Meet our new HSEQ Systems Manager, Emma Casey. With almost a decade of experience working in health and safety roles, Emma kickstarted her career working on hit reality TV series ‘The Block’ in Melbourne, Australia and has amassed diverse skills from working within the private and government sectors which she takes to ACS. 

We caught up with Emma about her time at ACS so far, her career to date and why she wanted to work with us. Take a look at her thoughts below. 

Hi Emma, could you tell us about your experience prior to ACS? 

Prior to working at ACS, I led a successful career working across various disciplines including Health and Safety, Training and Assessment and Fashion Buying leading teams, managing systems, and ensuring compliance with regulations and standards.  

My background working across other sectors has provided me with a dynamic and varied skillset which enable me to be an impactful and strategic health and safety manager today.  

In 2016, I completed a higher-level Certificate in Work, Health and Safety in Melbourne to expand my knowledge and skills, and from there my career in health and safety took off. My positive experience working in the construction sector as a Training Coordinator provided direction as to where I wanted to apply my skills and I pursued a career path working within the construction sector.   

I was successful in being offered a health and safety support role on Australia’s reality hit TV show ‘The Block’ and worked autonomously in the role initially.  I moved up to a safety construction manager position within a year where I managed a small team and continued to develop and implement systems to ensure compliance with legal requirements and create a culture of safety on site. 

Next, I moved into a corporate role working for the Department of Transport and Planning where I worked as a safety systems coordinator for multi-billion-dollar rail projects. This role provided an opportunity to work on construction projects from the client perspective with a key focus on system support rather than on-the -ground support like roles I upheld earlier in my career.  

In 2021, I relocated to my native hometown in the West of Ireland from Australia after nine years abroad, to provide care for a relative. During this time, I used the opportunity to multitask and furthered my education while caregiving, successfully completing distinction in Construction Technology and a first-class honours award in a Professional Diploma in Health and Safety at Postgraduate level from the University of Limerick. 

My career in the UK began in 2022 when I accepted a Health and Safety Advisor role working within the private sector, providing an opportunity to apply my skills in new ways and gain insight to processes and standards working in the UK.   

Why did you decide to move to ACS?  

The role at ACS better suits my skillset and experience while providing the opportunity to get out on site more, engage with the frontline workers on a more regular basis with the aim to influence and make significant change. It also provides an opportunity to transfer the knowledge from my recent educational achievements to practice. I am excited.   

How have you found your time at ACS so far?  

The culture at ACS is second to none, I feel very at home working in such a welcoming environment with a team of talented and dynamic staff. 

What are you most looking forward to at ACS?  

Building rapport with the wider workforce. Gaining an insight into the days and lives of our workers while tapping into their expertise to improve our systems and ways of thinking. 

Enhancing our safety culture, in leading by example and incorporating principles from Safety Physiological experts. 

What do you like doing outside of work?  

In my personal life, my great passion is music. While other people enjoy reading a book or playing sport, there is nothing I like more than finding a good album or new artist, catching a gig, or going to a festival. Some personal choices at the moment is New Order, Ian Brown or Roisin Murphy.   

With an Honours Degree in Fine Art and a Postgraduate in Fashion Buying and Management, I thoroughly enjoy fashion and creativity and often use my time outside of work going to markets, events, and art exhibitions.   

I am family oriented and try to see my family back home in Ireland and in Australia as much as possible, and I love to travel when I get the time.  

Being a relatively new local to Manchester, I am always on the lookout for new experiences and places to go – always happy to take recommendations on board!