A Day in the Life: Hardik Jani, a Spotless Work Health & Safety Advisor
Hardik Jani, a Spotless Work Health & Safety Advisor, based on-site at Bendigo Hospital, Victoria, plays a key role in driving a safe culture by engaging, advising and mentoring the facility management team to mitigate risks and maintain efficient safety management systems.
06:30 My typical day starts with a quick shower, helping my wife and kids get ready for work/school, a quick cup of tea and breakfast and completing my morning prayer by lighting a Diya in the temple in our kitchen before I go to work. The prayer finishes with the Sanskrit sloka “सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन:। सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।” meaning: “May all become happy and healthy and free from illness.” Every day I drive to work only a five-minute drive — that’s the beauty of living in the country.
08:00 I start by checking emails, my calendar and responding to urgent messages. I review my ‘to-do list’, prioritising my work for the day to help me be productive, consistent and reduce stress levels.
08:30 I attend our daily operations meeting, where as a team we review the past 24 hours and plan for next 24 hours, including going over any incidents. This meeting is crucial, as we review any unforeseen problems in the team’s workflow. It allows us to think of strategies to prevent any potential issues, address any challenges and most importantly, share key learnings.
09:00–11:00 This time of the day is usually spent working around the safety management system and sometimes involves a Skype meeting or teleconference with the regional manager from head office and my other WHS colleagues around Victoria. We review any critical incidents, injuries and near misses logged in our injury reporting system (IRIM) and discuss ongoing continuous improvement projects to reduce risks. This meeting provides me with an opportunity to contribute to other regional businesses by sharing the knowledge and key learnings from my site.
11:30 I eat my lunch (and might also read the news or talk to my wife) in the shaded area outside the hospital, where I watch and observe the range of people visiting the hospital — people from every age and culture finding care at the hospital. This part of the day rejuvenates my energy for the rest of the afternoon and makes me feel proud of the contribution the hospital is making in people’s lives in regional Victoria.
12:00 Now it’s time to walk the halls and interact with staff. Safety leadership is all about being a transformational leader. I typically spend two to three hours connecting with the staff from the various departments — cleaners, security, gardeners, maintenance and porters. Being new in the hospital environment, this walk and talk not only helps me to understand their roles and work environment, but also their risk exposure to develop effective risk reduction strategies. I strongly believe that these interactions are important for giving employees a sense of accountability and ownership in their roles, driving positive behaviours and building self-esteem. In my interactions I often emphasise the important role they play in running this hospital.
14:00 It’s time to meet my external stakeholder Graham Olsen, OHS Director, Bendigo Health. I usually try catching up with him every second day to discuss and follow up on a range of topics including emergency preparedness, code grey scenarios, staff, progress on risk reduction plans or sharing new learnings.
15:00 I turn my attention back to doing some visual audits and inspections, safety cycle checks or safety communications with department managers, supervisors and employees. We normally plan these sessions; we may observe employee behaviours or work areas and check compliance of safety procedures and standards, or we might simply review the procedures and risk assessment documents for particular tasks in consultation with the employee doing the work to determine whether the documents are relevant and effective.
16:00–17:00 I jump back onto my emails and respond to urgent messages and phone calls. Now it’s also time to review or complete risk assessment forms or other work safety documents in our IRIM reporting system. I also like to review my to-do list to make sure I’ve completed all the important tasks and type out my to-do list for the next day — this wraps up my day at work.
17:30 Normally I pass the evening spending time with my two little wonders in the park or in our backyard playing cricket — or whatever activity they demand for the day!
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