About Me
As a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner (CMIOSH) with a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Health and Safety, I bring over 30 years of experience supporting organisations and individuals working in challenging and remote environments throughout the UK.
My professional background is both rich and varied – beginning with my service in HM Forces as a Royal Engineer, followed by a civilian career spanning construction, forestry, and the outdoor industries. I have worked as an outdoor instructor, winter mountain leader, and overseas expedition leader, and I am a former member of Scottish Mountain Rescue.
This diverse experience provides me with a unique and practical understanding of risk management, compliance, and safety – particularly for those operating in remote or rural environments.
I have extensive experience working with highland estates, forestry companies, and land-based organisations, offering pragmatic health and safety support that is realistic, effective, and grounded in the practicalities of working outdoors. My approach focuses on promoting a strong safety culture whilst ensuring compliance remains achievable and relevant to day-to-day operations.
In addition, I am an active member of the Forestry Industry Safety Accord (FISA) Site Safety Working Group, helping to promote and improve safety standards across the forestry and associated industrys
Health & Safety Consultancy
CA First Aid provides expert health and safety consultancy services to businesses across Scotland. Led by a fully chartered health and safety consultant with over 30 years’ experience in remote and rural operations, we deliver practical, real-world advice from someone who genuinely understands the environments you work in.
Our consultancy is built around businesses that operate outdoors. We specialise in forestry, farming, estate management and contract stalking, along with the wide range of associated trades and operations that keep rural Scotland running. We know these sectors aren’t a fit for generic, office-based safety advice — the hazards, the isolation, the weather and the kit are all different, and your health and safety arrangements need to reflect that.
How we can help
- Health and safety policy development and review
- Risk assessments and safe systems of work tailored to your operation
- Site-specific method statements (RAMS)
- Compliance support aligned with HSE legislation and industry standards
- Accident and near-miss investigation
- Practical guidance for working in remote and hostile environments
- Ongoing competent person / advisory support
Drawing on extensive hands-on experience across forestry, construction, agriculture, estate work and remote-environment operations, we cut through the jargon and give you advice you can actually use. Whether you need a one-off risk assessment, a full policy overhaul, or an ongoing safety partner, we’ll tailor our support to suit your business and your sector.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Scottish Woodlands
Working in remote areas means that it can be difficult to obtain expert medical help quickly and at times response times can be longer than 2twohours.
Remote casualty evacuation planning involves looking at the environment you work within and how this may affect your ability to get help quickly.
Working Scottish Woodlands to develop their remote casualty evacuation plans for remote sites in Glen Etive and Glendessary.
Both had unique challenges due to limited communications and the remoteness of the sites. Working alongside the Scottish woodlands health and safety officers we were able to highlight the correct level of first aid equipment and the appropriate communication devises appropriate to the sites. Based on the challenges at each of the sites, we produced a detailed casualty evacuation plan based on the requirements of Afag 802 now superseded by the new Site management recommendations
Superglass
Heavy industry gives challenging environments for staff and first aiders with many injuries being catastrophic and life threatening.
Superglass in Stirling is a Glass recycling plant involving major processes from smelting glass in large furnaces to the final shipping of the product on large Hgv’s
The challenges for first aiders is that they work in the different sections of the large manufacturing site. We carried out at first aid risk assessment for the whole site highlighting specific first aid equipment to each of the processes and areas of the plant.
As part of our continuing service to our, customer we deliver tailored first aid training to their team ensuring we provide the correct level training relevant to their everyday working environment. we do regular skills refresher training then to a walk through of the plant highlighting areas where accidents may happen and carry out specific scenarios based on the likely injuries that may occur.
First aid at work
St Andrew University
Educational field trips can put students and staff out into environments they may not usually be in. The nature of courses such as geology, geography, and biology means staff venture into wilderness environments as part of their coursework.
Working with the Department of Earth Sciences at St Andrews University, we developed a first aid course that was tailored to their lectures, delivering field trips that involve students and staff going out into wilderness locations.
We currently work with St Andrews University’s Earth Sciences Department to deliver a course to all second-year students who are required to go into an outdoor environment to complete their coursework, and the course has now been incorporated into their second-year curriculum
We are also involved in delivering an expedition-based course for members of the St Andrew adventure group and advise them on adventure travel and security before embarking on expeditions and adventures all around the world.
Students at St Andrews uni