IOSH magazine speaks to Macauley Quinn, son of IOSH past president Jimmy Quinn, about how his elite rugby background is informing his own approach to health and safety.
'Anybody who knows my dad will know that he has one or two words to say about most things, and especially health and safety!' Macauley Quinn AIOSH laughs.
'He’s a great guy and he’s been a fantastic mentor for me, whether it was when I was coming through the age groups for rugby when he’d be my go-to for advice, or now as I’ve transitioned into the world of work. I figured, he’s still got his head screwed on right, so I’ve listened to him.'
As the son of IOSH’s immediate past president, Macauley has picked up some key traits that will help him in a health and safety career. But he is also well-placed to bring his own unique outlook and experience.
'I studied sports and exercise science and coaching. I’ve always had a sporting background, I love sport. But I’ve also always been involved in construction since my teenage years, working as a basic labourer in the summer months, and I’ve learnt from the grass-roots level the idea of health and safety and what it meant,' Macauley says.
'The construction jobs carried on as I progressed through university and I came to a point where I thought, what should I do afterwards? I looked to the old man as I thought he had made a real success of his career. We had a couple of good chats and he said he thought that, through my sporting experiences, I had the soft skills that would be really transferrable to health and safety.
'I decided to give it a go, and I’ve loved it. I love the social side of it. I love the problem solving. And I love helping to create a culture of health and safety that is seen as something really beneficial, not something obstructive. That is the aim. I’ve tried to bring my own character to it and a bit of humour to make things engaging. For me, it has felt like a really natural sector to enter into.'
Try, try and try again
That sports experience of which Macauley talks isn’t any run-of-the-mill teenage kickabout: from the age of 14 he has been involved with some of Britain’s most elite rugby institutions. Having been picked to represent his county, he was selected for Bath Rugby’s Academy and then received a full sports scholarship to Bryanston School. In his later teenage years, he was involved with the Scotland under-18s team and played for Scottish Exiles, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, as well as being part of an undefeated St Mary’s University team.
'Growing up being involved in those elite set-ups has been invaluable,' Macauley says. 'Having a team sports background has been really huge when it comes to my approach to health and safety. When you’re involved in certain set-ups – and I’ve been very, very fortunate to have been involved in some amazing rugby set-ups and organisations – you learn the core values of teamwork, communication, and how to draw all that out of people.
'At university, I learnt how to approach people, how to be an effective coach, how to engage with people on different levels holistically, and how to improve the whole person. That’s the whole idea – when you’re playing team sports you have a common goal, you are all driving towards it. I think that experience has been crucial when coming into a professional environment.”
Fun and Games
Macauley’s sports interest also led to his first great professional challenge: being a health a safety advisor on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
'It was a bit of a baptism of fire in a way, to come into an organisation of such a massive event, the biggest sporting event we’ve had since London 2012. But I thought it was a great way to challenge myself,' Macauley says.
'That’s what I loved about it – you never know how you are going to react until you are put into those situations but the feedback I’ve had from my colleagues has been fantastic and I feel like I did the role justice. I loved every minute of the Games. I got to meet lots of different people, from different walks of life and different cultures. It was amazing.'
When we spoke, Macauley was still working as part of the team that will pass the Commonwealth Games baton to Victoria for the 2026 event.
'The idea is to transfer knowledge onto the people involved in the next Games. We have worked together towards the end of the event, looking at the good parts and the bad parts, and what to improve on,' Macauley says.
'It makes a lot of sense. What I have realised is that there is a real culture that gets built at these events. There are so many different cogs, so many people working together, but it all comes together and is over so quickly that it’s only when you’re really involved in the Games that you appreciate the difficulties.'
Back of the net
For Macauley, though, there are other personal milestones and experiences to enjoy, such as following dad’s footsteps with a growing involvement in IOSH. He’s already on the Executive Committee of IOSH’s south-west branch.
'I’ve been surrounded by some amazing people at the Commonwealth Games. Some are now close friends and mentors, and they’ve all gone through the IOSH route and they can’t speak highly enough of it,' Macauley says.
'I think IOSH is an amazing platform. The institution itself is something that I think every health and safety professional should really look towards. I think the networking aspect is invaluable, but also the professional development side. I’m working towards getting GradIOSH now and then hopefully towards becoming a Chartered member.
'I’m also currently doing my level 6 diploma in occupational health and safety. I want to really push myself as far as I can go in that aspect of health and safety. I think it’s really important to keep learning. I realise I’m still at the very beginning of my career and it’s important to build on everything that I experience. As much as it is possible to learn on the job, I think it’s just as important to have the technical knowledge behind me as well.'
And when it comes to learning on the job, there’s an exciting development in the immediate future: Macauley will soon start as a health and safety advisor at Chelsea Football Club.
'I’m very fortunate; it’s an amazing organisation. I was looking at what I should do for my next adventure after the Commonwealth Games. I realised I really liked the events sector and I’ve always loved sport, and the opportunity came up, so I thought, why not? Let’s seize it. I can’t wait,' Macauley says.
'I started in construction, but I have found the change to events so exciting. Although health and safety is a big sector in itself, it’s essentially an umbrella – there are so many different parts to it, so many things that sit beneath it. So it’s really exciting to be in a position where I can start to explore it all.'
Rugby head injuries: the health and safety view
As a health and safety professional and a keen rugby player, we were interested to ask Macauley what his thoughts were about the current efforts to make the game safer, particularly when it comes to head injuries.
“Growing up, I have had a few bad concussions myself. When you’re a young player and you’re trying to make your way through the ranks, you look at a head injury as a frustration and it’s known, even at the top level, that people try to cut corners to get themselves back on the pitch before they’re really ready,” Macauley said.
“Having grown older and having seen the effects of these injuries and what they can do to people from a medical perspective, and then coming into health and safety where the whole focal point is people’s wellbeing, I do think we need to do everything in our power to ensure that everyone involved in the sport is kept safe.
“I think there are great movements in making sure the protocols are followed – post concussion, head injury assessments (HIAs), and things like that – and I think World Rugby is doing great things looking at tackle technique. I believe that safety has to always come first – we have to make sure the players are safe and we have to put in place the steps to ensure that recovery is right.
“And that can all start right at grassroots – correct tackle technique, officiating, identifying issues and following the right protocols. It’s a case of encouraging best practice, and that’s exactly the same as health and safety - we encourage best practice and that should be what we strive for in rugby as well.”
