United Kingdom · Compliance, quality and safety · Senior (5-8 years)

Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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Experience bandSenior (5-8 years)
Direct reportsNo direct reports
Reports toLead H&S Training Program Manager
UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Senior H&S Learning Lead · H&S Curriculum Designer · H&S Training Programme Lead · Lead Safety Learning Consultant

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

NOCN Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice NOCN · Level 6 · covers 2 of 10 standards

Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Qualifi Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards

OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety OTHM Qualifications · Level 6 · covers 2 of 10 standards

NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Electronic and Communications Engineering NOCN · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards

CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership Chartered Management Institute · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards

ProQual Awarding Body Level 6 Occupational Qualification in Health and Safety Management ProQual Awarding Body · Level 6 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Develop and Maintain Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters NOCN Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice

Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

Development of the Health and Safety Practitioner OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Electronic and Communications Engineering

Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision

AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly

Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture

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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

Develop and Maintain Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters NOCN · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 6
Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters Qualifi Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
Development of the Health and Safety Practitioner OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 6
Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility Chartered Management Institute · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5

These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Content Creation
Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation

Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluencyworking with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluencyturning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluencyusing AI responsibly
Systems Fluencyseeing the whole picture

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This job designs and builds safety training programmes for high-risk work areas, from spotting the problem to seeing real change in behaviour.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

EHS Management Platform (Intelex, Cority, VelocityEHS) Advanced

You'll configure training workflows, build custom reports on incident trends to identify training needs, and analyse EHS data to measure programme effectiveness. You won't just pull data; you'll make it tell a story.

Learning Management System (LMS) (Cornerstone, Docebo, Litmos) Advanced

You'll design complex learning paths, manage our course catalogue for your assigned risk areas, and set up automated reporting to track compliance and progress. You'll be the expert on getting the most out of the LMS.

Content Authoring Tools (Articulate 360 - Storyline, Rise; Adobe Captivate) Expert

You'll design and build complex, interactive e-learning modules from scratch, complete with branching scenarios, variables, and robust assessments. This is where you bring your creative vision to life to make safety engaging.

Data Visualization (Power BI, Tableau) Advanced

You'll connect to LMS and EHS data sources to build custom dashboards. These dashboards will track leading and lagging indicators, showing training effectiveness and helping you spot areas for improvement. You'll make the data speak.

Collaboration Suite (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Asana) Advanced

You'll manage curriculum development projects in Asana, build and maintain SharePoint sites for our safety training resource libraries, and lead engaging virtual training sessions and team meetings in Teams.

Virtual Training Platforms (Webex Training, Adobe Connect, Zoom) Advanced

You'll design and facilitate engaging Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) sessions. This means expertly using polls, breakout rooms, and interactive tools to keep remote learners hooked and ensure effective knowledge transfer.

GRC Platform (ServiceNow GRC, Archer, OneTrust) Basic

You'll need to understand how your training data feeds into our broader GRC framework for audit and risk reporting. You won't be configuring it, but you'll appreciate its role in showing our compliance efforts.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choice	Coming in	Where you are now	The step above
Training Content & Methodology	Follows established templates; seeks approval for any deviation.	Chooses appropriate methodology from a defined set; consults manager on novel approaches.	Designs and defines new methodologies; full autonomy within programme scope; consults on strategic shifts.
Incident Root Cause Analysis (RCA)	Assists in data collection for RCA; reports findings to senior team.	Conducts RCA for minor incidents; proposes training solutions to manager.	Leads RCA for significant incidents; independently identifies training gaps and designs corrective programmes; makes recommendations to leadership.
Budget Allocation (for specific programmes)	No authority; flags needs to supervisor.	Manages small programme budgets (up to £5K) with manager approval.	Recommends budget for significant programmes (up to £10K); manages approved programme budgets; consults on larger expenditure.
Mentoring & Team Development	Receives mentorship.	Provides informal guidance to new joiners.	Formally mentors 0-2 junior team members; provides structured feedback and development support.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Reduction in Targeted Incident Types

The decrease in specific types of incidents (e.g., falls from height, manual handling injuries) directly addressed by your training programmes.

Target · 15% year-on-year reduction in targeted incident categories within trained regions.

After rolling out the new 'Working at Height' programme, we saw a 17% reduction in related near-misses and recordable incidents across the North West region in Q3.

Training-Related Audit Findings

The number of non-conformances or observations from internal and external audits directly linked to gaps or failures in training delivery or content.

