Would a personal story help keep your people safe?
More of an impact in 40 minutes than I've had in 4 years!
Louise tells Michael’s Story because he isn’t here to tell it himself. It’s an engaging and emotive tale, which appeals to the head and heart in equal measure.
Louise talks through the failings in health and safety leadership, culture, processes and practices which resulted in her wee brother’s death. And leaves attendees in no doubt about the impact this has had on her and Michael’s family and friends.
The aim is to stop this from happening to you or your colleagues. Louise wants to stop any other family from ever having to walk in her family’s shoes.
Tell me more about Michael's Story...
This is a powerful and hard hitting 40 minute presentation which will be long-remembered by you and your colleagues.
– Michael’s death was the result of an electrical incident. But there are lessons to be learned across multiple industries and sectors. Because, by the end, this is a story which prompts the audience to be asking themselves questions like these (among others!):
- Is there the right training and level of competence among operatives, supervisors, managers and directors?
- Are we sure we keep our risk assessments live?
- Do operatives have access to the correct equipment to do their jobs safely?
- Is there confidence to say no if it’s felt something is unsafe?
- Are our safety leaders effective at what they do?
- Have unsafe “cheeky wee shortcuts” crept into our working practices?
- Is there an “accident waiting to happen” here?
– Listening to Louise talk through the night of her brother’s death, your attention will be captive from when she starts to describe getting the call from her mum and dad to say Michael had been in an accident. And it will remain so until the point where the “invisible man” is found guilty of the health and safety failings which resulted in Michael’s death.
– This is more than a tragic story. It’s absolutely one which lessons can be learned from. Because Louise carefully dissects the failures that accumulated to result in her wee brother’s death.
– It is never just one thing that goes wrong and leads to a fatality. Multiple failures accumulate.
– You and your colleagues will leave a Michael’s Story session with a renewed commitment to stopping failures from occurring, by taking action to keep yourself, and one another, safe from harm.
Who is Louise and why will she have a positive impact on your colleagues?
A lawyer in a past life, Louise now dedicates her time to ensuring no family has to face the pain and heartache her own has endured. Her wee brother, Michael, died in an electrical incident at the age of only 26. She shares the painful details to workplaces around the world to ensure loved ones go home safe to their families.
She hates being referred to as a motivational speaker. But she’ll just have to get used to it, because that is exactly what she is. She will motivate your workforce to ever greater levels of safety leadership and care.
Louise has built an enviable reputation in the industry. She is a current NEBOSH Ambassador, received the REHIS Meritorious Endeavours in Environmental Health Award for 2019 and was voted SHP’s most influential person in Health and Safety in 2018.
Some ideas for when Michael's Story could be used...
SAFETY STANDDOWNS
Holding a safety standdown can be a potent way to refocus minds. You might choose to hold one as staff come back to work from furlough, after the lengthy summer holiday period, or else after the winter break, particularly so if there has been an enforced closure over the Christmas and New Year period. There are also standdowns held after a serious incident, or after a run of near misses. And it’s particularly important to get the tone of these right. That it’s not about blame. It’s about future prevention.
BOARD OR DIRECTOR BRIEFINGS
“Strong and active leadership from the top: visible, active commitment from the board;” is the very first “essential principle” set out in the joint Institute of Directors and Health and Safety Executive publication “Leading Health and Safety at Work”. While a legal briefing on latest sentencing guidelines will push many a director’s buttons, combining this with a real-life story will push those buttons even harder. On having spent the day with a company’s Group Executive Council in Cologne, the Chairman brought Louise to tears at the session’s end, leaving her with the words “We are fighting for you” ringing in her ears.
AHEAD OF A CRITICAL PROJECT STAGE
The opportunity may be taken at the very outset of a project to get all those involved together for a pre-start meeting, particularly where a number of sub-contractors are being used. As it’s been described to us, this might be part of a “relentless drive to instil a total safety culture in the team as it develops in advance of construction start.” Use of a personal story helps bring to life the importance of the expectations that are being set. Alternatively, it may be that a particular stage is reached in a project where it’s felt there’s a need to take a bit of time out and issue a reminder about the hazard that is about to be introduced. Understandably, Louise is approached most often at the “critical stage of “power on””.
We know what you’re thinking...
...due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we can't have Louise on site just now.
We totally get it. But, we have a solution…!
On-Screen delivery: our answer to calls for virtual presentations.
Louise is On-Screen with her presentation, rather than using a screen share, creating a more impactful delivery.
Engaging in a meaningful way with your people is perhaps more important now than ever before, particularly when it’s about keeping you, them and others SAFE.
We worried that on-screen delivery couldn’t be as powerful as face-to-face presenting. Seems we were wrong.
- “Brilliant. I have seen Louise’s presentation before, but it is just as powerful.”
