Page 24 - W M Donald Newsletter - Edition Twelve

Craig Hunter HSEQ Manager
I consider myself fortunate because I love my job. Whilst it is not as finacially rewarding as some professions, being a HSEQ Manager gives me a feeling of satisfaction knowing that what I do prevents people getting harmed. It is not a career that I planned, far from it, and I sometime wonder how I got here!
School wasn’t for me, and I left as soon as I could and went to sea as a fisherman. This also involved me going to college in Stornoway where I realised that education was fun if you enjoyed the subject. Being a fisherman is a tough way to make a living but for me, it was in my blood. Even now I sometimes miss the freedom of being at sea but getting married and starting a family isn’t suited to that lifestyle and a change was required.
So, I started working as a summer seasonal Lock Keeper on the Caledonian Canal and worked with civil engineering companies through the winter months as a labourer/skilled worker. I honestly preferred the civils, but the canal offered me a full-time position where I would continue my education and I completed my HNC/HND in Management and an NVQ3 in Occupational Health & Safety. Life on the canals took me into Supervisory roles across the UK and involved a couple of moves for the family, firstly into Wiltshire and then on to Gloucestershire which is where I got into Health and Safety.
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