Sharon van den Heever - All About Safety2016-10-18 Hesscon (Pty) Ltd based in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal is steadily becoming renowned for its commitment to occupational health and safety management in the workplace.
Hesscon offers three core services namely, health and safety consulting services, British Safety Council international training and various sector educational training authorities (SETAs) accredited training products that relate directly to their consulting services. They have also incorporated other training services for ISO, human resources, management, Microsoft software and wellness training to provide a more holistic training portfolio. The company founders, Sharon and Bryan van den Heever, both gave up successful jobs in the corporate world to follow their dream of running their own company. Bryan's experience in international safety best practice began with his exposure to Sappi Forestry safety requirements and continued with various safety positions within the Beekman Group. During this time, his curiosity in and passion for the safety industry grew and resulted in him undertaking a variety of different training courses, which have ensured that he has become an expert in the field. He is currently finalising his international Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health through the British Safety Council. Sharon's years of experience in accounting and the hospitality industry have translated into strong management and marketing skills, as well as a passion for the development of people. These strengths have led to her election as chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the Association for Skills Development South Africa and secretary of the Association's Board. Sharon is also an active member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she is the chairperson of the SMME forum and a chamber council member. Establishing Hesscon has not been without its difficulties and setbacks; being new entrepreneurs in the marketplace was a very challenging experience. The first two attempts at establishing the company were not successful but passion and resilience have prevailed. In 2014 Hesscon took on a new business partner and director, Kenneth Oloo, who has made a substantial contribution to the company's current growth. "Having a business partner has provided us with an outsider perspective, which has been very valuable to us as a family run business. Ken has been a great mentor and allowed us to grow the business; we have learnt so much from him," said Sharon. Hesscon, which started at the dining room table in the Van den Heever's home, has now grown to include an established office with 12 permanent staff members and 13 consulting staff members. The company also has branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit. "We are committed to formalising the health and safety industry in South Africa. Our aim is to instill a positive safety culture in the workplace as well as ensure full legislative compliance and thereby effectively ensuring the safety of all owners, staff, suppliers and customers," said Bryan. He added, "We aim to make health and safety practice work in each business in practical and inexpensive ways. It is important in any plan of action to be business orientated. I often say to clients why do you need a Rolls Royce plan when a Mini is required? However, one has to ensure that companies are up to date with the latest safety legislation. Current environmental risk, such as flooding or earthquakes, also needs to be considered as many companies are poorly prepared for such eventualities." "In addition, we are passionate about the training needs of our customers and strive to become a key resource in keeping our customers up to date on any matters relating to health and safety. One of our strengths is that we maintain contact with our clients and constantly monitor their needs," said Sharon. Hesscon are excited to offer the International Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health (ICertOsh) product for which they have secured the rights to train in South Africa. This qualification can be expanded through further study into the Diploma Qualification in Safety namely the IDipOsh. Bradley Hleibi, regional health and safety compliance manager, from the Aveng Group and Lloyd Gonde, field compliance coach from Shell and BP Sapref, recently attended a training course at Hesscon. They were both impressed with the international standard of the course as well the opportunity to gain knowledge through a practical and theoretical approach to learning. Hesscon intends to continue to lead the safety industry profession in accordance with best international practice as well as expand its client base to include more blue chip clients across Africa. "My dream is for Hesscon to become the authority on best practices and safety compliance in South Africa and to see our national adverts flighted on TV," said Sharon. Tel: 087 941 7180 E-mail: sharon@hesscon.co.za hesscon.co.za |
Sharon van den Heever - All About Safety
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