Nigel is the best in the UK!
Captions: 1. Nigel Tarbin (right) is presented with a certificate by Dr Selwyn Hodge, Chairman of the Royal Society for Public Health, during an awards ceremony in London (Photo supplied courtesy of RSPH).
2. Nigel is pictured in Main Theatres, Colchester General Hospital, where he is based.
4 October 2011
A former City financial analyst who changed career to join the Health Service has won a national prize from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
Nigel Tarbin, who has worked at Colchester General Hospital since 2003, not only gained a distinction but also scored the highest mark in the UK when achieving the RSPH's Level 3 Award in Health and Safety for Supervisors in the Workplace.
Nigel, who is 39 and lives in Feering, was presented with a framed certificate and £150 during an awards ceremony at the RSPH's annual general meeting in Portland House, West London.
Employed as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP), he delivers high standards of individualised patient care and provides skilled support in the operating department and other critical care environments.
"Health and safety plays a significant part in NHS life, and theatres is an area where safety - both for staff and patients - is of paramount importance," he said.
"Since working for the Trust, I have always had an interest in patient safety and last year was promoted to Theatre Safety Lead.
"The role involves many aspects of health and safety, including manual handling, fire safety, writing risk assessments and investigating incidents that have occurred in the operating department.
"The qualification has provided me with the necessary knowledge to carry out my safety role more effectively."
Nigel previously worked as a financial analyst in the City for Reuters. After he was made redundant for a second time, he decided to change career and started to look for a job that would make a difference to people's lives and also one that was more secure than working in the City. He joined the NHS in 2003 as a healthcare assistant in the operating department at Colchester General Hospital.
He was persuaded to join the Health Service by his wife Daphne, who is an oncology nurse at Essex County Hospital. In addition, his sister is also a staff nurse and his brother-in-law is an emergency nurse practitioner in the A&E department at Eastbourne District General Hospital.
The Risk Management Department at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital, is a recognised training centre for the RSPH and delivered the Level 3 course over five intensive days.
Covering a huge range of health and safety issues, including The Heath and Safety at Work Act 1974, fire safety, noise at work, electricity regulations, the control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH), stress at work and machine guards, the course also involved many hours of preparation and reading, a two-hour exam and writing an assignment.
Mike McCarron, Trust Health and Safety Advisor, said: "This qualification prepares supervisors and managers with the appropriate health and safety knowledge to complete their duties in a safe manner and at all times in accordance with the law.
"The Risk Management Department has delivered 13 Level 3 courses over the past 10 years with over 100 supervisors and managers attending.
"However, this is by far the best result to date - so many congratulations to Nigel!"
* The Risk Management Department delivers professional health and safety in the workplace training throughout the public and private sectors.
For more information, contact Mike McCarron. Tel 01206 745291; email mike.mccarron@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
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