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Articles by Simon Ash
The Timeless Wisdom of Aristotle: Understanding the World Through Ancient Eyes
How Aristotle’s Philosophy Showed the Way We Can Understand the World Press enter or click to view image in full size Engineering my way into philosophy I majored in Civil Engineering at Edinburgh University for my four years there. But when I arrived, due to my grades, I was offered direct entry into the second year.
Changes to ISO management standards: start preparing now
As the range of global economic issues and social, environmental and governance challenges facing businesses continues to rapidly evolve, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is taking action to reflect developments in best practice, legislation and policy in these areas by drafting key updates to enhance its most widely used management system standards.
Inclusive, compliant evacuation planning: why training and maintenance matter
In the event of an emergency, the safe evacuation of all building occupants is a non-negotiable responsibility. For people with mobility impairments, whether permanent, temporary or invisible, evacuation readiness can mean the difference between safety and disaster. There are 5.5 million people with a disability in employment in the UK and this figure is growing, reinforcing the urgent need for inclusive evacuation strategies.
A step head: how the right safety footwear reduces workplace slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls remains the most common cause of workplace injuries in the UK, accounting for 31 per cent of all non-fatal workplace injuries reported by employers under the RIDDOR incident reporting regime in 2023/24.1 According to the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, slips, trips and falls on the same level accounted for almost 18,500 reported cases during the 2023/24 period.
A step ahead: how the right safety footwear reduces workplace slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls remains the most common cause of workplace injuries in the UK, accounting for 31 per cent of all non-fatal workplace injuries reported by employers under the RIDDOR incident reporting regime in 2023/24.1 According to the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, slips, trips and falls on the same level accounted for almost 18,500 reported cases during the 2023/24 period.
How being mobile helps prevent slips, trips and falls at work
For too long, workplace safety discussions have overlooked a critical factor: employee mobility. While environmental fixes remain important, emerging evidence highlights the profound impact an individual’s physical fitness and mobility can have on preventing common and often devastating accidents from happening. Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are widely touted as being some of the most common challenges and causes of serious injuries in workplaces across the UK.
The Seven Habits of Stoically Average People
How to stop being anxious about over-achieving by embracing mediocrity (a parody, of sorts) Simon Ash · Follow Published in Leadership Unlocked · 6 min read · -- Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-leaning-on-table-3767411/ Ever feel that you are underachieving? Concerned that friends seem to have it all sorted? Sick of being reminded by Instagram of what life could be like? Then read on. We all desire purpose and success.
Why innovation is at the heart of making sure PPE remains responsive to a changing world
Challenges faced by fire and rescue Services are intensifying, reflecting the rapidly changing world around us. Global population and lifestyle changes have also changed how people live and are housed, affecting the types of call outs first responders receive. As a result, it is critical that firefighters are equipped with PPE that provides effective protection in all circumstances.
What is the future of work? British Safety Council hosts roundtable to find out
A much greater focus on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace – particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic – together with more flexible working practices and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) brings a new set of challenges for employers that legislators in the 1970s could not have dreamt of. With that, however, comes a wealth of opportunities to improve people’s lives and make workplaces even safer – both physically and psychologically – across the next 50 years.
Global warming at work: why you need to protect your employees
The impact of climate change It’s hard to escape the effects of climate change nowadays, wherever you are in the world. In the last 30 years, average daily temperatures have become 0.9°C warmer In the UK, according to the State of the UK Climate 2020 report, granting us warmer summers and generally wetter weather across the rest of the year. Photograph: iStock/LightFieldStudios July 2022 saw the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, with a high of 40.3°C recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire.
The science of Slipology – how scientific methods can slash the risk of slip accidents this ‘Sliptember’ | British Safety Council
Despite causing 30 per cent of RIDDORs (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations injury reports) and more than £1 billion of insurance claims year-after-year, slips are not inevitable. What if you could halve your slip incidents using science? It might sound too good to be true, but this ’Sliptember’, I’m diving into the world of ‘Slipology’ to show you how scientific methods can revolutionise your approach to slip safety.
Railway worker safety: the vital role of slip-resistant footwear
According to its 2022/23 Annual Health and Safety Report, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) highlighted that, out of 83 ‘specified’ (serious) injuries sustained by the railway mainline workforce, 50 were caused by slips, trips and falls.¹ Additionally, the report revealed 4,168 workers in the rail mainline industry suffered ‘other’ injuries (over-7-day absence and non-severe injuries), due to a variety of causes, an increase of 66 injuries compared to the previous year.² Photograph:...
