Workplace safety is often treated as a box to tick rather than a genuine protection for people and premises. In conversation with Rachel Green, Lydia Hempstock, Field Sales Manager at Justrite, draws on nearly five years in the field to explain what she actually looks for when she walks onto a site, from hazardous chemical storage and fire-rated cabinets to the everyday risks hidden in routine processes.
Discover key takeaways from the latest episode of our new podcast: Insights For A Better Workplace.
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The discussion moves through the realities of site visits, the difference between basic compliance and proper protection, and the human cost of overlooking something as simple as anti fatigue matting. Lydia also shares what it has taken to build a career in a male-dominated industry, and gives a first look at safety projectors arriving in the UK.
Below are the main themes from the conversation, with practical guidance for any organisation looking to take its safety provision more seriously.
Reading a site for hazards and storage
Justrite is a workplace safety provider covering, as Lydia puts it, almost anything non-PPE you can think of. Her role in field sales takes her to a wide range of sites, often alongside distributors such as Manutan, where she acts as the technical expert on site safety. No two visits look the same, with destinations ranging from rail servicing lines to pharmaceutical facilities. When she arrives, the assessment starts with a consistent set of questions. What hazards are present, where are materials being stored, and what processes are in place. The aim is to identify where a solution can make a difference, whether that’s benefiting the people working there, protecting the site, or acting as a preventive measure.
When I’m going for a site visit I’m thinking what hazards have they got, where are you storing them, what processes have they got.
Chemical storage and process risks
Chemical manufacturers are among the sites Lydia visits most. The questions she asks are direct: what hazardous or flammable materials are on site, and where are they being stored. She has seen questionable storage choices in the past where a fire would have been a serious problem, so the focus is on the right location, the right container, and safe dispensing practices.
Risk is not limited to storage. She describes an automotive example where lubricants are applied to parts and the oily rags are discarded into an open-top cardboard box, a clear fire risk when simple safety measures could be in place. Walking the full process with the end user often reveals that the real workflow differs from assumptions, which can lead to a better-fitting solution.
Moving beyond the tick box mindset
A recurring theme is the gap between owning a cabinet and being genuinely protected. Lydia notes that some sites treat storage as a tick box exercise, assuming a cabinet does the job when in reality it might offer very little time to escape in a fire. The conversation notes a shift towards higher specification options, such as a 90-minute rated cabinet that buys time before hazardous materials are affected by a fire.
Where companies fall short, it often comes down to education, budget, or simply the issue not being front of mind until something goes wrong. The argument made is that investing now can save far more later.
Practical takeaways:
• Treat storage as protection for people and premises, not as compliance paperwork.
• Consider fire-rated cabinets, such as 90-minute rated units, for hazardous materials.
• Revisit decisions before an incident forces the issue.
Building a career as a woman in manufacturing
Manufacturing remains a male-dominated field, particularly on industrial sites. Lydia points to women who have carved out careers over decades in the safety industry by being knowledgeable and technical, and she draws inspiration from them. She also acknowledges the male allies who have supported her along the way.
She is candid that she sometimes meets customers who are presumptuous about what she knows, which means arriving with technical expertise to back up what she presents. One account took around 18 months and several meetings to win, after an initially dismissive contact who acknowledged colleagues but not her. Persistence and confidence eventually turned the relationship around.
I think it’s sometimes like persistence and trying to break through a bit of confidence as well.
The anti-fatigue mat story
Justrite operates globally, with an EU head office in the Netherlands and a UK warehouse serving customers since Brexit. Products including no-trax matting and custom-cut mats are produced there, and Lydia has seen the process first hand, including the hand-made rigid lock quick burn.
One site visit stays with her. A new health and safety contact at a chemical manufacturer mentioned an employee off sick with a musculoskeletal disorder after years of standing shifts. Walking the floor, Lydia found staff standing all day with no anti-fatigue matting in place, including one worker who had stood for six- to eight-hour shifts over more than two decades. After explaining the benefits, which include improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and reduced musculoskeletal disorders, the site tested ESD-rated samples and placed orders for the team.
Practical takeaways:
• Anywhere staff stand for long periods is a candidate for anti-fatigue matting, not only manufacturing.
• Match the mat specification to the environment, such as ESD-rated where machinery is involved.
• Stand-up desks have their own matting options too.
Safety projectors coming to the UK
Lydia shared a first look at safety projectors, newly approved for sale in the UK after more than five years in the USA and a move into the EU. Instead of floor tape or painted markings, these units use motion sensors to project images such as a zebra crossing, a stop sign or a forklift warning onto the floor, with a reported library of at least 60 standard images plus customised options. An LED line version can mark out a bay where paint or stickers are not permitted.
The use case is already clear in environments where floor markings are restricted. Lydia describes a food and beverage site that cannot have certain chemicals, paint or stickers on the floor and was actively looking into the technology. It’s a more modern approach to a familiar problem.
Where companies should start
For organisations wanting to improve, Lydia’s advice is to begin with what has actually happened and what is actually on site. Identify anything hazardous, whether lithium batteries, chemicals or aerosol cans, and ask how staff feel about any health concerns at work. Starting with the basics, and seeking guidance for hazardous materials, is the sensible first step.
She also notes that an improvement does not always mean buying more products. Sometimes an upgrade on existing equipment, or a small change to meet regulations, can make a significant difference. Technical advice is part of the service, not just the sale.
The through-line of the conversation is that safety provision works best when it is understood, not just installed. From fire-rated cabinets to anti fatigue matting and emerging safety projectors, the value comes from matching the right solution to the real risks on a site.
Manutan works with partners like Justrite to help organisations protect their people and premises. If you would like a closer look at your own space, our team can arrange a site visit to review what is in place and where it could be improved.
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Insights For A Better Workplace is a podcast dedicated to exploring the evolving landscape of the modern work environment.
