SHP: Hi Jas, could you tell me about yourself, how did you get into health and safety and your role at Arsenal?

Jaspreet Sekhon (JS): After completing university, I set my sights on working in marketing and took on my first role in a small startup.

There was a lot to get involved in and after volunteering to help put together a fire plan with an agency – well you can say it was love at first sight!

I really enjoyed it, so from there I self-funded my studies into health and safety to discover more of what this arena had to offer. Once qualified, I set forward with my passion to gather experience. I’ve been lucky to have worked in a variety of diverse roles, from manufacturing, consulting, policing and now for Arsenal FC.

When we have matches, sometimes I look up at the stadium and can’t believe I work here. Health and safety may have a reputation for being boring, but there’s never a dull moment.

The industry is changing, and we’re working hard to rebrand health and safety as an enabler, not a hindrance. At Arsenal, my role is dynamic and diverse.

I work with different departments with talented teams across grounds keeping, the Academy, the community hub, and retail to name a few. There’s always something new to learn and I love the variety.

I’ve always wanted to have a job that made a difference, and I found that within this role.

My role at Arsenal continuously pushes me to learn and is all about working collaboratively with others across the club.

SHP: How was the COVID pandemic for you, were you put into the spotlight as a HS professional?

JS: As a health and safety professional, usually our first goal is to win over hearts and minds and get the leadership team on side.

COVID was a ‘careful what you wish for’ situation as the tables were turned. Suddenly, we had a seat at the table and had to deal with new challenges.