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Diane Allen MSc CMIOSH
Senior Health & Safety Consultant
Diane developed her career in the NHS as senior Physiotherapist and moved into health and safety after successfully completing a Masters degree in Ergonomics. She specialises in training and consultancy in the healthcare sector, manual handling and ergonomics. |
What qualifications have you done and how have they helped you in your career?
My initial qualification after leaving school was a Diploma in Physiotherapy. After a number of years I wanted a degree that would enable me to teach physiotherapy rather than practice it and I completed a part-time MSc in Ergonomics. The combination of my diploma and degree secured me a role as Manual Handling Adviser in healthcare after the Manual Handling regulations came into force in 1993.
It was a natural step after that to progress to do the NEBOSH diploma, and I negotiated with my employer to pay for the course if I studied in my own time (I did a distance learning course which also fitted in with my young family).These qualifications have enabled me to work as a consultant and trainer within Connaught Compliance.
Are you involved in health & safety groups or committees?
I am a member of the IOSH healthcare group and the local Ergonomics group. I would like to get more involved; however at the moment, time and work pressures prevent me.
What journals/magazines or newspapers do you read in connection with work/health & safety?
I read the monthly Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) and the monthly newsletter The Ergonomist.
Do you read any regular online blogs/websites/e-newsletters in connection with work?
Not on a regular basis, but when I am preparing or researching for a project for a client I will look online, often the HSE website is the place to start. In addition, because I work with healthcare clients regularly I also look at the Department of Health and related sites.
Give an example of work you have done, which sums up why you work in health & safety:
Probably the most satisfying work experiences for me are the one day 'Stress Awareness' sessions. This is because many people have preconceived negative ideas on stress; assuming it's a 'modern disease' and that people aren't as strong as they used to be. In addition, some people view health & safety regulations as draconian and unnecessary.
However when we work through the day, examining how small things can put stresses on workers and the simple ways workers can be made more comfortable, for example through temperature, lighting and noise levels, delegates realise that health & safety is not about imposing regulations unnecessarily but about helping people to be more calm and satisfied at work and generally creating a safer and happier environment for everyone.
If someone was considering changing their career to health & safety, what advice would you give them?
They should recognise that their current and previous work experience provides them with lots of basic knowledge about real life work situations they will need in health and safety, and the extra learning they do (eg.NEBOSH certificate) will help them to see it in a different way. So it's more a case of 'progressing your career' to the next stage, rather than 'changing it altogether'. | 
