When Ben began his building career as a plumber 25 years ago, there was one little question that steered his every decision – “why?”
With a passion for people, construction, and most of all, keeping the job site safe, Ben transferred his skills to run a friend’s building company’s safety department. Why? Because they recognised Ben’s passion for this crucial part of the job. And it was a decision that changed the trajectory of his career path in the building industry.
From here, Ben gained numerous qualifications and is an active member of the advisory council for the Master Builders Association and the Australian Institute of Health and Safety. Both groups target knowledge sharing of high-risk issues to protect workers in the building and construction industries.
When asked why he chose to work with Piety Group, Ben remembers that all it took was a look at the website, and there was a quote from one of his favourite books, “Start with Why”. In that moment, he realised Piety Group had aligned their vision and values with his and that they would be the perfect pairing.
Today, as the Group EHS Manager at Piety Group, he spends his days collaborating with his colleagues to help develop and grow a positive working environment and culture, and of course, safety. In doing so, he loves to create, manage and coordinate Piety Group training for all employees.
Why? Ben puts it this way, “I think what I really get the most enjoyment out of is when I’m taking someone on the learning journey about risk, and I see that ‘moment’ when the penny drops, and they get it! I also enjoy when I get an ‘Aha’ moment, too.”
Ben is also responsible for working with the company EHSQ Integrated Management System, inspecting the sites to ensure they are all following these procedures, plus conducting weekly site audits and reporting. Compliance with legislation and ensuring the overall safety on all sites is also an essential part of his role, as is dealing with critical incidents and regulator investigations and assisting the maintenance team. You’ll also find Ben playing a role in Design Out Our Risk (DOOR) meetings prior to construction, which is a pivotal opportunity to eliminate or reduce risk through our design stage, as well as working with the Operations team in developing the organisational framework and managing our Electronic eco-system.
As the Group EHS Manager, Ben is also tasked with encouraging a positive and learning culture amongst Piety Group staff and its contractors. He ensures compliance with legislation and implements initiatives to practically reduce risk on site. He’s also an active member of several internal working groups like People & Culture, Quality Systems and Processes, Corporate Governance and Risk Rigour, and Building Trust with Stakeholders. These and several other groups account for Piety Group’s strategic actions to become a high-performance organisation.
In his time away from the office, Ben is an avid reader and aspiring author while also being a committed and “fun” dad. “My kids inspire me to be the best version of myself, so I use that to be a good example for them to enjoy life to the fullest.”
Teamwork and delegation are key to his management style and success, but most of all, Ben’s one mission remains to keep the team safe and empowering others. Why? So they have the space and security to find their own “why”.
