President’s Column

KELVIN WILLIAMS

NEW BOHS PRESIDENT

I bought a book on “How to Build a Time Machine” by the physicist Paul Davies.

History suggests I won’t get around to it or, possibly, I’ll fail to get the thing into reverse. Tinkering with time is an idea that’s been brooding in our psyche at least since civilisation emerged.

It crops up in all sorts of religious thought, art and philosophy; particularly as it applies to regret, redemption and a second chance.

Recent popular works include “The First 15 Lives of Harry August”, a great yarn about a chap who continually lives his life over but each time retains the memory and learning of previous lives. Nietzsche played with the idea as a thought experiment.

The film Groundhog Day covered the same territory and I would try and encourage my kids with this after some domestic mishap. Once I’d swept up the glass, put out the fire and extracted the snake from the duck-tape I’d remind the kids that they get to have another go at life tomorrow - while the trauma of immediate events was still sharp in their minds.

We’re entering the second wave of the pandemic and fresh national lockdowns. If I could have my time again there are many things I would like to do differently during the first wave. I’m also suffering a low burn anxiety that if I’m not careful I’ll end up making the same mistakes during the second wave.

However, things are different now. The initial shock of global pestilence and economic turmoil has passed. We have better knowledge of the virus, improved treatments for Covid 19 and the prospect of a vaccine in the near future. We have infrastructure and process to deal with the situation, sort of. Workplaces are settling into the new normal.

There is comfort in this, but also a risk. A trait of the human condition is to become normalised to where we are at - settling for a job well done so far, but nevertheless half done (DIYers the world over can relate). While the BOHS community has cause for satisfaction, we should be careful to maintain perspective. We can rightly take satisfaction in what has been achieved, but how much more satisfaction will we gain from effectively leveraging our enhanced influence - all to the benefit of worker health protection and our profession for years to come. The target is healthy recovery of the preventive agenda across the board. However, as we all know, a target is easier set than met.

Back in March we urged volunteers to ponder the year ahead and look at the volunteer opportunities that are regularly posted on the BOHS website and elsewhere. We are very grateful for all those who stepped up to the plate to contribute to Covid working groups, prepare Exposure magazine articles, organise webinars, represent BOHS on various stakeholder committees or otherwise been in touch to work on ideas and materials to the benefit of the broader membership. Not to mention all the contributors to OH2020. Thank you all!

It remains that the coming year is going to be a crucial time for the progression of the Society and that it will take active members volunteering to help make the most of the opportunities and drive the profession forward.

From a professional point of view, if you had a second chance at the past several months, or maybe years, what would you do? If your answer includes anything to do with any sort of volunteer role with BOHS then please drop us a line. They say the toughest distance in running is from the couch to your trainers. There is a counter argument, but you get the idea. Once you get going with something, you wonder why you ever hesitated.

We’re entering the second wave of the pandemic and fresh national lockdowns. If I could have my time again there are many things I would like to do differently during the first wave.