Spotlight on CSSE Members
Brenda Madley
Edmonton Chapter CSSE member Brenda Madley is a busy mom of three, and an even busier health and safety professional.
Brenda’s career in health and safety began in 1999, when her boss at the construction company she was working at arranged for her to take NCSO (National Construction Safety Officer) courses, which are run by the Alberta Construction Safety Association. Taking these courses was life-changing: she went on to earn her CSO (Construction Safety Officer) designation in 2003, then attended the University of Alberta, earning a Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety in 2009. As well, in 2006, she received her CRSP (Canadian Registered Safety Professional) certification.
Brenda notes that “I believe certification is important to demonstrate your expertise and your skills as a subject matter expert. I think it shows a commitment to meeting a standard and to continued learning.”
Currently, Brenda is the Director of HSE (health, safety, and the environment) for the Forbes Group of Companies, where she is responsible for the company’s risk management activities for their operations in Canada and the United States.
Working in health and safety in the construction industry was a revelation for Brenda. “The projects you build are visible and you can see tangible, physical results daily. And I really like the human factors and the psychology part of safety management: How do you get people to do what you need them to do? How do you persuade people to spend time, money, and effort on the initiatives you think are valuable? It was the combination of these two things that really make me enjoy working in health and safety.”
The chance to make a real difference in people’s on-the-ground, everyday working lives is also important to her. “I know that I’ve made a difference in my work. I have been able to demonstrate to my organization where we need to improve in order to achieve organizational excellence. I have been able to persuade leaders that resources applied in specific areas will deliver an ROI [return on investment]. I have seen improvements in our incident frequency and incident severity; this means that fewer workers were injured, with reduced opportunities for incidents and injuries.”
Brenda is grateful for the professional opportunities she’s had. “Being allowed to experiment and test, fail, adapt, and persevere has given me a lot of confidence in my skills and abilities. This experience has helped me hone what I think is my greatest strength: an ability to provide direction and guidance for the planning, implementation, and operation of loss control and risk management systems.”
The CSSE has also been an important part of Brenda’s professional journey. “For me, the CSSE has provided an opportunity to develop a network of professionals I rely on to help me do my work better. I have people from the CSSE who have mentored me, supported me, and referred me to opportunities. I consider many of them friends.”
Brenda sees a rosy future for the health and safety profession in Canada. “The traditional view of health and safety has been hazard management and compliance to legislation. However, I see this profession expanding into all areas of risk management: insurance, subcontractor management, legal defense/due diligence, risk financing are just a few examples. I also think psychology and human behavior management are becoming part of the profession. And I think the CSSE has an opportunity to collaborate with thought leaders in the fields that overlap on our profession to inform our members through articles, courses, or workshops.”