I’ve been doing this for over 35 years. When people ask what I do and I tell them I’m a Health and Safety Manager, I get the same reaction almost every time:
“Oh, you’re the one everybody hates on the job.”
I don’t see it that way. Not even close.
When I show up on a jobsite, I get high-fives. Sure, there’s always someone who thinks I’m a jerk because I told him to put his safety glasses on or pull the earbuds out of his ears. That comes with the territory, and I can live with it. But if I’m the most hated guy on the site, I’m not doing my job right.
The real measure is respect. Guys who ask how my weekend was. Guys who wave me over just to talk.
And those same guys? They’re the ones who call me when they’re in real trouble. I’ve gotten calls at 2am. At 4am. I’ve picked guys up from jail. I’ve helped guys fight addiction. I’ve helped people through the darkest moments of their lives — including suicide.
That’s not the resume of the most hated guy on the jobsite.
That’s the job. And I think I do it well.
35 years in, I wouldn’t change a thing.
~ Rob Policastro, STS, STS-C, CHST, Health & Safety Manager