A calling he never expected, Michael Fong is dedicated to health and safety not only in his career as an OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) consultant but also as a passionate activist for children with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD).
An avid sportsman with an interest in bowling, archery, table tennis, marathoning, among many others, Michael says, “I need to look after myself because I preach and teach about health and wellness. I need to walk the talk!”
Despite having been in the career for much longer, his consultancy firm, Michael’s Safety Training and Consultancy Services was officially begun in late 2019.
With the COVID-19 outbreak devastating the world soon after, the landscape of the OHS industry suddenly looked very different.
“Unfortunately, I did not do too well during COVID. Everything suddenly came to a halt, no revenue and all that,” Michael said, having suffered many of the same struggles other business owners had.
“Luckily, I had a bit of money in my back pocket to keep me going. I did conduct some virtual trainings, but then virtual is not as powerful or interactive as face to face. But, of course, we needed it to be virtual then for safety reasons,” he added.
Then the new regulations designed to control the spread of the virus gave OHS services new wind, and Michael found that both the public and corporations had renewed interest in understanding and maintaining OHS standards.
“The name COVID got everybody off their feet but when you look at OHS, there are two components to it. The H part, health, people tend to overlook that. We talk so much about safety, but the health was always neglected,” he said.
“It’s only when COVID hit us that everybody woke up and realised that this too is an important component of the whole OHS mechanism.”
For all the passion and knowledge Michael now holds for OHS regulations and related fields, one may be surprised to learn this was never part of his plan.
In the early 90s, Michael’s father had insisted to him that he either take up banking or engineering, and he opted for the latter.
Having studied Automotive and Electrical Engineering at the former Fiji Institute of Technology (now part of the FNU College of Engineering, Science and Technology), Michael began working at Carpenters Fiji Ltd without an inkling that this would lead him down a new path.
With the new Health and Safety at Work Act of 1996, Michael was selected by the directors of Carpenters at the time to receive training to function as their in-house compliance consultant.
The training lasted a year, and much later, having developed a keen interest, Michael also travelled to Melbourne to pursue further training and accreditation.
A testament to his expertise in the field, Michael has had clients that have remained loyal for decades.
“I have had clients for about 20 or 25 years, from day one, and those clients are still with me,” he said.
“My market hasn’t actually grown, because of pricing. There are other trainers and consultants out there that could probably offer lower rates, but people have to decide what to prioritise. But I am extremely privileged that these guys have stuck with me for over 20 years.
“Safety is paramount, you cannot put a cost on that,” he said.
Michael now provides training in OHS Modules 1 through 4 and other safety trainings such as the Permit to Work System, Contractor Safety Management, Working at Heights among many others as an accredited trainer.
He also conducts risk assessments and accident investigations.
Michael is now also pursuing studies in law in order to garner a deeper understanding of the rules, regulations and technicalities of the Acts he works with.
“People are still coming to terms with the law, they’re trying to understand it,” he said.
“I don’t expect companies to understand it as much as I understand it, since I’ve been really into it, and this is where I can come in and interpret the law and help them enhance their safety performance and the standards. It’s a journey.”
Alongside prioritising his own health and fitness and caring for that of companies across the country, Michael can also be seen raising awareness for CHD.
Having lost his first-born to the terrible disease, Michael started his Walk For Life project and is now planning for a walk around Vanua Levu, perhaps in the near future.
