Clint Hill
HSEQ Manager NZ&P, MᶜConnell Dowell
- How did your career journey lead you to a role in Health and Safety?
I started out in construction when I left school early, not by choice. I had no qualifications and construction gave me the opportunity to work hard and learn. Health and Safety wasn’t a focus and I was part of the problem even though I didn’t realise it at the time.
When I joined the NZ Police, this is where I was truly educated around processes and legislation. I also learned that without buy-in or education, legislation is only the first step in solving the problem, not the entire solution.
I left the Police and went to work in the mines of Western Australia where I fell into H&S due to my background and a recent law change which increased the fear of prosecution. When I came back to NZ, legislation was starting to change here and some of the lessons I’d learnt led me back into the construction sector. I’ve spent the majority of my career in this industry mainly because of the work and people. - What about your role makes you want to get up in the morning?
I really enjoy how H&S supports a business in protecting its people from harm, but also how it can improve business performance and grow capability of the people and culture.
When I can, I also enjoy getting to site and talking to project teams about their challenges and how they’re managing them. It’s always rewarding and great to recognise when a team comes up with an innovative and smart solution to remove risk. - What are the biggest challenges in your industry at the moment?
Resourcing. We undertake some really complex projects and need new people in all parts of the business. However with recruiting comes on-boarding onto our H&S systems which are complex due to the nature of the work we do.
Another constant challenge around this time of the year is fatigue. This is the time when we see teams trying to get as much done before the end of year shut down. The construction industry has always been hard on work-life balance, so it’s important to make sure that our people get time away from work to rest and recuperate as we head towards the end of the year. - What skills are the most crucial to succeeding in this career?
People skills, communication and understanding the ‘why’ behind a procedure or rule.
It’s all about people at the end of the day. We want people to make good decisions so that they manage the risks that they’re exposed to. Compliance will only get you a part of the way – changing behaviour is the ultimate goal and this takes time. You must be prepared for this to take longer but the results are worth it. - What is the best bit of advice you have for someone looking to move into this area?
Technical skills can be learned fairly quickly and qualifications can be gained similarly. The challenge is to get engagement from all including early adopters and laggards. Be prepared for it to take time to get a good outcome. It won’t happen overnight, so perseverance is key.
