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QuEnSH – the “ACE” approach

A bold statement by any organisation to how they manage their Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental (QHSE) obligations, let alone a consultancy. Donna Hutchison explains how Acknowledgment, Communication and Engagement – ACE - are fundamental to building a strong workforce culture.

Let’s face it, QHSE professionals are as popular as a VAT Inspection at Christmas but it is integral to all organisations, no matter the size or industry. In current economic climates, organisations need to be resourceful and more creative to get “buy-in” to QHSE values.

No longer is the glossy documentation, rarely touched considered to be acceptable and in a society where safety culture now has legal standing and we face an increasing compensation culture, QuEnSH understands that Clients needs guidance and support they can trust.

Established in 2005 and joining the ABZ Group in 2010, QuEnSH because of the lack of multi-disciplined providers and when I did engage consultants’ no-one actually helped me fix the problems. I ended up with a report detailing the problems I already knew I had and a large invoice for the privilege!

It was based on this that QuEnSH established the ACE principles which we work to:

• Acknowledgement – QHSE is not the “be all and end all” - it is a supporting function to the activities that are revenue generating and should be there to help and not hinder. Plans change – fact – the important aspect is to prioritise risk and be pragmatic in your approach to control those risks.

• Communication – People are generally suspicious of change, especially when the reason for change is not clear. All too often we assume that people know and understand why change is occurring. Just as important is the method of communication, in a world where we are bombarded by emails, texts and social networking and the potential for misinterpretation increases, the power of face-to-face discussions is often underestimated.

• Engagement – People like to be involved and it’s crucial to get involvement at all levels in the organisation. That doesn’t mean everyone wants to be involved but the option needs to be there. Equally as important, when undertaking the engagement process, be prepared to tackle what feedback you get. It might not be what you want to hear but don’t ignore it, that is potentially more destructive than failing to engage at all.

QuEnSH is a leading provider of bespoke integrated solutions across a diverse range of disciplines including:

• Quality

• Occupational Health and Safety

• Environmental

• Training and Competency

• Emergency Response

With the aim of providing assurance and business value to continually meet the needs of our dynamic Clients.

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