Why Artificial Intelligence is More Like a Teenager than a God
How do you relate to AI? What sort of person do you envision them as and why does that matter? This was one of our discussions on the recent 'Leading in the Age of AI' course that I was facilitating in Kuwait, along with my colleague Billy Matthews from OneLeap. The course, hosted by The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), was attended by leaders from various sectors.
The Best of 2023 to Help Your 2024
The Best of 2023 to Help Your 2024 Happy New Year! I hope you have had a great start to 2024. Here are some of the writing highlights from 2023 (in case you missed them). Just click on the hyperlinks to read more.
What Astronaut Selection Can Teach Us About Personality Types and Teams
Do you have the right personality type for the job you are doing? This is a potentially controversial question. Popular culture tends to support the idea that we can do anything we want to if we put our minds to it. However, psychological research suggests that we can be better suited to specific roles. And this is an insight that many individuals and organisations put to good use.
Much Too Jung (The Problem with Myers-Briggs Personality Tests)
What is your personality type? If you have ever done a specific personality test, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), then you may even answer that question with a four-letter acronym such as INTJ or ESTP. The Myers-Briggs psychometric questionnaire, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® (or MBTI®), was the first personality test that I came across in my career.
Artificial Intelligence, Talking to Strangers and Dysfunctional Teams
I hope you have had a great week! Here are some of the things I have been writing about this month (in case you missed them). Just click on the hyperlinks to read more. Enjoy! What does the advent of AI mean for us, particularly in the workplace? For leaders, is AI a threat or an opportunity? There are so many questions about artificial intelligence I thought I would share some thoughts (mostly from people far more learned than I) on How to Lead in an Era of AI.
The 7 Chronic Problems of Dysfunctional Teams
Have you ever been a member of a dysfunctional team? If you have, then you know how frustrating, depressing, and stressful it can be. I certainly have been, both as an employee and as a manager, and leading an underperforming team has given me plenty of sleepless nights as I have sought to turn things around. My experience has taught me the truth of Stephen R. Covey's list of team problems.
How to Plan and Run Effective Meetings (In 7 Questions)
Leadership Unlocked What is the one thing that wastes most of your time at work? You might have said 'emails', you might even have said 'that annoying colleague who always hangs around my desk', but most likely you will have said 'meetings'. That is because most employees face meetings overload in their workplace, and arguably it is worst for executives who (according to the Harvard Business Review) spend an average of nearly 23 hours per week in meetings.
Britain’s railway workers | railway history | safety on the railways | Dr Mike Esbester
Over the last 66 years, the British Safety Council has advocated for workplace and other safety, trying to reduce harm and improve wellbeing. While the nature of hazards and needs have changed over the years, in 2023 the BSC’s role and mission is just as important as ever. There remains a lot to be done. It’s also worth remembering an era before the BSC, when things were a lot worse.
Slip-resistant footwear | slips and trips at work | HAIX
Slips, trips and falls are, on average, responsible for around a third of all non-fatal major injuries to employees reported by employers in Britain; and two fatalities each year. Ninety-five per cent of major slips result in broken bones, requiring a minimum of six to eight weeks to heal. While the cost to human health is incalculable, the cost to employers from lost production and other expenses has been estimated at £512 million every year.
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls continue to be the most common cause of non-fatal workplace injury, resulting in lost working days for businesses and avoidable injuries for employees. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips, trips and falls accounted for 30 per cent of all non-fatal injuries reported by employers in the last year, 2021/22. That translates into an estimated 106,000 reported cases, based on reports by workers themselves.
workplace safety posters | shock tactics | safety communication
Posters might seem like vanished art, a quaint relic from an age before smartphones, email, apps and AI. Yet, this year, new regulations kicked in making it a legal requirement for more signage post Grenfell. From 23 January, all high-rise residential buildings in England had to install wayfinding signage in their buildings.
sunscreen at work | sun health risks | occupational skin cancer
Skin cancer is one of the occupational diseases with the highest number of suspected cases. Those most affected are employees who work partly or completely outdoors. Despite this, a YouGov survey commissioned in April 2023 by at-work skin care, cleaning and hygiene solutions provider SC Johnson Professional found that 30 per cent of outdoor workers in the UK never apply UV (ultraviolet) protection cream while at work.
workplace safety posters | shock tactics | safety communication
Posters might seem like vanished art, a quaint relic from an age before smartphones, email, apps and AI. Yet, this year, new regulations kicked in making it a legal requirement for more signage post Grenfell. From 23 January, all high-rise residential buildings in England had to install wayfinding signage in their buildings.
