Thays Brito, originally from a small town near the Amazon River in Brazil, has had a career trajectory that demonstrates a fantastic work ethic as a health and safety professional in the construction industry. After completing her master’s degree in Health & Safety Engineering, Thays made the bold decision to move to Ireland in pursuit of furthering her career opportunities and language skills.
Thays’ educational background is substantial, starting with a Technological Degree in Environmental Management in Brazil in 2007-2008. She then pursued a degree in Environmental & Sanitary Engineering from ESE in 2010-2012, followed by her master’s degree in 2014-2015. Thays also obtained a Business Administration degree from CCT in 2019 and participated in a ‘Developing Manager and Future Leader’ programme at Trinity College in 2022. Additionally, she holds certifications in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and is a Grad IOSH member.
Thays began her career working for an international company called Vale in mining, operating as an environmental technician. In this role, she managed environmental activities, plans, and liaised with safety, health, environmental, and quality teams, contributing to successful ISO certification renewals. Realising the need for further education to advance in her field, Thays pursued Environmental & Sanitary Engineering and later worked at the Environmental Protection Agency in Brazil, where she analysed compliance reports and developed effective collaborations within the agency.
In Ireland, Thays initially worked in customer service roles before transitioning to a Safety Advisor position on the WuXi project in Dundalk in 2020, amidst the Covid19 pandemic. Over the past four years, she has worked across various areas within the construction industry, including Data Centre, Pharma, Biopharma, Fit Out, Cleanrooms, and API projects across Ireland and Denmark.
Thays’ evolution as a health and safety professional is evident through her involvement in various IPD partnerships, where she collaborates with subcontractors to ensure a safe work environment for all team members. She has played a significant role in implementing safety and quality awards campaigns, wellbeing and mental health programmes, and presenting on International Women’s Day to promote diversity in the industry.
Thays has recently taken on the added responsibility of site visits, audits, and training within the SHEQ department, further solidifying her expertise in health and safety practices in the construction industry.
Her commitment to excellence, combined with her diverse experience and educational background, makes Thays an asset to Ardmac. Her dedication to ensuring a safe work environment for all team members, along with her proactive approach to professional development, solidifies her reputation as a successful and evolving health and safety professional.
Thays pictured with colleagues at an environmental awareness talk.
Thays has made significant contributions to the introduction and promotion of standards in health and safety within the construction industry. Over the past 18 months, Thays has dedicated 50606.65 hours to this important work. One of the key areas in which Thays has excelled is in transforming the safety culture in construction. This transformation has been achieved through coaching sessions that involve safety first conversations, the integration of teams, and the implementation of best practices with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
She has displayed strong leadership qualities through various actions within the SHEQ department. One key aspect is her ability to identify different leadership styles within the team and adapt her approach to become more effective. By understanding emotional intelligence and the role it plays in leadership, she has been able to connect with team members on a deeper level and influence them positively.
Alan Downey – Jacobs Engineering, HSE Lead/Senior
‘Thays commenced our Project in May 2022 and from the start it was very evident that she was a very enthusiastic safety person and very dedicated to doing the right thing. She immediately demonstrated that she wanted to understand exactly what the expectations were from the Jacobs and Client point of view along with understanding the Ardmac requirements. From an early-stage Thays got involved in not just her company’s safety but showed a keen interest in being part of the project safety team. Her passion for safety was clear and I think her own employees recognised this and appreciated it very much. “Thays has that sorted” and “Thays was already onto us about that” were just a few of the comments that I would hear from her employees.’
