needs more of them. We need to engage earlier with schools, colleges and universities, and tell our story through the channels that young people actually use. Real career stories from people already in the industry are far more powerful than any brochure.

Nick Murray is sales director at Guardsman (Bunzl). For more information, visit https://www.guardsmansafetysolutions.com/