Looking for a career change? Height safety might be your answer

A new year usually brings with it the motivation to set new goals or make big life changes, such as a change in career. Whether you want to move up the career ladder or switch to a completely different industry, it’s important to align yourself with a company that lives by shared values, in a space that is brimming with opportunities to grow and learn.

Why work in height safety?

A career in height safety is extremely rewarding. Working at heights is a very high-risk undertaking and falls from heights is a leading cause of death and injury in Australian workplaces. “Being part of a team that strives to improve the safety of workplaces to save lives brings with it an incredible sense of purpose,” says Barry Johnson, CEO of RISSafety.

“We live and breathe what we do here at RISsafety. Not only do we work hard to ensure safety at heights, but we strive to maintain a safe workplace for our national team, be it through encouragement of open dialogue in the workplace to initiatives that give our individual employees a chance to be heard and contribute to the growth and success of our company.”

Are you considering a career in height safety? Here are a few reasons why our staff choose to work with us.

Be part of a driven team

As the saying goes – if you want to go far, go together. Our success comes down to our ability to work collaboratively, with staff who are all motivated by a common purpose. Says NSW/ACT project administrator, Rachel Baldacchino: “What I love most about RISSafety is that all our staff are dedicated, and they consult with clients from the design stage right through to installation and handover on each project. Working with such a dedicated team is really motivating.”

Make a real difference

For FNQ branch manager, Ben Bennett, being able to enact positive change to improve workplaces across Australia is the best part of the job – especially when we’re able to see first-hand the result of our work.

“As a result of witnessing not only first-hand, but [also] other incidents, I became very passionate about how safety was implemented in the workplace,” he explains. “When the opportunity arose to be part of a company that designs, manufactures and installs products and services that not only save people’s lives but potentially change how the height safety industry operated – it was a no brainer to join the team.”

Be challenged to succeed

We pride ourselves on being able to deliver innovative and carefully considered height safety solutions to clients across Australia. To offer a best-in-class service, we must continue to build on our knowledge and expertise with ongoing training and professional development.

We have developed our own training academy (RISconnect) with RIS developed content and assessments for system design, installation and inspections. We also partner with ELMO for our more general workplace training requirements. Our people are required to complete regular training and assessments in the areas relevant to their roles, e.g. Workplace bullying, Forklift safety, product installation and inspections and knowledge of the Australian Standards, just to name a few examples. It is also important that we provide our employees with opportunities to progress within the business – after all, our people are our best assets.

“I began as purchasing assistant in October of 2010, working part time during school hours,” says Joanne Bourke, now purchasing supervisor for RISSafety. “In February 2019 I changed to full-time and my title changed to Operations Coordinator as managers noticed that I was branching into areas beyond that of solely purchasing. I attained my Certificate IV in Purchasing in mid-2020 through TAFE online and in December 2020 I moved into the role of senior purchasing officer.

“With just over 10 years’ worth of product and industry knowledge, along with having already built a great rapport with many of our suppliers, this transition was seamless. I’m proud to be a part of the RIS family.”

Work flexibly

These days a flexible schedule is more important than ever . When it comes to workflows, we understand that one size doesn’t fit all. Many of our staff have commitments outside of work – be it children, hobbies, or volunteering. Being able to offer a flexible schedule to our team makes planning for outside tasks easier and grants them more trust and autonomy to work in a way that is most productive for them, without compromising on project deadlines. Says Alice Morgan, national project manager: “RIS has always been extremely supportive of my aspirations in life, from maternity leave right through to encouraging me to grow, learn and develop professionally.”

Be heard

Every member of staff at RISSafety has a right to voice opinions on day-to-day operations, staff needs, resources and more. No matter what your position at our company, know that your view is valued and our open-door policy ensures that you can come forward with questions or feedback at any time. “We are only as strong as the team we have, and everyone must feel valued and empowered to suggest ways we can better set ourselves up for success,” says Barry. “Because of this open-door approach, we are always able to improve our internal operations, processes,  and our service to our customers, and maintain both at very high standards.”

Want to learn more about working life at RISSafety? Check out our team profiles here and browse our latest job listings to find a role that is right for you.