Jade Strampel

“It completely accelerated my role into the deep end and, while a huge challenge, I got to make the role my own and quickly took over all things welfare, health and safety. I began mapping out my career pathway – working toward qualifications and developing the right blend of technical expertise and interpersonal skills to be an effective safety professional. Ultimately, my goal has always been to grow into a leadership role where I can make a real difference, and that journey started with this unexpected but transformative experience.”

A diverse portfolio

Jade currently works in the health and safety team at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s economic and cultural agency. Her team needs to have a highly dynamic health and safety practice, to cater for a variety of unique environments.

“I’m responsible for a diverse portfolio that includes the main city art gallery and the maritime museum. Our team covers a wide range of operations, from stadiums and large event venues to major event planning and delivery, as well as the Zoo, corporate services and film studios.

“I’m now Acting Head of Health and Safety, responsible for leading the team. This is a very exciting opportunity which allows me to experience leadership from a hands-on perspective, stepping into the role with ‘the gutters up’, so to speak, in a supportive environment.”

“It always seems like the building’s on fire”

Jade’s role is a demanding one, and she admits that there are times when you can really feel the pressure. It’s only natural. But there are ways to manage this.

“OHS is a hugely rewarding career that really gives you a very large toolbox worth of skills, knowledge and ability to engage with people over all walks of life. That said, there’s certainly a point where it feels all a bit much, when it hits you that there is so much you don’t know, and it always seems like the building’s on fire. I would say almost everyone goes through this. Key things are to lean on your mentors; don’t be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know’; and ask lots of questions.”

From having no desire to work in safety and health, Jade now sees things very differently. It’s not just an interesting job, but an important one – and it needs to be done well.

“When we consider the consequences of ‘getting it wrong’ in this field – potentially devastating in worst-case scenarios – maintaining professional standards and credibility becomes non-negotiable.”

Developing health and safety in New Zealand

Jade has another motivation that pushes her to develop professionally: her desire to improve the state of health and safety in her country.

“Our health and safety legislation is still relatively new. We’re approaching its 10-year anniversary, compared to the UK’s 50 years of established practices. The truth is, health and safety in New Zealand is struggling. Despite legislative changes, our injury and fatality rates remain the same, if not worse. This is partly because we lack a robust and well-funded regulator. Now, Parliament is considering further legislative changes – perhaps without giving the current framework sufficient time to mature. These could potentially reduce worker protections, despite our already poor safety record.

“For me, IOSH membership offers the opportunity to connect with professionals who are further ahead in the journey of implementing safety practices. They have been learning from case studies and working to higher standards or codes of practice.

“As someone in a small country, it’s vital to leverage opportunities like IOSH to help improve our national health and safety practices. The insights, expertise and resources gained through this membership benefit me personally and can contribute to raising the overall standard of safety in New Zealand.”

Tips for Student Members

We asked Jade to pinpoint anything that she found useful when she was a Student Member. “Definitely the numerous resources,” she says. “Particularly the case studies, reports and information. I also highly rate Blueprint. Sometimes it can feel like we need to know it all, so having a structured learning plan gives you the priorities for your learning and development. It can help keep things simple and targeted, when it seems you have a dictionary of topics to go through.”

What’s next?

“I feel I have already made such huge strides in such a small amount of time. My next step is definitely to get experience in the leadership space. I am really looking forward to the challenge of stewarding a team of incredibly passionate and talented safety professionals to take our organisation to the next level.”