With more than 25 years of industry experience, Andrew Durling has recently joined Figurehead as HSEQ Manager. We sat down with Andrew to discuss his journey into construction, what a strong HSEQ culture looks like, and where he sees the industry's biggest opportunities for improvement.
What drew you to HSEQ and the construction industry?
I grew up on a small farm in Kialla, about two hours north of Melbourne. On family trips to the city, I can still remember seeing Melbourne's skyline appear in the distance and wondering how those amazing buildings were designed and built.
That curiosity led me to study Civil Engineering at RMIT. Towards the end of my degree, I attended an industry presentation by Bob Hamilton, founder of Mirvac. He spoke passionately about the company's projects and vision for Melbourne's future. I remember thinking that it would be great to be part of developments like those.
After graduating, I found myself working in traffic engineering at a local council. While a valuable experience, it wasn't exactly where I saw my future. Then I came across a newspaper advertisement for a Project Coordinator role at Mirvac. The application deadline was that day, and I recall thinking that I had missed the boat and wouldn’t get my application in on time, destined to deal with resident footpath and signage complaints for the rest of my career. But I decided to take a chance, pulled together my resume and application, and hand-delivered it to their head office.
Fortunately, that decision paid off. I was offered a role on Mirvac's first high-rise apartment building in Docklands, which became the start of an almost 26-year career with the business.
Looking back, I consider myself incredibly fortunate. Not only did I begin my career on such a significant project, but I was surrounded by industry leaders and mentors who were generous with their knowledge and support. The people I've worked with throughout my career have had the biggest influence on me and continue to be what keeps me engaged in the industry today.
HSEQ was always a strong focus throughout my time at Mirvac. Over the years, I became increasingly involved in quality improvement initiatives focused on achieving better outcomes. Joining Figurehead presents an exciting opportunity to continue that journey.
What does a “great” HSEQ culture look like to you?
A great culture can be difficult to define, but you know it when you experience it and you certainly get that feeling walking into Figurehead.
Creating and maintaining culture is everyone's responsibility, but it starts with leadership setting a clear vision and bringing people together around shared goals.
For me, a strong HSEQ culture is built on care and pride. Care for ourselves, care for our colleagues, care for our stakeholders, and care for our projects. It's also about taking pride in what we do and having a genuine desire to improve.
When people are aligned around those principles, better outcomes naturally follow.
How do you approach embedding safety into fast-paced project environments?
The industry is grappling with operational realities which are probably the most challenging they have been in my time in the industry. As we face these conditions, it’s key to ensure HSEQ is embedded into day-to-day decision-making, so project teams can successfully balance cost, programme, quality and safety without compromising outcomes.
We have a saying that is used in my son’s football team which is – “Know your role, accept your role and deliver your role.” Like many sporting analogies, this can be applied to the working environment. When everyone in the project teams understands their roles and responsibilities and consistently delivers on them, projects perform better.
Providing a clear, consistent, and regular message is also very important in embedding HSEQ into our projects. We should continually look for opportunities to improve, but changes should be purposeful and focused on achieving better outcomes.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity for improvement in HSEQ today?
The industry's current challenges aren't going away anytime soon, which means we need to keep finding better ways to work together.
For me, the biggest opportunities lie in collaboration between project teams, subcontractors, and industry stakeholders. Improvement in the HSEQ space doesn't always come from major changes. More often, it's the result of small, incremental changes made consistently over time.
I’m also interested in how behavioural psychology impacts HSEQ outcomes; exploring and understanding what drives decision-making on site.
How do you keep teams engaged with HSEQ day-to-day?
Relationships are fundamental.
They provide a strong platform for us to have open and honest conversations around HSEQ with our teams and stakeholders. The message also needs to be clear, regular, and consistent and come from a place of genuine care.
What's just as important is listening. Engagement in HSEQ goes both ways, and leaders need to understand where concerns exist, take those concerns seriously, and take action or make changes where needed. When people feel heard, they're more likely to stay engaged and contribute to better outcomes.
What’s in focus for HSEQ at Figurehead over the next 12 months?
My immediate focus is getting to know the business, the people, and the projects.
I'm looking forward to continuing the great work that has already been done across HSEQ. I’m proud to be working with all the people in the Figurehead team; listening, learning, sharing and educating, navigating challenges together and celebrating future wins.