IOSH
Eleanor Collinge
A strong motivation
“My grandad died in 2019 from mesothelioma, an incurable cancer caused by occupational exposure to asbestos.” That, says Eleanor Collinge, was what motivated her to become a Student Member of IOSH.
Eleanor left her administrative role in the certification and legislation department at Aston Martin, and started her health and safety career.
“I joined a local consultancy that offered opportunities for people like me, who had no experience but were looking to move into health and safety. They put me through the health, safety and environment management postgraduate course at the University of Birmingham (UK).”
She says: “It was important for both me and my employer to put me on one of the few courses that was accredited by IOSH, as my job was client-facing. Having consultants that were members of IOSH meant something, reputation-wise. By joining the course, I gained my Student membership.”
Eleanor reflects that it was not all plain-sailing: “I started the course in September 2019, so I was on the course during the Covid-19 pandemic. Half-way through the year we switched to completely remote learning, which was definitely a challenge, as we all entered the ‘new way of working’.”
But Eleanor came through with a Distinction in the course in 2020, which meant that she qualified for Certified IOSH membership (previously GradIOSH).
Now 29, she works for National Grid as a safety, health and wellbeing advisor, responsible for ensuring the highest standards of safety in the organisation. She says:
“It’s really exciting to be a part of an industry and a company that is playing such a huge part in the clean energy transition and is helping us to achieve net zero.”
Within the next year or two, Eleanor is aiming to be in a health and safety management role at National Grid: “I want to really be able to influence safety in the energy industry as it is so high-risk, and play my part in ensuring that everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.”
Take full advantage of being a member
Eleanor offers the following advice to Student Members:
“I would recommend joining your local IOSH branch, as they often hold face-to-face and virtual meetings on the latest safety topics and news. Also, I get the monthly IOSH magazine which is a really useful resource for staying up-to-date with the latest safety news. The IOSH member discussion forums really helped me understand what I needed to do to succeed.”
Having achieved Certified membership, Eleanor didn’t stop learning and progressing – and is now a Chartered Member. She has a very clear picture of why she wanted to continue investing time and effort in her professional development.
“I knew it could open a lot of doors for me in my career. Being a Chartered Member demonstrates your expertise and commitment to safety and because IOSH is so well established across the world, there is access to a global network of fellow safety professionals who you can learn from.”
Eleanor feels that “having IOSH membership definitely helped me get into the industry and role I’m in now. For future safety managerial roles, IOSH membership is a pre-requisite. Being a Chartered Member of IOSH also often means I am taken more seriously and can have more influence, as it shows a certain level of competency.
“I would definitely recommend progressing with IOSH membership to Student Members, as it’s been invaluable for my career.”
You’ve read about Eleanor’s success – now make your own inspiring story