Getting To Know Health & Safety Lead Stuart Rycroft
Starting a new job in a different company is always at least a little bit daunting. Advanex Europe Health & Safety Lead Stuart Rycroft had the unenviable task of beginning his role of being responsible for the welfare of hundreds of colleagues during the COVID pandemic.
On World Day For Health & Safety At Work 2022, Stuart is approaching a year in a role in which there has never been a dull day since being welcomed with open arms into Advanex.
Despite that, Advanex’s health and safety policies, safe policies and control measures of the risks and dangers of working in the manufacturing industry have never been stronger.
“I love the variety of the role,” Stuart said. “Collecting, analysing and presenting data, training, spot checks, control of near-miss, legal compliance and contractor conformity all spring to mind as what I enjoy the most.
“My long term aim within Advanex is to continue to promote the paramount importance of safety at work. It is really important that everyone arrives and leaves work in equally good health. I look forward to continuing to push this envelope in my time here.”
Having started his health & safety career in a business serving the horticultural and agricultural sectors, Stuart has followed a path which has allowed him to shadow consultants whilst undertaking his NEBOSH Management certificates in Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Management.
But nothing could prepare Stuart – or anyone in his sector – for the events of the world from 2020 onwards. Having come into the company during the COVID crisis, Stuart was impressed by the measures already in place by his June 2021 appointment. He has helped Advanex continue to avoid serious health crises during the last 12 months to allow production to continue.
He credits ‘real world experience, exposure and interaction’ he has taken on throughout his career to achieve this: “Health & safety is not as ‘typical’ as some career paths in terms of the step taken, but my advice to anyone wanting to get into it is to just get involved in it. This could be representation of a focus group, reporting issues and taking action on them if possible. Take what you can from the culture and make it clear you’re interested in it too.
“Managing COVID is tricky because people have reacted to it in so many ways,” Stuart said. “It was pleasing that Advanex had a robust set of protective measures in place, and a data trail to support it. This made transitioning much easier, as I had helped establish many similar measures at a previous site I worked at.”
On World Day for Health & Safety at Work 2022, Stuart says it is important the day continues to highlight global safety concerns and management for a number of reasons.
“We might take some aspects of this for granted in the UK, but around 2.9million workers die every year worldwide due to occupational incidents and diseases. At least 402 million people suffer from non-fatal occupational injuries.
“The day embraces positive communication and safety leadership at international, national and workplace level. By extension, it promotes self-preservation in dangerous work circumstances, as well as encouraging reporting such issues without fear of punishment.”
Advanex will continue to promote a positive and health-conscious culture of safety throughout the year across our UK and Czech sites.
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