Why Rentokil
Health and Safety Expert
The expert’s opinion.
Dirk Van Roosbroeck has worked for Rentokil since 1979 and has already fulfilled a number of functions. In September 2004, he was appointed as Technical Manager in the Pest Control division. In June 2006, he was also put in charge of Safety, Health and Environment.
- The concern for the environment has become increasingly important over the years. What is our position here, in your opinion?
- What do you like most about your job?
- …and what is the biggest challenge?
- In which sector did you work at first: in Pest Control or Health & Safety?
- It must be a huge challenge to bring the importance of safety and health home to all employees, since it doesn’t often happen that all of them are together for long enough in order to communicate directly with them?
- What influence does the increasingly stricter and more detailed legislation have on your job? Does it make matters worse or is it actually making things easier?
The concern for the environment has become increasingly important over the years. What is our position here, in your opinion?
As far as the control of damage, contamination of foodstuffs and the spread of disease by pests are involved, the pest control industry has, for many years, contributed to environmental protection in the broadest sense of the word. The challenge for the future is to be able to develop ever more efficient methods and products which does not use irreplaceable materials, that doesn’t incur high energy costs and which can be recycled and re-used with a minimum of waste. At the same time, we must stimulate our employees to make their own, personal contribution towards better environmental conservation.
What do you like most about your job?
With both Prevention Advisor as well as Technical Manager, it is of the greatest importance to maintain excellent contacts with persons coming from very different disciplines: technicians and colleagues - obviously – but also suppliers, factory medical inspectors, government, competitors, colleague prevention consultants and obviously clients too. You often notice that identical problems are assessed in very different ways, depending on someone’s background and situation.
…and what is the biggest challenge?
The training to become a Prevention Advisor in Belgium is mostly theoretical training, with much attention to legislation and regulations, and in Belgium this implies European, Federal and Regional regulations. Translating this knowledge into a useful and efficient safety policy for both the company and I, remains an important assignment.
In which sector did you work at first: in Pest Control or Health & Safety?
Before I was appointed as Technical Manager, I was Service Manager in the Hygiene department for just under 10 years. In this function, I experienced the increased importance of Safety, Health and the Environment (H & SL) for both our technicians as well as our clients. H & SL has always been one of my biggest concerns, considering the possible negative impact on employees, clients and the environment. Enforcing a Prevention policy has since become much more than just the prevention of labour disabilities. We therefore speak increasingly about enforcing a ‘Welfare policy’.
It must be a huge challenge to bring the importance of safety and health home to all employees, since it doesn’t often happen that all of them are together for long enough in order to communicate directly with them?
This is only possible by spending enough attention on Safety, Health and Environment at the personnel recruiting stage already. Every new employee must follow a fixed training schedule, both internally as well as externally. With each of these studies, H & SL forms a fixed subject. I also allocate some time with every recruitment for a discussion with the new employee in which I specifically discuss the H & SL-demands set by us.The importance of H & SL is also emphasized for the rest of their career through the organisation of training sessions, toolbox meetings and also during meetings. Our H & SL** certification means H & SL is not just an obligation free subject for Rentokil. Luckily I can count on a team of service supervisors and managers who are in daily contact with the technicians. Then the implementation of the most recent PDA’s (pocket PC’s) are also on the planning list, which will considerably increase the possibilities for immediate communication.
What influence does the increasingly stricter and more detailed legislation have on your job? Does it make matters worse or is it actually making things easier?
It is indeed a fact that the expansion of the legislation, and more specifically the interpretation thereof, takes more time. In general, I feel that the observance of the law should not hamper taking on new initiatives, but that on the contrary, it should actually stimulate the productivity and earning capacity. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between on the one hand the legislation regarding safety and health which is rather ‘purposeful’ and on the other hand the environmental legislation which is far more standardised. This is then also the grounds why we should not consider them as separate elements, but that we should integrate them both in a global, efficient risk management programme which is easily understood by all our employees and that will be respected by everyone.