How to Create and Implement Strategy in 4 Simple Steps
By Simon Ash David Petraeus' successful process of strategic planning and leadership Photo by Pixabay Who can you think of who has genuinely created and implemented an effective strategy? Plenty of people profess to have done this but few have accomplished this feat on...
7 of the Top Leadership Models Made Simple (with Videos)
By Simon Ash 7 short explainer videos to help you understand the most important leadership models Leadership Models - Photo by Pixabay I have written extensively on leadership and leadership models for some time but it was only relatively recently that I had the idea to create some short explainer videos...
A Simple Approach to Good (Ethical) Decision-Making
When I was about ten years old, I decided to run away from home. Then I ran (unexpectedly) into an ethical issue. I can't remember exactly why I wanted to run away (as my life wasn't exactly bad) but I do remember that I strolled out of the house carrying nothing but a penknife. I was obviously confident in my survival skills and overly trusting that warm weather would continue.
Are You a Truly Good Leader or Merely an Effective One (and Why That Matters)
Earlier in my career, when I was working as a project manager, I ended up working on one of the largest building projects in London for one of the most successful property developers in the business. The guy was rich, was the boss of a large team, owned a powerful organisation and achieved big results. He was certainly an effective property developer. I also knew that his methods for achieving this success were questionable and I hated working for him. So was he a good leader?
Low Emission Zone | construction air pollution | machinery air pollution
The health impacts arising from poor air quality are now very widely known. No longer considered issues confined only to respiratory function, there are now clear causal links made to cardiovascular disease, reproductive health and dementia, and the list is growing. In fact, since the smallest of particles, those graded at PM2.5 and below, are able to cross into the bloodstream intact, they may circulate through every tissue and organ.
Do You Need to Manage Change Effectively? Use Adaptive Leadership
The term Adaptive Leadership was coined by Harvard University professor Ron Heifetz in his 1994 book, Leadership Without Easy Answers. The theory of Adaptive Leadership addresses the strategic question of how to mobilise people to adapt to change. We don't have to think too far back to realise how important this concept is. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how important it is to quickly adapt to new and fast-evolving circumstances.
Do You Set Shadow Goals? Here is Why You Should
The importance of goal setting, for better productivity and psychology, is well-known and documented. What is less well-known is the concept of shadow goals. I first came across the idea of shadow goals in a conversation with Professor Ian Robertson - renowned neuroscientist and author of How Confidence Works - when he was sharing the benefits of goal setting relating to our mental health and wellbeing. Goals (when chosen correctly) are beneficial as they give us a target with direction and focus.
The 10 Most Important Life Skills and How to Develop Them
What are the most important life skills? How should we navigate work, survive challenges, and thrive in our relationships? This is a question that United Nations organisations UNICEF and UNESCO, along with the World Health Organisation (WHO), sought to answer. The subsequent study identified 10 essential life skills, strategies, and techniques, common to the well-being of everyone, no matter their age, sex, colour, creed, or nationality.
8 Proven Behaviours to Enhance Team Performance by Building Trust
I once had to suspend a member of my team in the middle of delivering an important project. It was a difficult decision and painful for everyone involved, but it needed to happen. The actions of this individual had eroded the bond of trust that they had with the rest of the group. As a result, the whole team was no longer working effectively. If the individual was allowed to continue, the productivity of the whole organisation would have been undermined.
10 Proven Tools For Improving Decisions And Productivity, Based on Decades of Management Experience
My work falls into several key roles. I lead an organisation, run my own business, coach senior managers, and facilitate leadership courses for various corporations. With a couple of decades of management experience under my belt, I have found that certain tools and approaches really help me on a weekly (even daily) basis. So, I thought, why not share them with you?
The Rule of 3: An Easy Hack to Improve Your Communication
Leadership Unlocked The Rule of Three for Writing, Public Speaking, Decision-Making and More As a leader, I often have to speak, at short notice, to various groups of people. This might be in the context of a meeting, while facilitating training, or even at a social function where I might be asked to “say a few words”. When this happens, I have a simple hack that helps me prepare, even if I have just a few seconds. That hack is the rule of 3.
