Heron Corn Mill
When I was brought in to work on historic Heron Corn Mill in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, my remit covered just a small element of health and safety in one phase of their restoration process.
However, based on the range of advice I brought to the task, the trustees asked me to manage the project, as well as further health and safety work on site. This led to the development and implementation of a £1.2m Heritage Lottery project, work that encompassed liaising with the local community, education providers, North of England Civic Trust and other nationally recognised conservation organisations.
During construction, I was on site on a weekly basis, talking with the workers and assessing progress. I very much appreciated a comment from the contractor that I earned the respect of all those working on the project.
Millwright Martin Watts – who was repairing the mill and its machinery – said: “James is not like other health and safety people. He is sensible, listens to what we say and understands what we need to do at the site.”
Recently I carried out fire and workplace risk assessments at the fully operational attraction, recommended an update to health and safety policies and gave a presentation of findings. Training sessions for staff and volunteers were given.
