"Every day is about keeping people safe and ensuring they go home at the end of the day," says Jo Braithwaite, Health and Safety Advisor at UGL.
Jo’s journey with UGL began three years ago and has seen her work across multiple sites in the power industry, leading safety initiatives during crucial planned outages. Outages are scheduled interruptions of power supply, typically for maintenance, upgrades, or repairs. Her role involves being at the forefront of health and safety, ensuring smooth operations and building strong relationships with teams onsite.
"Outages are short but intense periods, requiring everything to be in place," Jo explains. From document control and client approvals to hands-on safety support, her role is pivotal in keeping operations running safely and efficiently. She ensures that procedures are followed, teams are supported, and every worker feels confident in their safety onsite.
Beyond safety protocols, Jo’s role extends to injury management. "When someone gets hurt, it’s not just about the physical recovery,” she says. “It’s about ensuring they are mentally ready to return to work too." Her approach is rooted in providing guidance, support, and practical advice, helping employees navigate their recovery process.
Jo credits much of her professional development to the leadership at UGL. "My manager is an incredible mentor who constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone to help me grow," she says.
For Jo, health and safety extends beyond physical wellbeing. "Mental health and social wellbeing are key focuses onsite," she says. A recent project saw her championing Wear It Purple Day, an initiative that supports LGBTQIA+ youth. "We encouraged the team to wear purple, spark conversations, and come together for morning tea. It was a great way to bring people together."
At UGL, diversity and social inclusion encompasses various backgrounds, cultures, values, skills, and experiences, fostering excellence and uniqueness within our organisation. We strive to create a fair, inclusive, and transparent workplace where every employee feels like they belong, and has opportunities for success and growth.
When she’s not ensuring the safety of her colleagues, Jo enjoys fishing and traveling the world. "I just got back from South Africa, and I’m heading to Ireland and Paris in July!" she shares enthusiastically.
Jo sees endless opportunities at UGL. "The best part of working here is the ability to grow,” she says. “Expanding my skills, meeting new teams, and gaining knowledge across different sectors will drive my growth and open new opportunities. It’s an incredible team, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else."
