Issue 1 2008 > Industry Expert
Industry Expert: One-on-One with Edward Jelliss
Health & Safety Manager, UK & Ireland
Edward Jelliss
Email: ejelliss@crownrms.com
Edward Jelliss is the Health & Safety Manager for Crown Records Management in the United Kingdom & Ireland, based in Fareham, southeast England. He is a member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Managers (MIIRSM) and a graduate of the Institute of Safety and Health (IOSH). We asked Edward to discuss his experience in the health and safety industry and what procedures he has put in place across Crown’s UK & Ireland Management Centers.
Audits & Implementation
I am relatively new to the Records Management business having been with Crown Records Management UK and Ireland for almost a year. This has been a very busy time in which I have managed to design and implement a Health and Safety (H&S) Management system specifically targeted to suit our business and comply with local legislation requirements.
I have visited every one of our Management Centers across the UK and Ireland at least twice: the first time to carry out a survey from the H&S view to establish the current status of the company, look for any significant hazards and to ensure H&S law was being adhered to. The second time was to roll out the H&S management system, provide the site supervisors, business managers and directors with the company’s health and safety manual and to explain their responsibilities under the new system.
With health and safety it is a matter of continually keeping the subject at the forefront of every employee’s mind and to ensure that it becomes inherent in every corporate decision.
Training & Compliance
Training is important and with a company spread right across the country, face-to-face training is not always possible. We make the best use of multi-media training combining PowerPoint presentations, videos, pocket guides and handouts. In addition, health and safety is a permanent fixture on all of our regional and local meeting agendas.
The UK & Ireland facilities will begin internal health and safety management system audits in early 2008 and in addition, have plans to gain accreditation from the OHSAS 18001 standards.
At Crown UK & Ireland, we ensure a systematic approach to the identification of risks and then allocate sufficient resources to control them. We understand that accidents and work related ill health can result from failings in management and are not exclusively the fault of individual employees.
Health and Safety is for Everyone
H&S management provides benefits to both the company and the employee. Crown’s employees have a right to expect not to be injured at work and this is very much in the company’s interest, not only because the company cares about its employees but also because accidents can result in lost time, added recruitment efforts, additional training and increased insurance–all of which incur costs.
Effective H&S policies contribute to business performance by supporting human resource development and minimising financial losses. We recognise the importance of continuous improvement in health and safety, quality management and the involvement of all staff. We also understand that a good safety record goes hand in hand with increased productivity and high quality service.
Background on Edward Jelliss
Ed originally came from a military background. After the navy, he traveled to the Middle East and worked at Abu Dhabi International Airport in aeronautical engineering and was later asked to take on his employer’s quality management system. He managed the transition from the ISO 9001:1994 standard to the ISO 9001:2000 standard and later introduced health and safety management to all their contracts across the region. After 16 years, Ed returned to England and took on a similar role at DHL Global Mail. After two years, Ed joined Crown Records Management.