Target · Zero significant training-related non-conformances in external audits; less than 5 minor observations in internal audits.

Our last ISO 45001 audit had no findings related to competency or training records, a significant improvement from the previous year's 3 minor observations.

Post-Training Competency Scores

The average score on practical assessments or knowledge checks designed to measure actual understanding and application of safety procedures post-training.

Target · Achieve an average of 85% or higher on all post-training competency assessments.

The new confined space entry training saw an average practical assessment score of 92%, showing strong retention and application of critical safety steps.

Time-to-Competency for Key Roles

The average time it takes for new hires or employees transitioning into critical safety-sensitive roles to achieve full, verified competency, as influenced by your training pathways.

Target · Reduce average time-to-competency by 10% for high-risk roles (e.g., forklift operators, maintenance technicians).

We've cut the average time for a new maintenance technician to be signed off on Lockout/Tagout procedures from 6 weeks to 5.5 weeks, thanks to the revised blended learning approach.

Stakeholder Feedback & Engagement

How well your training programmes are received by operations teams, managers, and participants, focusing on perceived relevance, engagement, and practical applicability.

Regular positive feedback from operations managers about the practical impact of training
high attendance and active participation in voluntary safety learning sessions
being proactively sought out for input on new operational procedures due to your training expertise
positive comments in post-course surveys about content relevance and instructor effectiveness.

Mentorship Effectiveness

The growth and development of junior H&S Trainers or Specialists you mentor, evidenced by their increasing autonomy, skill development, and contribution to the team.

Junior team members successfully leading training sessions independently
positive feedback from them on your guidance and support
their ability to take on more complex tasks
demonstrable improvement in their instructional design or delivery skills as observed in their work and peer reviews.

Proactive Identification of Training Gaps

Your ability to spot potential training needs before they become an issue, often by analysing incident trends, audit findings, or changes in regulations.

Presenting data-driven proposals for new training modules or revisions based on leading indicators (e.g., near-miss reports) before a serious incident occurs
successfully campaigning for resources to address a foreseen competency gap
your insights being valued in incident investigation debriefs to pinpoint training root causes.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy

Making a Tangible Difference

You get a real buzz from seeing your training programmes lead to fewer incidents, or watching someone confidently apply a safety procedure they learned from you. It's about seeing real-world impact, not just theoretical improvements.

There's nothing quite like hearing a site manager tell you that the new 'Stop Work Authority' training has actually led to more people speaking up about risks, and fewer near-misses.

Solving Complex Problems

You enjoy dissecting a tricky incident report, digging into the root causes, and then figuring out exactly how training can be part of the solution. It's like being a detective, but the reward is safer workplaces.

When an audit flags a recurring issue, you're the one who gets excited about designing a new, targeted module to fix it, rather than just shrugging your shoulders.

Developing Others

You genuinely enjoy mentoring junior trainers, helping them improve their instructional design skills, or giving them feedback that helps them deliver a more engaging session. You get satisfaction from seeing others grow.

It's rewarding when a junior trainer you've been working with successfully leads their first complex virtual training session, and you know your guidance helped them get there.

What frustrates people

The 'ROI Paradox': It's tough to prove the value of incidents that never occurred.
'Death by PowerPoint': Inheriting truly awful, dull training content.
Operations vs. Safety Tension: Being seen as a blocker, not an enabler.
'The Scapegoat Syndrome': Training often gets blamed first after an incident.
Chasing Compliance: Spending too much time hounding people for overdue training.
The 'One-and-Done' Mentality: Fighting the belief that single courses are enough for complex risks.

What this role does not give you

A quiet, predictable routine with no urgent demands.
A role where all your work goes directly into production or is immediately visible.
An environment where everyone instantly understands and values safety training.
A job where you don't have to justify your existence or budget constantly.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes our regional safety culture and performance. Your programmes directly influence the behaviour of thousands of employees, reducing the likelihood of incidents, ensuring we meet strict regulatory requirements, and ultimately protecting our people and our business from harm and reputational damage. It's a big responsibility, but the impact is profound.

