When you leave home for work every morning, you expect to perform your duties and arrive back home at the end of the day in the same way you left. However, accidents do happen in the workplace. Workplace injuries and illnesses can have a wide-ranging impact on workers and their families. But there are individuals in the workplace who are skilled and qualified in ensuring the workplace meets health and safety standards. To learn more about this, we spoke to Alison Publisher, Jawad Chand.
Introduction
Please share with our learners a bit about your background.
I am an occupational health and safety practitioner and trainer with over 15 years of experience in oil and gas safety management, process safety, pharmaceutical hazard control, and health and safety management systems. My qualifications include degrees in business administration, chemical engineering, and occupational health and safety. I have collaborated with renowned oil and gas E&P and pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, and I hold certifications as an IRCA-certified lead auditor of ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 14001:2015-based management systems. I am now a freelance course creator, passionate about sharing health and safety knowledge to improve safety culture worldwide.
What made you decide to pursue an occupational health and safety career?
I chose to pursue a career in occupational health and safety due to my deep fascination with the field’s challenges and complexities. No two workplaces are the same, and each industry comes with its unique set of hazards and risks. This diversity constantly keeps me on my toes, pushing me to expand my knowledge and skills and face new challenges head-on. It’s an ever-evolving field that demands continuous learning and adaptation, which is something I thrive on.
What do you enjoy most about your chosen career field?
I firmly believe that every individual deserves to work in an environment where their safety is a top priority. I find it incredibly rewarding to be on the front lines, educating people about safety, implementing safety measures, creating policies, and conducting inspections to ensure the health and safety of people.
Publishing on Alison
What made you decide to create courses on Alison?
I always wanted to educate people in developing countries about occupational health and safety because they face more work-related accidents due to a lack of knowledge compared to developed countries. Additionally, many people in these countries have financial limitations or are unwilling to pay for online courses. Therefore, I needed a platform that could reach a wide audience in developing countries, be trusted, and provide courses free of cost to learners.
Fortunately, I discovered Alison, which perfectly fits all my needs. It has a large global audience, including millions of learners from developing countries, and offers free education to everyone. By creating courses on this platform, I believe I can help spread occupational health and safety knowledge to people in developing countries and educate them on how to prevent workplace accidents.
What do you enjoy most about publishing on this platform?
Alison’s commitment to offering free education and its user-friendly course creation tools are what make the experience enjoyable for me. It’s a remarkable platform that allows anyone to access my courses without any cost. Moreover, I appreciate the simplicity and ease of course creation on this platform, making it accessible for educators like myself to share knowledge effectively.
How has being a self-publisher on Alison changed or impacted your life?
Being a self-publisher on Alison has given me the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the field of health and safety. Knowing that my courses are helping people acquire new skills, expand their health and safety knowledge, and improve their lives is incredibly rewarding. It has reaffirmed my passion for sharing knowledge and has motivated me to continue creating valuable educational content.
You have published five courses on Alison. Tell us a bit more about your courses.
Each of my courses is designed to provide basic awareness in specific areas of occupational health and safety. Here’s a brief overview of each course:
- Asbestos Awareness: This course focuses on raising awareness about the cancer-causing mineral asbestos, its hazards, and the necessary precautions to prevent its exposure. It covers topics such as asbestos types, health risks, safe removal, and handling practices.
- Hydrogen Sulfide Awareness: This course aims to educate learners about the dangers associated with hydrogen sulfide gas. It covers topics like properties and characteristics of hydrogen sulfide, health effects, detection methods, and emergency response procedures.
- Lockout Tagout Awareness: This course focuses on the principles of lockout tagout, a critical safety procedure used to control hazardous energy during equipment maintenance and servicing. It covers topics such as the importance of lockout tagout, procedures, equipment requirements, and best practices.
- Machine Safeguarding Principles: This course provides an overview of machine safeguarding, which involves measures to protect workers from machinery-related hazards. It covers topics such as types of hazards, risk assessment, safeguards, and safeguarding devices.
- ISO 37301:2021 Compliance Management Systems Awareness: This course introduces ISO 37301, which is the international standard for compliance management systems. It covers key concepts, implementation guidelines, and the benefits of adopting an effective compliance management system based on ISO 37301:2021.
