Heidi Brookes
“I really believe that you have to continuously educate yourself. I find it absolutely necessary to have continual education because the field is constantly changing.”
Heidi Brookes, GSC, Health and Safety Coordinator, The Miller Group
Heidi is a full time Health and Safety Coordinator for the Miller Group. Currently she’s been working in her field for thirty-one years, in which the last fourteen have been directly involved in regulation work in Canada.
Before she began working in her current role she worked in the treatment side of work injuries. At twenty-seven years old, she was a divisional Superintendent in the St John ambulance service (Australia), and held her occupational first aid instructors licence. “I was looking at how much I was treating work injuries, and thought I’d prefer to work in injury prevention.” From that point forward Heidi began getting more involved in risk assessments and prevention. “I discovered that I excelled in this new field. I began working Ontario and as time progress I ended up developing programs, safe work practices, procedures and staff training.”
It’s clear that Heidi is a very busy, very important, and a very driven individual. That, however, does not stop her from seeking professional development to aid her career. She learnt about Gold Seal Certification’s existence through the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA). In October 2014, Heidi earned her Gold Seal Certification.
“The benefits tied to the certification are truly amazing,” she exclaimed. She continues by explaining that her motivation to pursue Gold Seal Certification had two main reasonings: “Firstly, the clients and buyers of construction were definitely looking at reducing lost time, injuries and risk. They tended towards choosing companies that were excelling in preventing those aspects. Secondly, I wanted the continuous education, and Gold Seal Certification was recognized. It wasn’t easy to obtain however, and you really have to be serious about the industry you work in to get this far.”
“If you’re serious about safety, self-improvement, and propelling yourself up through the ranks, do it. It’s the most recognized certification up there. It’s hard work, but once you get there, the rewards are definitely noticeable.”