Inside the business

Regional Operations Managers
Site Safety Leads
HR Business Partners
Compliance & Audit Teams
Engineering & Maintenance Teams

Outside the business

External Training Providers
Regulatory Bodies (e.g., HSE inspectors)
Industry Safety Groups
Equipment Manufacturers (for specific training)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

Proven experience (5-8 years) in designing, developing, and evaluating health and safety training programmes within an operational or industrial setting.
Demonstrable expertise in instructional design methodologies (e.g., ADDIE, SAM) and a portfolio of engaging e-learning or blended learning programmes you've created.
Solid understanding of UK health and safety legislation (e.g., HASAWA, specific regulations like Working at Height, COSHH) and international standards like ISO 45001.
Experience conducting Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for safety incidents and translating findings into effective training interventions.
Advanced proficiency with at least one major content authoring tool (e.g., Articulate Storyline/Rise) and a Learning Management System (LMS).
Experience mentoring or guiding junior team members, even if not in a formal management role.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced EHS Platform Configuration & Integration

As our EHS platforms become more sophisticated, you'll need to understand how to leverage their full capabilities. This means not just using them, but helping to shape how they're configured and integrated with other systems (like HRIS) to create a seamless safety data flow. It's about getting more out of our investments.

API Integrations for Data Exchange · Workflow Automation within EHS Platforms · Custom Report & Dashboard Development · Data Governance & Quality · User Experience (UX) Design for EHS Modules

This week: Explore the advanced configuration settings of our current EHS platform. What customisation options are available that we're not using?
This month: Take an online course or attend a vendor webinar on advanced features and integration capabilities of our EHS system.
Month 2: Propose one specific EHS workflow automation or integration that could significantly improve our safety data management or training assignment process.
Month 3: Work with IT or the EHS platform administrator to implement a small-scale customisation or integration, gaining hands-on experience.

Quick win: Identify one manual data transfer process between our LMS and EHS system that could be automated. Even a small win proves the concept.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up

Regularly attend industry conferences (e.g., Safety & Health Expo, IOSH conferences) to stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and regulatory changes in H&S and learning.
Actively participate in professional networks and forums (online and offline) for H&S professionals and instructional designers to share best practices and learn from peers.
Commit to continuous professional development (CPD) through IOSH or similar bodies, ensuring your knowledge and skills remain current and relevant.
Take specialised courses in advanced instructional design techniques, behavioural psychology for safety, or specific EHS platform administration to deepen your technical expertise.
Seek out opportunities to mentor junior colleagues within the H&S team, honing your leadership and coaching skills.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Content Creation

Honestly, competitors are already using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to draft reports, summarise regulations, and even generate initial quiz questions in minutes. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce their peers significantly. This isn't future-gazing; it's happening now.

Context Windows and Token Limits
Temperature Settings for Different Tasks
RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) Architectures
Output Validation and Hallucination Detection
Prompt Chaining for Complex Analysis

Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation

It's no longer enough to just present numbers. Senior leaders and operations managers are swamped with data. The ability to craft a compelling narrative around your safety metrics – showing not just 'what' but 'so what' and 'now what' – will be critical for securing buy-in and resources.

Narrative Structure for Data
Choosing the Right Visualisation
Cognitive Load Reduction
Actionable Insights
Audience-Centric Reporting

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys, Fishbone, Fault Tree)
Training Effectiveness Evaluation (Kirkpatrick's Four Levels)
Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) Principles
Human and Organisational Performance (HOP)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

1
H&S Trainer / Instructional Designer (L2)
2-4 years
Skills to master
- Mastering the delivery of engaging training sessions (both in-person and virtual), building foundational e-learning modules, and understanding the core principles of adult learning. You'd also get really good at collecting and interpreting learner feedback.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently high learner feedback scores for your training sessions.
- Successfully developed and launched several effective e-learning modules.
- Proactively identified and addressed minor training gaps.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently on routine training projects.
2
H&S Advisor / Officer (L2-L3)
3-5 years
Skills to master
- Gaining a deep understanding of operational safety risks, conducting site inspections, managing incident investigations, and advising on compliance. This pathway gives you strong practical safety knowledge that's invaluable for designing relevant training.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed several incident investigations, identifying root causes.
- Consistently provided sound H&S advice to operational teams.
- Demonstrated strong knowledge of relevant H&S legislation and standards.
- Recognised for your ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical advice.
3
Learning & Development Specialist (from other industries) (L2-L3)
3-5 years (with H&S specific upskilling)
Skills to master
- Bringing strong instructional design and learning technology skills from another sector, then rapidly acquiring in-depth knowledge of H&S regulations, operational risks, and safety culture nuances. You'd need to quickly become fluent in 'safety speak'.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully transferred instructional design skills to H&S-specific content.
- Demonstrated quick learning and application of H&S regulatory frameworks.
- Developed a strong understanding of our operational environment and safety challenges.
- Proactively sought out H&S certifications (e.g., NEBOSH General Certificate).

