Lauren Hill

Said the following about Daron Flegg:

“Passionate about health, safety and wellbeing and believing he could make a difference, Daron Flegg proactivity secured unpaid work experience, self-funded studied and passed the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) Construction certificate, and swapped a career as an accountant and personal trainer for an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) advisor.

Joining Telent and the rail industry in 2021, Daron's calm self-assurance and ability to handle challenges sensitively has already made a significant impact on workforce behaviours, with the projects Telent support seeing a decrease in the number of accidents and improvements in close call reporting.

Daron has quickly established himself as a highly competent EHS advisor, capable of recognising and confident to challenge safety issues and to engage with delivery teams in a collaborative manner without confrontation or conflict.

Daron's natural inquisitiveness, confidence to contribute and ask questions – combined with his calm and measured approach and empathetic personality – was recognised across the business and he was appointed to the newly-created role of Mobile EHS Advisor.

Daron hit the ground running and despite working challenges presented by the Covid pandemic, carried out onsite inspections to maintain safety compliance, address safety issues, raise awareness of various initiatives (including healthy eating and exercise), and providing advice and guidance.

Inspecting an average of five Telent work sites a week, Daron engages up to 100 employees, the majority of whom are more senior and experienced in the rail sector. Responding to Daron's natural empathy and calm authority, onsite team engagement has also improved, leading to more open and honest conversations and enhancing employee safety behaviours.

A qualified first aider, Daron has completed the NEBOSH Working with Wellbeing qualification and, is a volunteer mental health first aid champion. Actively involved in developing safety and wellbeing campaigns, including a webinar attended by 130 Telent employees, Daron is known for promoting wellbeing during site visits.

Going above and beyond and as a talented communicator, Daron's commitment to site safety compliance extends not just to Telent delivery teams but to challenging any unsafe practices for the benefit of individuals and the railway.

For example, Daron identified a potential topple risk at a busy and high-profile railway station where a 30 feet high scaffold tower was not stabilised and individuals were climbing the outside to gain entry.

Despite the supplier being nothing to do with Telent, Daron challenged the work, calmly and clearly explained the potential dangers and safe working practices which should be employed and checked the team's knowledge to ensure the individuals involved realised and understood the unsafe practices and possible consequences. The station supervisor agreed with Daron so the work was replanned and restarted only when appropriate equipment - an elevated work platform - was put in place.

Daron's actions not only prevented the possibility of a prosecution, for lack of due diligence, of the other supplier but, more importantly, a potential accident leading to a serious injury or even fatality.

Using his head and heart, Daron is changing the perception of railway site safety personnel and encouraging individuals to think and act differently to help to make high safety standards 'business as usual' for all delivery teams.

"Daron has a natural ability and innate set of skills which make him an exceptional onsite EHS advisor. He has the same level of approach, proactivity and behaviours and conflict awareness I would expect from someone with 10 years' experience in safety and having undertaken extensive training. More than that, he has remarkable emotional intelligence and empathy.

At 6ft 2ins tall he is an imposing physical presence, but that's not what gains him respect. He has a way with people - he listens to them and they listen to him - and that's how he builds open and honest working relationships and achieves positive outcomes." - Adam Parker, Telent Head of Transport HSE“