Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
MEMBER PREDICTIONS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
November/December issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Safety
  • Incident management
  • First aid
Leadership
Personal development
Catering and leisure
Off duty

David Phillips CMIOSH Safety, health and environmental manager, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai

Open-access content Thursday 22nd June 2017

david_phillips_cmiosh-wilderness-survival-expert

I've always enjoyed teaching and my day job has crossed over a lot with what I do outside work. After starting my career as a chef, I moved to training young chefs at college, specifically in wild food and butchery. I made the move to safety and health via food safety.

I've been running the bushcraft courses for five years. I used to bore people about it at tea breaks and sometimes they would come and walk with me. So I ran a couple of forage walks for chefs and it went from there.

Most of us are remote from our wild heritage. Someone might walk their dog in the woods, but when they do they're mostly looking at the ground. I train people to look into the woods. You might be stung by nettles, but it doesn't last long and then you'll realise that nettles make some of the best rope in the world. We've become detached -- we've got our mobile phones, our computers. The courses take people away from those things. Last month, I had a group who were unsure about eating shellfish. We collected 10 kg of seafood and cooked it and they said it was the best seafood they'd had in their lives.

One night on a course with mostly in-college staff we had wild goat curry. I shot the goat myself (legally), and we boned the legs, cooked and ate it. It's a challenging, tough meat, but they loved it. One of the group was a keen cyclist and he asked whether I could make the curry again -- for 120 cyclists. I think more people know about the goat curry than about me!

Lots of the people I work with come on my courses. I had some colleagues from the travel and tourism department -- many of whom have worked for airways -- turn up for the course with wheeled suitcases! They loved it, and many keep coming back.

I have also had managers do courses. They have to be quite competitive at work, but when I take them out to the wilderness they become pussycats. I notice that I become much more approachable at work to people who have been on courses with me.

The value I get from running courses is seeing people blossom. I've been working at the college for 30 years and most people don't see me as a chef, because they joined after I gave up teaching. But when you're sitting with people at 5 am watching the dawn, it changes perceptions. When their faces light up as I demonstrate how to start a fire with flint and steel, it makes my day.

I do all the risk assessments for the courses. Some instructors I know haven't much idea how to construct a risk assessment, so I help them out with those and writing policies.

When you're sitting with people at 5 am watching the dawn, it changes perceptions

When I have a department at work that's difficult to crack, I invite them out. Within two weeks of taking one health-and-safety-averse department on an overnight trip, I received a risk assessment from them. Now they've become one of my best departments. The course helped break down barriers. I'm not the guy who says, "No, you can't do that". When staff present a problem they often have a solution too. I might tweak it or make suggestions, but it's coming from them.

Anyone can do my courses. The youngest child who's been on one was 12 -- they came with their father -- and the oldest people have been in their 70s. There are lots of good bushcraft schools about -- there are some cowboys, so look for qualifications -- and all schools will offer a starter course. It's a cheap hobby. I specialise in coastal bushcraft, natural remedies and wild food; others do woodcraft and navigation. The subject is vast.

On the first night, most people just stare at the fire. The stress flows away and the next day they're really motivated. It's doable, and it's safe, but if you don't enjoy it enough that's fine. I have some people who say, "That was fun, but never again!"

Topics
First aid
Leadership
Personal development
Catering and leisure
Off duty

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health Safety & Assurance Advisor

Birmingham
£38000 - £42000 per annum
Reference
5452761

Health and Safety Manager

Belfast
Up to £55000 per annum + Car & Excellent Benefits
Reference
5452758

Health and Safety Advisor

City of Westminster
Up to £55000 per annum + Car & Travel
Reference
5452757
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