Gavin Taylor

Gavin Taylor lives in Knutsford, Cheshire with his wife and two daughters. He left university with a first class masters degree in civil engineering to work for North West Water Engineering. Soon after he became a Bechtel employee and worked on projects in the Middle East where he picked up the little Arabic that he can remember. He made the transition from engineering to health and safety in 2000 when he became a consultant working at Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port where he learned quickly about practical health and safety. After becoming a chartered member of IOSH he branched out and began work with the British Safety Council as well as other major and small clients. Since then he was worked in the UK and overseas providing advice, training and auditing in health and safety.

A key turning point in Gavin's career was his first teaching qualification. This opened his eyes into they different ways in which people learn. This led to a change in his teaching styles and methods. He became a qualified teacher and his teaching, coaching and facilitation methods continue to evolve. One step in this process was to share his knowledge and no-nonsense approach to health and safety with as many people as possible. This led to the idea of writing books. The first book was titled 'Health and Safety for Churches'. Gavin is a member of the Methodist Church and found that he was providing the same advice to several churches who wanted to discharge their legal duties responsibly but without going overboard. In response, he set down the practical advice he had been giving in his first book so that more churches of all denominations could benefit from this simple and accessible advice.

Four other books followed aimed at small businesses, compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, small builders and sensible risk management. Gavin would like to move into writing fiction and has dabbled in writing short stories. His hope is to put together a group of short stories in between earning enough to pay for two daughters to go through university.

When not working, which doesn't happen often, you might find Gavin reading, playing the odd computer game or spending time with the family. His favourite past-time is washing and cleaning the cars. It took his wife years to understand that this was a form of therapy during which he could focus on 'the now' and let his mind wander. Some of his best ideas are formed on the front drive on Sunday afternoons. If you see him smiling with a soapy sponge in his hands, now you know why.