About – Behavioural Safety Mentors

About us

Behavioural Safety Mentors is a business that aims to build long term relationships with organisations that care about their people.

There is no silver bullet for reducing injuries at work - safety cultures are established over time, and an effective safety strategy must recognise this and be integrated into the overall business strategy.

Mike O’Hara has devoted his career to working with leadership teams to maintain legal compliance, raise safety standards and reduce the potential for injuries at work. Behavioural Safety Mentors Ltd builds on this experience to provide the challenge, the answers and long term mentoring to businesses that care about their people. All our consultants are IOSH accredited safety professionals, with extensive experience in safety systems and processes as well as behavioural safety.

Mike initially qualified as a food safety and health & safety enforcement officer, but decided that enforcing legislation was never going to achieve his personal goal of working with business leaders to protect people from injuries and fatalities. A variety of senior roles with Scottish & Newcastle, Michelin, ATS Euromaster and Travis Perkins have provided a wealth of operational experience across several differing business sectors, integrating safety strategies to fit the specific requirements of each business. Mike has a degree in Environmental Health, a Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health and is a Chartered member of IOSH.

mike

IOSH capture

HSE

Paul Tallentire

CEO Travis Perkins General Merchant Division

"Mike is an inspiring safety professional who has that rare ability to operate at all levels in an organisation. He is extremely successful in challenging behaviours around the board table and facilitating a clear safety vision and strategy, but is equally able to relate to the reality of store, sales and warehouse operations."

John Frost

Managing Director - City Plumbing Supplies

"Mike worked closely with Directors and branch colleagues to realise a step change in both safety culture and measurable performance over a 5 year period. During this time we more than halved our frequency and severity rates across the business. In addition, colleague engagement in our safety culture was measured at 95%."