Health and Safety Works

We believe in using Health and Safety as a tool to improve your business practices and increase efficiency. Effective review and improvement of procedures within the business can increase morale and reduce the risk of unnecessary downtime and costs.

The key to achieving these benefits is a pragmatic and realistic approach to analysing business processes, working safely and more effectively.

New safety practices need commitment throughout the organisation and we work with both the senior management team and all employees to design and implement changes with an open and honest approach.

Choosing your health and safety partner is a key part of this process and we are proud to work with clients across all business sectors throughout Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, London and the UK. Our Consultants have particular expertise with Laboratories, Pharma, Biotech, Food Science, HiTech, Manufacturing and Renewable Energy environments together with office, the building industry and industrial workplaces.

Health and Safety Works Professional Profiles

David Oates CMIOSH MRSB, Director

Following a degree in biochemistry, David Oates gained extensive experience within food chemistry, cell and molecular biology, project management and property refurbishment, becoming a Member of the Institute of Biology, a Chartered Biologist, a Corporate member of IOSH and gaining recognition on the IOSH Register of Safety Practitioners.

Having worked with safety since the introduction of the COSHH regulations in 1988 David has a particular specialism in the scientific environment with key projects and experience including:

• Setting up H&S at the Sanger Centre at Hinxton Hall.
• Safety Adviser at Virco who undertook Phyenotyping and Genotyping HIV patients.
• Safety Adviser at Imutran where the research was in pig heart transplantation.
• Involved in Research and Safety with the ICRF Tumor Virus group who were attempting to find a vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus.
• Worked for The Cancer Reserch Council on DNA repair.
• Six years experience of analytical food chemistry.

My project management experience has been gained in organising remedial work for roads and sewers on David Wilson Home sites, plus the refurbishment of laboratories and offices.

William Lai, Director

William majored in biophysics and biochemistry, working on the bench within research in Haematology and Infectious Diseases.

Following his completion of a doctorate in health communication, William transitioned to health and safety, via the academic environment.

William is currently a health and safety consultant at a large public utility company in Asia, advising the senior management teams and helping to ensure the company's safety culture is well embedded in its employees and operations.

As William's career has developed, he has become more involved in health and wellbeing, particularly with safeguarding mental health in the workplace.

His experience includes:

• Teaching and facilities management, both in academia and global operators.
• Developing mental health programmes following the ISO 45003 framework.
• Working closely with Senior Management teams to understand their Health & Safety responsibilities and the actions they need to undertake.

Laura Tull CertIOSH, Managing Health & Safety Consultant

Laura has diverse experience gained across a range of service and manufacturing industries. Her strengths lie in helping businesses identify areas for improvement and either meet or improve their regulatory compliance - providing them with the knowledge and tools to achieve not only compliance but best practice for their staff and their business.

Her experience includes:

• Coaching Management and Project teams in the safe and efficient delivery of their work incl. Construction, Ops & Maintenance, Manufacturing, Warehousing, and Office environments.
• Promoting the management of psychosocial hazards within the work environment, ensuring businesses understand how this could be affecting their employees and their business.
• Production of our IOSH accredited courses.
• Health & safety Inspection and audit of businesses
• Supporting Leadership teams implement Health & Safety within their business.
• Helping businesses successfully achieve and maintain approvals such as ISO 45001 (formally18001) / 14001 & 9001.
• Review, creation and collaboration of CDM documentation for Principal Contractors.
• And more recently, Managing Health & Safety Works Ltd.

Richard Morgan CertIOSH, Senior Health & Safety Consultant

Was previously a principal inspector with the Health and Safety Executive, inspecting manufacturing, utility and service industries across Great Britain.

He was Elected Fellow of IOSH (FIOSH) in 2005 and was awarded IOSH President's 'Distinguished Service Certificate for Services to Health and Safety' in 2013.

His experience includes:

• Advisory and enforcement health and safety inspections, auditing and investigations in:
  • heavy industry (nuclear power stations, electricity/gas supply, heavy engineering/steelworks etc).
  • medium industry (engineering/metalworking, woodworking, food/drink production, plastics etc).
  • light industry, including transport, warehousing and supply chain issues.
• Specialist in multi-site food and drink manufacture.
• Occupational health issues in all industries/sectors (dust/fume, cancer, noise, ergonomics, skin disease etc).
• Inspecting Schools and National Trust properties.

Wendy Grocock TechIOSH, Health & Safety Consultant

Has a background in science, having worked in research within the biotechnology and academic sectors as a laboratory-based scientist in cancer research, before moving into management and Health and Safety roles.

Strengths lie in scientific and laboratory environments, including Biological Safety and COSHH. Providing advice for safe working practices within laboratories, documentation audit and review of risk assessments, COSHH and technical documentation. As well as generic Health and Safety within office environments, such as DSE, Manual Handling, Lone Working and general policy development.

Her experience includes:

• Developing laboratory H&S policies and guidance.
• Review H&S for new research projects.
• Holding the position of Biological Safety Officer.
• Working with staff of all levels.
• Working with HR and OH regarding Health Surveillance.
• Developing estates and facilities H&S policies.

Danielle Thorburn, (Hons) CWBLR, AMRSB TechIOSH, Health & Safety Consultant

Danielle's background lies in veterinary sciences; she graduated from the Royal Veterinary College with a certificate in work-based learning and research, after completing a year in industry working on the development of a vaccine candidate for FMDV.

Danielle has gained years of experience managing biosafety in high containment facilities (CL3 and CL4) working closely with regulators from the Health and Safety Executive. She is the Biological Safety Officer Government (Department for Transport).

Her experience includes:

• High containment laboratory design and management (CL2-CL4) including plant.
• Identifying and managing SPIs for high containment.
• Managing the use of Genetically Modified Organisms including large GMOs.
• Carrying out audits and inspections and managing associated action plans.
• Delivering training.
• Providing support and guidance on the import and export of dangerous goods.
• Producing annual reports for the use of dangerous goods.
• Developing and reviewing H&S documentation including risk assessments, policies, codes of practice and standard operating procedures.
• Promotion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the workplace.