As the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Systems & Training Manager for AECOM, Elaine supports Europe, Middle East, India and Africa Region, identifying training needs, implementing training programmes and rolling out SHE management systems, reporting and procedures.

“From a SHE perspective, I touch all aspects - from supporting AECOM’s companywide SHE strategy on a corporate level to advising the Regional SHE Managers and their site teams.” This requires a balance of technical knowledge coupled with strong communication skills, to be able to skilfully tackle the range of perspectives from construction workers to corporate colleagues. “I have always kept in mind the main reason why my role exists. It’s for the people, their family and friends - to keep their loved ones healthy and safe at work.”

Elaine who is multilingual, works in AECOM’s Madrid office. Having completed a degree in Environmental and Computing Science at the University of Stirling, Elaine commenced her career in an Environmental and Sustainability role for the project and construction company, Bovis Lend Lease. “My work was becoming very health and safety focused so I decided to specialise in H&S through a Master’s degree in Spain.”

Elaine then moved to AECOM. Elaine finds her role incredibly rewarding, and her 15 years of experience identifying good practice contributes significantly to the wellbeing of the workers on project teams. “In my years of experience I have seen how a robust SHE process can enhance project performance and reduce the risk of injury. Over the years I have witnessed how effective training programmes, strong communication and a robust process can make a huge difference. It’s incredibly rewarding to see all these elements of a project work together and produce a positive outcome.”

Although construction can be perceived as a male dominated sector, there are increasing numbers of women working within Health and Safety, and an impressive number of female SHE professionals are moving to AECOM. “AECOM is incredibly supportive and provides you with some excellent career development opportunities,” explains Elaine. “As an employer, AECOM has recently invested in ‘AECOM University’ - a fantastic tool which enables staff members to identify any areas for development, provides online training schemes and recommends training packages which are on offer across the business.”

Elaine sees herself as a people-focused person. She's passionate about her role and she's an excellent champion of health and safety at AECOM.

If you’d like to grow your SHE career and work alongside talented professionals like Elaine, research some of the various SHE roles open at AECOM.

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