In the spotlight with Jeff Ward

What was your first job?

My first job as a teenager in the summers was to run the fish department at a local pet store. I was able to even experiment with pricing, mix and even took us into marine. Fish are still relaxing to me today and just set up a tank with my son. I worked all through university setting up the recycling programme for the whole university. I even had to borrow a truck to do the collection with my flatmate. That also gave us access some wheels as neither of us had a car!

My first 'real job' out of university was in marketing where I started in product and brand marketing within a global hand tool and power tool accessory manufacturer. I started in Chicago and took progressive jobs based in the UK and then Germany.

How did you get into the safety & health industry?

After several years as vice president / general manager for the construction and industrial tool segments of Newell Rubbermaid, I joined the European board of a child safety company called Britax. The safety & health Industry offered a chance to put these experiences together towards something a bit new and different. I was specifically attracted by the opportunity to build off of Centurion’s premium brand and 138 year history.

Who, in any other industry, do you most admire and why?

Right now, I like Tim Brown, the CEO of IDEO, who helps companies apply design thinking.

How would you improve the safety & health industry in the UK?

In my last two years in the UK, I am impressed with awareness and usage of products and services but of course there is always room to improve. A couple immediate things spring to mind:

1) Education in general through the supply chain and especially around the value proposition of products & services. In my experience, across several industries, the UK market sometimes has the tendency to be permanently “on promotion” and favour price over value. Although usage rates of PPE for example are relatively high, it is important to educate that not all products are the same. In this industry, the stakes are higher than simply purchasing “bad value” as we are talking about safety.

2) Comfort for the wearers. We can always work on compliance and I see comfort as one of the key drivers. At Centurion we see that insights and product development with actual everyday wearers helps ensure their comfort and, in turn, compliance.

What is the best way to combat negative attitudes towards health & safety?

For me, it is clear that safety & health is about safeguarding lives and not stopping them. Training companies should continue to educate and correct managers who are setting unrealistic rules. In general, the industry should visibly embrace and celebrate the concept of sensible continuous improvement and attention and continue to “rise above” some of the bad press.

What is the best advice you could give to someone new coming into the safety and PPE industry?

The best advice I would offer is to engage to the fullest and commit to all learning and development available – don’t wait for your employer to sponsor them—research them and propose or action them yourself. Definitely sign up for the new BSIF accredited course which is four carefully researched modules that will provide a wonderful foundation to the industry.

The market is so large, and the sectors are so diverse, that I also suggest to strike partnerships internally and externally as quickly as possible—at individual and company level. The industry is very open and there are great people involved who want to see a safer world. The more passion and enthusiasm you put into those learning opportunities and relationships, the more you will get back.

What do you think the medium term future holds for the safety & health and PPE industry in the UK?

First, it is clear that the amount of 'connected' products will continue to increase and I believe contribute significantly in aiding productivity and reducing occupational injuries and deaths. As long as the devices are simple and intuitive, they will be adapted quickly.

Second, I believe and hope that the medium term will see more weight and attention to comparative testing and third party endorsements for going “above and beyond” the standards. Standards, and the evolution of them, are very important of course but exist as the bar for entry and not necessarily excellence.

We need to see more organisations help create more objective tests that credibly help customers see 'value' more transparently - a more enhanced selection criteria. Brands that invest in exceeding standards and “going the extra mile” on strength, testing, comfort and compatibility features will then be further encouraged to keep “raising the bar” on safety. In consumer products, you can find such organisations like Which? in the UK (who subscribe to ICRT) and aim to satisfy a role in providing objective comparability. In this industry, we are seeing a few best practice examples from right here in the UK with the BSIF’s Registered Safety Suppler Scheme and BSI’s kitemark scheme. As an industry, we will need to collectively accelerate the merits of these third party proof points. As awareness and compliance continue to gain, it would be a shame to see the product or service choice let our workers down. I can envision more and more transparency in the purchase decision and eager to help that process in any way possible.

If you could invite any three people, dead or alive, to a dinner with you, who would they be and why?

Tricky one - I will go with what’s current in my head right now and invite Charles Handy, Patrick Lencioni and Reinhard Sprenger. I am into organisation behaviour and culture at the moment and would be a fun exchange.

Occupational health is a big part of the HSE’s “Helping Britain Work Well” strategy, how do you think safety can retain the profile that it requires?

I acknowledge some risk that the high level agenda or focus is shifting 'towards' health. That doesn’t mean that it needs to shift 'away' from safety. I like the idea keeping the words connected. I believe the best way to maintain the profile for safety is to keep focused on progressing the data. Where and how are most deaths, serious injuries and accidents happening? How much is that costing the companies shaping the world around us? Through organisations like BSIF, we can demonstrate how we are collectively diagnosing and solving the largest safety problems through innovation and education. Stats are key, every life matters.

Do you see the new sentencing guidelines on health and safety offenses affecting businesses, yet?

I do note that safety & health have become more of a staple in Board meeting agendas and minutes for both our existing and potential customers. This attention “from the top” is supporting more visible discussions on compliance and perhaps a small shift from 'cost' to 'value'. It is a great question and it will be interesting to monitor if this UK guideline increases market sizes, in either volume or value, and whether other countries apply similar guidelines.