A day with John Phillips
Helen Thomas, Administration Assistant in Student Careers and Skills, tells us about her day with John Phillips, Director of Health and Safety, finding out more about his role.
Why did you want to get involved in the work shadowing programme?
I've worked in health and safety in the past and it's an area that I enjoy and that interests me, so it was an opportunity for self-development. I hoped to gain an increased knowledge and understanding of the health and safety systems in the University to help our department in implementation. I also hoped to gain a better understanding of people’s roles in the health and safety team by observing them and talking to them about their various jobs.
What did your day with John involve?
I had an introduction to the team, an overview of how they are each aligned to various departments and an opportunity to ask questions about their roles. We then attended meetings across campus, including in departments with technical services managers, and went to a weekly review of forthcoming construction/refurbishment projects across the campus. John explained why things are done in a certain way and shared best practice. He answered any questions I had about the day and gave me some useful guidance so that I could take this back to my department to share with my line manager. After my day it was good to make notes and reflect on the experience and discuss future plans with my line manager in my next 1-2-1.
What did you learn about John's role that you didn’t know before?
How busy this small department is! And that they have to connect and communicate with so many people across the University. Health and safety is not just John's or his team’s responsibility - it's part of what we all do. It shouldn't be seen as a bolt on to our jobs.
What did you learn about the department that you didn’t know before?
It's the responsibility of the person creating the risk to manage it: health and safety is a line management function. Increased awareness of the resources available and useful links on the website, and the H&S self- assessment checklist in particular is a great starting point for anyone. There is a wealth of knowledge available from the team members!
Why should others get involved in work shadowing?
Work shadowing brings a job to life. The health and safety department gets an undeserved bad press. A stereotypical view of a health and safety person is a box ticker, cluttering people’s lives with red tape. This is a complete myth and the team are far removed from this stereotype. I now have contacts for anything I need to know within the department and an increased knowledge of the way another team works. It was a really beneficial day!
Enjoyed this feature? Read our other 'A day with' features... or find out what John thought of the experience
Why not arrange your own work shadowing day?
Although the pilot programme is already underway, if there's an area of Warwick that you'd like to understand more about, why not discuss with your line manager or Head of Department and see what you can set up? If you organise a day yourself, do get in touch - we’d love to hear how you got on and what you learnt!