Who should take your courses?
My courses on Alison are especially relevant for individuals who work in industries or occupations where they may encounter hazards related to machines, dangerous chemicals, and electricity. They are also suitable for safety professionals, emergency responders, and individuals responsible for ensuring the safety of others in potentially hazardous environments.
Occupational Health & Safety
Why should all employees be interested in and knowledgeable about OHS?
OHS knowledge helps employees protect themselves from workplace hazards, ensuring their own safety and well-being. By understanding safety procedures, potential hazards, and safe work practices, employees can actively contribute to creating a safer work environment for themselves and their colleagues. Employees who are knowledgeable about OHS can help ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
What are the biggest challenges staff face in implementing OHS practices in the workplace?
In my experience, I have observed two major challenges when it comes to implementing occupational health and safety (OHS) practices at work.
- Lack of Awareness and Knowledge: Many employees may not be fully aware or knowledgeable about hazards, safety measures, regulations, and OHS practices This lack of understanding can make it difficult for them to effectively implement OHS practices and contribute to a safe work environment. Insufficient training and limited access to information can make this challenge even more difficult.
- Resistance to Change: Introducing new OHS practices and procedures often requires making changes to established work routines, procedures, or equipment. However, some employees may resist these changes because they are used to the existing practices. This resistance to change can impede the implementation process. To overcome this challenge, it is important to communicate effectively, provide training, and address any concerns or misunderstandings that employees may have about the changes.
What skills are needed to enforce OHS?
In my experience, the key skill necessary for effectively enforcing occupational health and safety (OHS) is the commitment to Continuous Learning. OHS regulations and best practices are dynamic, constantly evolving over time. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to consistently stay informed and updated regarding the latest industry trends and advancements.
In addition to Continuous Learning, there are several other critical skills that contribute to successful enforcement, such as problem-solving, decision-making capabilities, proficient auditing and inspection competencies, incident investigation, and emergency preparedness.
OHS at work
What is the role of an OHS officer in organisations?
The main role of an OHS officer is to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of employees. They are responsible for identifying and reducing workplace hazards, ensuring compliance with regulations, and fostering a safe working environment. OHS officers develop and implement OHS policies and procedures, identify potential dangers, and devise strategies to minimise risks and prevent accidents. Additionally, they provide training to raise awareness about OHS principles, regulations, and safe work practices. In case of accidents, OHS officers conduct investigations to determine the causes and suggest corrective actions for preventing similar incidents in the future. They also monitor and assess the organisation’s adherence to OHS regulations and standards through inspections, audits, and reviews, taking necessary corrective measures when needed.
What words of advice would you give someone who would like to publish on Alison?
To succeed as a publisher on Alison, remember to be professional, pay attention to detail, and create high-quality content. Start by determining your area of expertise and choose a specific niche within that field. Then, create a detailed plan for what content you want to make.
Your content should be accurate, well-researched, and up-to-date. Use different types of media like text, images, videos, or audio to cater to different learning styles and make your lessons more engaging.
Where can someone work after completing your courses?
While my courses primarily aim to raise awareness, completing my courses can also open various job opportunities across industries. Safety awareness is highly valued in sectors like construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing. These industries require strict adherence to safety regulations to ensure worker well-being and prevent accidents. Acquiring knowledge through these courses can pave the way for roles like safety officers, safety consultants, or trainers. Moreover, the demand for these skills extends to any field that prioritises safety and risk management.
Last thoughts
What else can Alison and its learners look forward to from you in the coming year to two?
In the coming year to two, you can expect new courses focusing on confined spaces safety, ISO standards, fire safety, and the oil and gas sector safety. I will also try to include a comprehensive diploma course in Occupational Safety. I’m developing a Health, Safety, and Environment blog called HSE Windsock (www.hsewindsock.com). It will focus on HSE topics and provide updates on Alison’s courses.
Any last words, advice, or wisdom you’d like to share with our learners?
Never stop learning. Education is a lifelong journey, and the more you learn, the more you’ll grow and discover new possibilities.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility. And it doesn’t happen by accident. If you’re interested in learning if you have the right set of workplace skills, take our free personality test below. The results provide insight into your strengths and weaknesses and will recommend a list of courses to take to bridge the gaps.
