He’s a chippie with more than four decades on the tools. But Scott Cam is more than just an easy-going tradie — he’s an industry titan committed to improving the trade he came up in, with SafetyCulture.
Our new SafetyCulture Ambassador likely needs no introduction. Scott Cam is one of Australia’s most recognizable television hosts, plucked from relative obscurity to land a prime time slot on television as a leading building personality.
His mentoring roles on renovation shows made him a household name and synonymous with the tools of the trade, dispensing useful tips and building advice. But this knowledge didn’t come easily.
Scott started out in the carpentry game back in the 1970s. Back then, safe work practices weren’t like the ones we know today. “It wasn’t that people didn’t care, but there was a job to be done and you just got on with it,” he said.
“It’s a dangerous job if you don’t have your wits about you at all times. I’ve seen my brother and plenty of other blokes lose fingers, and I’ve had more than 100 stitches over the years. It seems like we were getting stitched up all the time when I think back now. It was just part of the job.”
The hard yards continued as Scott started his own business and became a small business owner. That’s when he came to the realization that there was a fundamental change needed in the construction industry. As an employer, he was acutely aware of the need to make sure his teams went home safely at the end of each day. It was a serious responsibility and required the right tools and training to make happen. This was hard to find.
“I still remember a tragic case in Western Sydney back in 2009 when a 19-year-old collapsed and died with heat stroke after installing insulation. It shook me — he hadn’t had any training at all.”
Scott wasn’t the only one left questioning the safeguards trade industries had in place. The incident had a similar impact on our Founder and CEO, Luke Anear. In fact, it was a pivotal moment in the development of SafetyCulture, sparking a simple question that got us to where we are today: “How do we keep people in the workplace safe?”
In the years that followed, founder Luke Anear was quick to pivot and meet customers where they were. iAuditor by SafetyCulture was born, the first iteration of a digital platform that revolutionized safety inspections globally. Microlearning platform, EdApp by SafetyCulture, wasn’t far behind. And the rest, as they say, was history.
Scott followed a similar trajectory, advocating for change in Australia’s building and construction industry, working with apprentices and mentoring young people new to the trade.
“I’m glad to say that young people are much more safety conscious than when I started plying my trade. They are focused on safety rather than being told to be safe. That’s an important difference. Going digital is a big boost to this sort of approach to keeping workplaces safe with SafetyCulture’s iAuditor. I’m 100 per cent behind it.”
We’re proud to announce our ambassadorship with Scott Cam. An industry titan, we’re excited about the expertise, passion, and Cam-do attitude he’ll bring to the SafetyCulture table. Together, we’ll partner to help make workplaces better everyday.
Watch this space — there’s plenty more to come! But in the meantime, get started with our top 5 workplace safety tips from industry experts.
