Why I Went Into Health and Safety and Opened My Own Consultancy
When people ask me how I ended up working in health and safety, the answer usually surprises them: I didn’t plan it. I fell into it. And honestly, it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to my career.
I began my career in Early Childhood Education (ECE), where safety is non-negotiable. Every day involves managing risks, following procedures, and ensuring the wellbeing of others. At the time, I didn’t realise how transferable those skills were, but they laid the groundwork for everything that came next.
Working in ECE taught me the importance of:
Duty of care
Risk management
Clear procedures
Accountability
People-first decision making
Prioritisation
How a Plumbing Business Led Me Into Health and Safety
My formal entry into workplace health and safety came when I needed to ensure our plumbing company was compliant.
Like many businesses, we genuinely wanted to do the right thing—To make sure we were meeting our legal obligations, I enrolled in my first health and safety course.
That course was a turning point.
What began as a compliance exercise quickly turned into a genuine interest, and then a passion.
Wanting to Learn More: Graduate and Postgraduate Study
From there, I wanted to learn more. I undertook my Graduate Certificate, followed by Postgraduate studies in health and safety, to deepen my knowledge and make sure the advice I gave was credible, practical, and grounded in real-world experience.
Why I Opened a Health and Safety Consultancy
I opened my health and safety consultancy because I wanted to help companies like ours—businesses that understand their responsibilities, care about their people, and don’t want to be bullshitted.
My goal has always been to:
Provide honest, practical health and safety advice
Speak in plain language
Make health and safety accessible, not intimidating
Work alongside businesses, not talk down to them
Coming from ECE and the trades, I understand the realities of running a business. Time is limited, pressure is high, and safety systems need to work in practice—not just on paper.
Health and Safety That Actually Makes Sense
Good health and safety should support people and strengthen businesses. It should be clear, proportionate, and fit for purpose.
Through my consultancy, I help organisations:
Meet their health and safety obligations
Build simple, effective safety systems
Reduce risk without overcomplicating processes
Create positive, practical safety cultures
From Falling Into It to Building a Business
What started as a single course to make sure our company was compliant grew into formal qualifications, hands-on experience, and a career built on helping others do health and safety better.
I didn’t plan this path—but I’m proud of where it’s led.
If you’re looking for practical, honest health and safety support from someone who understands your business and speaks your language, that’s exactly why my consultancy exists.
And the learning doesn’t stop there. I’m now preparing to begin my Master’s degree, with the goal of contributing to health and safety research here in New Zealand—so I can continue improving not just compliance, but how health and safety works in the real world.