How to Use Simple Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress
We all know, even if just at some intuitive level, how important regulating our breathing is. Most of us have been told to "count to 10" or "take a deep breath" at some time. Maybe it was a time you were anxious about giving a presentation. Or perhaps it was when you felt yourself losing your temper. But most likely you were asked to slow your breathing in response to some stressful situation. There is an ever-growing body of research that backs up these practices.
How to Know if You're Slaving for a Toxic Boss (and What to do About it)
Are you working for a toxic leader? Do you have the kind of boss that makes you dread going to the office? What is it that makes them a bad manager? Marcia Lynn Whicker popularised the term 'toxic leader' (1996) and the phrase is frequently used to describe bad leaders. But what does it actually mean? Sometimes we implicitly know that we are working for a terrible boss, but it can be hard to explain why. Fortunately, researchers have developed various models to identify the traits of bad leaders.
How to Stop Your Primal Brain From Hijacking You at Work
Can you remember a time when your pulse was racing at work? Perhaps you recall a moment when you went red in the face in a meeting or needed to stop and take some deep breaths. Maybe you felt tense when being told of a task or broke a sweat trying to beat a deadline. These physical reactions are common and were most likely linked to emotions such as fear, frustration, or anger. Most people experience this kind of agitated psychological state at some time or another in their jobs.
How To Boost Your Leadership (And Have Immense Fun!)
Many assume that having served in the army, formal military leadership training has helped me the most as a leader. While this training has been invaluable, plenty of other experiences have been crucial to my development. Somewhat surprisingly, one of the things that have been a huge part of my personal development has been skiing. Here is why. I have always loved adventure.
Keeping feet on the ground
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that slips, trips and falls cost Britain £800 million annually, with the direct cost to employers at around £300 million. Falling victim to such accidents can increase the likelihood of workers developing serious injuries or debilitating longer-term health conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders – a leading contributor to disability worldwide.
Decision-Making Blueprints and New Year's Resolutions
By Simon Ash Image by author The Right Questions Newsletter: Four things for Friday Hope you have had a great week. Here are the four things I wanted to share with you this Friday. What I am writing about I have just completed a series of articles on Medium covering various aspects of...
Expo 2020 Dubai | exhibitions | middle east construction | five star audit
Running from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, it will bring together 191 nations and millions of visitors for a global celebration of human creativity, ingenuity and innovation. After winning the Sword of Honour, hot on the heels of receiving the British Safety Council’s Five Star Health and Safety Audit, Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer, speaks to us about health and safety on the project. Al Wasl Plaza at night.
return to office | coronavirus
On 23 March 2020, the UK implemented strict measures to safeguard the health of the population during the Covid-19 pandemic. While key workers kept on going out to work in hospitals and supermarkets, office workers across the country were hastily converting bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens into makeshift offices. Working at home took a few weeks to adapt to.
hyrbid working | flexible working | home working | Acas
Arguably, hybrid working helps with all these challenges. It allows for a more phased return to the workplace for many. It allows us to finally accept that people can be just as productive, if not more so, when working more flexibly. And hybrid working also shows, perhaps, that personal choice and job autonomy matter more than they once did.
coronavirus | hazards magazine | matthew holder | boris johnson | HSE
Safety Management speaks to chair of the Hazards Campaign, Janet Newsham, about its approach to the pandemic. “Do the government follow the science? No. They follow their political views and fit the science around it.” Janet leans forward to further push the point home. “They are prepared to put workers’ lives at risk.
Get masked up | British Safety Council
There are some checks that can be undertaken to avoid purchasing fake PPE, and some factors that should be considered when using face coverings to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Covid-19 pandemic led to a rapid surge in demand for certain items of personal protective equipment (PPE). This, alongside product shortages caused by the constriction of international supply and new PPE suppliers entering the market, meant that procuring the correct PPE became more complex.
A slave to fashion? Labour Behind the Label's campaign to reform the garment industry
Covid-19 should be a defining moment for protecting the UK’s garment workers. As Leicester went into the first local lockdown in June this year, the city’s garment industry was thrust into the spotlight. The furore followed a new report by Labour Behind the Label detailing worker accounts that factories in Boohoo’s supply chain failed to protect them during the Covid-19 UK lockdown.
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