- “Excellent and articulate…Louise was absolutely brilliant and I was woke back up to the health and safety parameters we need to keep in focus”
- “Perfect…A very powerful and hard hitting webinar.”
- “One of the best presentations by a speaker I have experienced in a long time…Thank you Louise for sharing Michael’s story, please keep doing these presentations you are sending a very powerful message.”
- “I’ve not seen anyone present like that (standing in front of a screen) in an online event, but it is really effective.”
The COVID pandemic has been challenging and “virtual” style of communication has suddenly become the new norm, providing a lifeline for workforce, contractor and supply chain engagement.
Ensuring the messaging within Michael’s Story continues to engage and strike a chord with those attending remains of paramount importance.
Having Louise presenting in front of a screen – as IF she was in the room – has been a central focus…so the impact of a preventable work related death is not diluted by “just” looking at a PowerPoint slide
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Whether delivery is On-Screen or In-Person, you will get:
- Pre-presentation discussion(s) to clarify messaging.
- 40 minute presentation (up to twice in one day).
- Question and answer session after each presentation.
- Pre-recorded motivational safety videos for future use.
- Toolbox talk printable to continue the safety discussions.
THE IMPACT OF MICHAEL'S STORY
Whenever a company asks me to bring in a guest speaker who will have an immediate impact, I
always think Louise and Michael’s story. Without doubt Louise - in telling Michael’s story -
has saved countless lives, even if the people she has saved don’t know it! I’ve never heard a room
dominated by males in a very macho environment being so quiet and so still, some with tears in
their eyes whilst she tells Michael’s story.....Keep doing what you’re doing Louise, it’s been a
pleasure to witness your work, passion and emotion. You have and are definitely making a
difference and breaking down barriers so we can all go to work and come home safe.
"Louise you share Michael's story so professionally it's an absolute credit to you. Michael would be so proud of your passion to make a difference to prevent other workers and families going through the same. You touched the hearts and minds today of 50 health and safety professionals who will be able to apply the lessons learned in their own workplace. I promise you every day I do what I can to make a difference- and on a day when it's tough and I really have to stand my ground on decision, in my mind I ask myself "would a decision like this have made a difference for Michael."
"If you haven't heard the story Louise tells yet, you have missed out. "Michael's Story" left a huge audience in our work so emotionally involved, you could have heard a pin drop. From another speaker like myself who, over the years, has tried to be engaging in various ways, I was in awe. She puts her heart on the line, having to re-live what happened to her "wee" brother, but she does it to make a difference. I would advise any workplace thinking of a safety standdown day to get Louise involved. Let your leadership teams hear the message and for the workforce to understand the importance of going home safe and looking out for one another."
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FAQ
Questions You Might Have
Yes. Like most people sadly we cannot offer many of our services at present.
We have, however, launched new online services to ensure this important message can still be delivered.
Michael’s Story, aswell as our Safety: The How and Why offering, can be delivered live via Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other platforms, to your entire workforce.
We will ask to see your COVID-19 risk assessment for in-person delivery requests. And also if there is an intention to bring a group of people together to watch an on-screen delivery.
Normally the answer would be a resounding “Yes!” Louise has spent a lot of time in airports, train stations and hire car booths, while travelling around the UK, extensively in Europe and even spending a week in Australia in 2019.
But, times are not normal! So, we will do what we can within current COVID-19 travel restrictions. And have our online offerings available where travel is not possible.
Believe us when we say the tech was a worry for us too at the start. But, we’ve cracked it.
We have an ethernet connection to an M350 Fibre Broadband connection, a HD webcam, a Blue Yeti podcast mic, and lighting that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame.
Before finalising any booking, we would run through a tech test (more than one if needs be), to ensure all will run smoothly on the day.
You’ll appreciate that it can be quite emotionally draining, so the maximum number of presentations Louise delivers in a day is 2, with a decent break between them.
Where in-person presentations are to be booked, she can also stay for more than one day where further presentations are required (again…COVID restrictions permitting)
Of course. We have previously operated Framework Agreements with other organisations, which have included, for example, a certain number of sessions of Michael’s Story, Mock Trial Workshops, Safety Walkrounds, and involvment in an Electrical Safety Working Group.
If you feel that Michael’s Story could support your organisation’s safety journey, please get in touch. Andy is likely to have been where you are at some point over his career, and is more than happy to help give advice on achieving the best structure for your intended purpose.
For in-person delivery, the optimal numbers are usually between 50 and 150. But, with physical distancing to take into account, that is likely to be reduced substantially.
Louise has delivered to anything between 3 and 900 people at a time in the past.
For on-screen delivery, you will want to consider the capacity of your IT systems, particularly if people are accessing on-site.
PRICING
On-Screen Delivery
- Anywhere in the World
- Day Rate
£1250
+ VAT (where applicable)
In-Person Delivery
- Within the UK currently
- Day Rate
£1750
+ TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION
+ VAT
+ VAT