RAF veteran swaps skies for health and safety

HAVING served as an air traffic controller in the RAF for 12 years, Sam Stevens is no stranger to breaking down barriers in a male-dominated industry.

Women in the RAF remain significantly underrepresented, with only 11.4% of the force being female - a trend that in many ways mirrors the construction industry.

Today, Sam works as a safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) manager at Lincolnshire housebuilder Chestnut Homes, but it wasn’t always plane sailing.

During her time in the RAF, and while stationed in Coningsby, Waddington, and Gibraltar, Sam took on a secondary duty that introduced her to health and safety. This experience ignited her passion for the field, particularly the legal and regulatory aspects.

Through an RAF-funded resettlement program, she then completed her National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)certificate — a foundation qualification in health and safety — and sought hands-on experience. This led to a position at a health and safety consultancy as a PA, with her goal to progress through the ranks.

Sam has spent the past 21 years driving safer construction practices while flying the flag for females in construction, having worked her way up to operations director and gaining extensive industry knowledge before joining Chestnut Homes in 2021.

Despite making significant strides in her career, Sam acknowledges the challenges of working in male-dominated industries. She says: “When I was starting out, I felt tested because I chose to enter spaces where women were underrepresented. But I always believed that if I knew my stuff and was competent, people would have to treat me with respect. My time in the RAF prepared me for those challenges.”

In 2024, the proportion of women in the construction industry hit a low not seen since Covid. According to the Office for National Statistics, women accounted for 13.6% of the workforce, which is down from 15.8% the previous year.

As the lead for health and safety at Chestnut Homes, Sam works with construction staff to put procedures in place to ensure safety protocols are followed, as well as find opportunities for improvement on site.

Workplace injuries in construction cost the economy £1.3 billion, with 53,000 non-fatal injuries reported annually, which highlights the importance of health and safety on site to not only to the wellbeing of site staff, but to the wider economy too.

Sam added: “The biggest part of health and safety in construction is finding ways to avoid the likelihood of injuries and ensure regulations are followed. Safety is everyone’s business, and the construction team focus on doing their job in the safest way possible, with the help of my guidance. I enjoy the evolving challenges that come with each stage of the house-building process and use my experience to identify trends and future-proof our safety measures.

"Waste in the construction sector is also rife, so we take great care in finding ways to safely reuse and reduce to meet our environmental goals also.

“While the health and safety industry has a strong female presence, the construction industry itself is still adapting to change. I hope to see a shift in attitudes and greater opportunities for female professionals.”

Chestnut Homes has a range of developments across Lincolnshire including Kings Manor in Coningsby, The Meadows in Dunholme, Chantrey Park in Market Rasen, The Quadrant and Heron Park in Wyberton and Millers Walk in Sibsey.  

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