Ben’s journey reflects his dedication to EHS and his unwavering commitment to making workplaces safer and more sustainable. His story serves as an inspiration to others in the field, demonstrating the profound impact one individual can have on the well-being of employees and the environment.
Introduction:
Meet Ben, a 43-year-old EHS professional from France, who is married with two daughters aged 12 and 15. After graduating in applied sciences, Ben pursued an engineering degree in Risk Prevention and Environment at the University of Grenoble in the French Alps. Despite having worked in EHS for 20 years, Ben continues to advance his education and is currently enrolled in an MIT Professional Training program on Sustainability Strategy and Opportunities for Industries.
Professional Journey:
Across his two-decade career, Ben has worked for the Grenoble city mayor and the French CEA (Atomic Research Center) before transitioning to the private sector. He has worked for a foundry company, an automotive company, and eventually entered the energy sector with companies such as AREVA, Alstom, and now GE Vernova. Throughout his career, Ben has consistently focused on high-voltage electricity transmission and distribution.
Current Role:
As the EHS & Sustainability Leader for GE Vernova Power Transmission business, Ben ensures high health and safety standards, regulatory compliance, and continuous performance for 8000 employees and 2000 contractors. His responsibilities include minimizing environmental impact and contributing to a safer and greener world.
Inspiration and Passion:
Ben's passion for EHS stems from his background as an engineer and his interest in management, standardization, strategy, and human resources. His love for people and technical challenges makes EHS a perfect fit. Ben values the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives and the environment, emphasizing that nothing is more important than ensuring everyone goes home safely.
Notable Achievements:
Ben has led several impactful projects, including:
*Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, non-flammable, inorganic gas with the chemical formula SF6.
Challenges and Solutions:
In addition to significant reductions in accidents, Ben continues to address ergonomic issues by standardizing risk assessments and adopting a Lean approach to reduce effort and time. Also, Ben is committed to achieving a zero CO2 footprint for all activities and suppliers by 2030, emphasizing the importance of sustainability for future generations.
Advice for Aspiring Professionals:
Ben advises aspiring EHS professionals to balance kindness and strictness, prioritize people, lead by example, and never neglect technical knowledge. He stresses the importance of pragmatism, innovation, and continuous improvement. Ben believes that EHS is about collective willingness to improve and that reliable EHS performance is crucial for customer trust and ethical standards.
Final Thoughts:
Ben emphasizes that "Safety First is not just a motto, it has to be real, shared and supported by every top leader, cross functionally.” He believes that everything starts from the top and requires a collective vision and dedication to safety.
“At the end of the day everything I can be proud of is based on lives I certainly contributed to save and an environment I contributed to preserve. There’s nothing worse for any manager or company in their life than having one day the duty to knock at a family’s door to explain dad/mum will not come back. This has no price, even if we are in a world driven by financial aspects. I’m here to ensure there will really never be a higher priority than EHS in my company.”