Health and Safety Must Link Into Corporate Objectives – Universities Told

London, United Kingdom, May 06, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Successful health and safety policies must sit comfortably within the business environment, a consultant from Cardinus Risk Management has told a gathering of university health and safety professionals.

Barry Holt, head of consultancy at Cardinus Risk Management was giving a keynote speech to the Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA) spring conference at Manchester Metropolitan University on April 13. He told the conference that although health and safety experts have the technical knowledge, skill and experience, they often faced difficulties getting senior managers to listen to them.

Mr Holt said, “We have got to make sure that health and safety professionals understand the business environment in which they are operating, so they understand the drivers that senior management have.”

He went on to describe how Cardinus Risk Management had worked in partnership with Royal Mail Group to create a safety leadership course that was designed to help safety professionals gain that understanding. Mr Holt worked closely with Royal Mail Group’s Keith Scott to plan the ‘route map’ and run two pilot courses within Royal Mail Group. The course is now open to other organisations and has been endorsed by the International Institute of Risk and Safety Managers.

Mr Holt said that the aim of the safety leadership course and his message to the USHA conference were the same: “To ensure that there’s a common understanding between the people working at corporate health and safety level and senior management about how environment health and safety links into corporate objectives.”

Maureen Kotlas, Harvard University director, also delivered a keynote speech to the conference and said that her research into health and safety policies had reached the same conclusions. This lends credibility to the findings of the Cardinus/Royal Mail Group partnership.

Reaction from delegates was very positive, with some expressing surprise that Ms Kotlas’s presentation was completely independent of the one from Mr Holt. Mr Holt confirmed that there had been a lot of interest in the work done by Royal Mail Group and Cardinus Risk Management.

For more information on safety consultancy and training, including the safety leadership course, call Cardinus Risk management on 020 7469 0200, email info@cardinus.com or visit the website at: www.cardinus.com

###

Notes to Editors
Cardinus directors, experts and consultants are available for interview and quotes on industry issues. The full range of Cardinus consultancy services can be seen on its website, www.cardinus.com or you can telephone 020 7469 0200 (UK) 1-866-966-3420 (US).