David Black

Background

I am an experienced Health & Safety professional, with a wide range of skills and experience across a number of industries over more than thirty years. I have extensive experience in rail transport, and a range of companies within the FMCG and food manufacturing industries, including confectionery, food suppliers and provedoring and egg production.

My experience in rail transport encompasses more than twenty years, and covers operational environments, shunting yards, remote station operations and signal box operations. I also have more than seven years of experience in train operational planning, crew rostering, performance enhancement projects, fleet management and customer services in a national head office environment. I also have extensive exposure to customer specific industries, including forestry, shipping, steel, pulp and paper manufacturing, wine and dairy industries, and the operational logistics of these industries.

My food manufacturing experience includes working for a global confectionery manufacturer, a local produce and provedoring business, an export pip fruit company and - more recently, a national egg production company with multiple sites across New Zealand.

I have the skills and experience to work across any business, industry, or essential service provider, and develop Health and Safety systems, work in enhancing existing systems, or auditing systems against company, customer or regulatory standards.

My approach to health and safety project work is holistic and involves engagement with teams, Health and Safety committees and representatives, front line supervisors and managers at all levels of the client’s business.

I believe Health and Safety systems must be tailored to the client’s business, be relevant to their needs and add value to the scope of existing business, as well as considering future growth.

I also have more than seventeen years working with international NGOs supporting stateless and marginalised cultures, with a focus on children at risk of abduction into slavery and trafficking situations. I also work with international humanitarian aid delivery projects, which impact on communities who have been affected by natural disasters, or where economic development is required. These environments require a diverse approach to health and safety outside that which is typically applied in local environments.