A Bergan full of learning…
Duncan Spencer CFIOSH
Head of Advice & Practice, Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH).
I was anxious about leaving the Army to face the uncertainty of civilian life. Would my skills be translatable into the civilian workplace? Now, as I reach the closing stages of my career, my six years’ service feel distant, yet I can truthfully say that what I learnt serving in an armoured division in Germany and at the School of Signals stayed with me throughout my professional life. Particularly about leadership, the value of procedure, and staying calm in a crisis. This foundation shaped every step of my journey after leaving the service. Your experience will do the same, but here is my story. Initially, like many veterans I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
Eventually I secured a role running an outdoor centre in South Wales, drawing on my military adventure training qualifications. Soon after starting, the tragic Lyme Regis canoeing accident occurred, in which four teenagers lost their lives. It triggered a Health & Safety Executive review of outdoor activity standards. This investigation highlighted the world of occupational safety and health for me. Applying planning and event management know-how learnt in the Army, I created exemplar safety systems. It sparked my interest in the safety profession which promised a combination of challenge, variety, and purpose.
Seeking to deepen my safety expertise, I became a college lecturer teaching young people who wanted to join uniformed public services. A position that enabled me to study for safety qualifications while gaining practical experience as a volunteer union safety representative. While my certificate and diploma in occupational safety and health gave me specialist knowledge, neither syllabus included how to influence and manage change. I had to rely on my Army experience for that. If I was leaving the Army now, I would have chosen the excellent IOSH Level 3 Certificate and Level 6 Diploma which currently delivers the best focus on safety leadership and the development of culture in the market.
Balancing lecturing, course development, union duties, academic study, and family life was demanding, but the self-discipline and resilience shaped through military service helped me persevere. Two years later I secured my first full-time role in a health and safety consultancy.
Consultancy required high ethical standards, echoing those required in the Army. It offered exposure to a wide range of organisations, sectors, and cultures, accelerating my professional development. This was occasionally helped along by finding a natural affinity with any ex-service personnel I met. My Army experience helped me to easily foster connections at all organisational levels.
Consultancy required high ethical standards, echoing those required in the Army. It offered exposure to a wide range of organisations, sectors, and cultures, accelerating my professional development. This was occasionally helped along by finding a natural affinity with any ex-service personnel I met. My Army experience helped me to easily foster connections at all organisational levels. My work took me across the UK, Europe, and Hong Kong, involving industries as varied as policing, healthcare, and logistics. This diversity demanded adaptability, improvisation, and teamwork. The very qualities sharpened by my military career. These skills contributed significantly to achieving successful outcomes for clients.
The Army helped me to develop confidence in my own ability, so, when opportunities to speak, write or publish came along, I was willing to give it a go. Publicising insights using confident leadership led to securing a position as the Strategic Safety Manager at the John Lewis Partnership. The role covered everything from retail and logistics, to farms, and leisure facilities. Being part of a respected UK brand further expanded opportunities to influence safety standards and professional practice.
After a decade with the Partnership, redundancy prompted a move to contracting, including work with the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH). One of my first projects was leading the development of a competency framework for the safety profession. I found myself drawing heavily on the transferrable competencies learnt in the Army in its creation.
Reflecting on my career, I often wonder how different my life would have been had I not joined the Army. The lessons from those six formative years laid the groundwork for everything that followed. I remain proud to have served and deeply grateful for the enduring impact it has had on my life and career.
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