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to regional training management, senior compliance or safety leadership roles, or a global role setting learning strategy across a whole organisation.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Develop and Maintain Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters, worked against Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist.

Develop and Maintain Individual and Organisational Competence in Health and Safety Matters Level 6

Applied to your work in Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist

1. To enable the learner to critically analyse the strategic importance of developing and maintaining individual and organisational competence in health and safety. 2. To enable the learner to evaluate various systematic approaches for identifying health and safety training and development needs within an organisation. 3. To enable the learner to design comprehensive health and safety development plans that address identified needs and comply with relevant legislation and industry standards. 4. To enable the learner to implement, monitor, and adapt health and safety competence development plans effectively across different organisational levels. 5. To enable the learner to assess the impact and effectiveness of competence development initiatives on overall health and safety performance and culture. 6. To enable the learner to advise on integrating health and safety competence management with broader organisational human resource development and risk management strategies.

How the thinking builds

1 Remember
2 Understand
3 Apply
4 Analyse
5 Evaluate
6 Create

An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my plan, free

See Your Progress Grow Illustration

Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist

Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys, Fishbone, Fault Tree)
Training Effectiveness Evaluation (Kirkpatrick's Four Levels)
Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) Principles
Human and Organisational Performance (HOP)

This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

Lead H&S Training Program Manager (L4)
3-5 years

This is a significant step up, moving from owning specific workstreams to managing a portfolio of training programmes for a large site or business line. You'll also start managing vendors and budgets more formally.
- Training Needs Analysis at a broader, organisational level.
- Curriculum Architecture Designing the overall structure of learning pathways across a business unit.
- Advanced Data Analytics for identifying systemic training needs and programme impact.
- Leadership of a small team (3-8 direct reports).

Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, you're always juggling a mountain of tasks. Imagine having a smart assistant that handles the tedious bits, freeing you up to focus on what truly matters: designing impactful safety training and actually making our workplaces safer. That's exactly what AI can do for you in this role.

We're not talking about replacing your expertise, but about giving you superpowers. Think about all the time you spend sifting through regulations, drafting quiz questions, or analysing incident reports. AI can chew through that in minutes, giving you a massive head start and letting you concentrate on the human-centric aspects of training and behaviour change.

Automated Assessment Generator

Imagine feeding AI a dense new regulatory document or an internal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). It then automatically generates a bank of relevant quiz questions, knowledge checks, and even scenario-based assessments for your e-learning modules. No more staring at a blank screen, trying to come up with questions for hours.

Incident Trend Analysis

AI can sift through thousands of unstructured text fields in incident and near-miss reports far faster than any human. It'll spot hidden patterns – like a specific tool being involved in multiple hand injuries across different sites – and then suggest targeted micro-training interventions you might never have noticed otherwise. This means you're addressing real, data-driven risks.

Regulatory Change Summariser

An AI agent can continuously monitor regulatory bodies like the HSE, giving you weekly summaries of proposed or enacted changes. Crucially, it highlights the specific impact on your existing training curricula and flags which modules need urgent updates. No more sifting through pages of legal jargon just to find the one relevant paragraph.

Tailored Compliance Nudges

AI can draft personalised emails or Teams messages for frontline managers. It won't just say 'Your team has overdue training.' Instead, it'll add context: 'Three members of your team are overdue on Lockout/Tagout. This was a contributing factor in the Q2 incident at the sister plant.' This makes your requests much harder to ignore and drives action.

Common questions

How do you become a Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist?

Common routes in include H&S Trainer / Instructional Designer (2-4 years), H&S Advisor / Officer (L2-L3) (3-5 years) and Learning & Development Specialist (from other industries) (L2-L3) (3-5 years (with H&S specific upskilling)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist progress to?

This role can lead on to Lead H&S Training Program Manager (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Content Creation and Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.

Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist

Where should we send it?

Two short quizzes about you

Will AI change your work as a Senior Health and Safety Training Specialist?

What's rising in its place

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Content Creation

Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation

Skills this role draws on

Technical

How you actually get there, here

H&S Trainer / Instructional Designer (L2)

H&S Advisor / Officer (L2-L3)

Learning & Development Specialist (from other industries) (L2-L3)

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

Roles this leads to

One to one, on the work you already do

Everything else the record holds

The career path, and where it branches

Lead H&S Training Program Manager (L4)

Where AI is starting to help

Automated Assessment Generator

Incident Trend Analysis

Regulatory Change Summariser

Tailored Compliance Nudges

Common questions

Want a read on where you stand?