About Dean Thompson

Dean Thompson is the owner and operator of Trade Checka – you can read more about Trade Checka’s history here.

Dean completed his Diploma in Health and Safety in 2018 – he did it part-time while he worked in the construction industry. He was that person who had to do the ‘checks’ on companies. His most interesting learning during the diploma was the occupational hygiene papers – it was technically difficult and went through chemical levels, PPE gear, fire retardants and saturation levels.

As the person who performed Health and Safety ‘checks’, Dean has plenty of horror stories. But the main part of his job was auditing – ensuring companies have a system and that it works when it needs to. It also includes understanding the New Zealand Acts, ensuring the business is compliant and keeping up with any legislative changes.

Dean has a sense of pride and a passion to ensure everyone is kosher – genuine and legitimate – and it shows through in everything he is involved in.

Cadets, coffee catchups and salmon ravioli

Dean is involved in the local community with Cadets (mostly Navy) – he describes it as similar to Scouts, but with more structure. It provides a pathway into the New Zealand Forces that might not have been considered otherwise, which he sees as a fantastic alternative to the young people he sees leaving school early for warehouse positions to support their families.

The New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM) represents health and safety workers. Dean stands on the Auckland committee and organises the monthly professional development events. He also runs the coffee catchups across Auckland – it’s for H&S managers, consultants, WorkSafe inspectors, advisors and H&S representatives. The idea is to build local networks to support each other, someone else in another business has likely already solved the problem that another is just beginning to tackle.

Dean also stands as a representative for the Body Corporate Chairs Group (BCCD) which provides education for chairpersons of body corporates. They lobby different agencies around the needs of apartment and unit dwellings such as a change in legislation or providing problem-solving advice.

‘Fluffy’ is TradeChecka’s Office Manager and is often found at the keyboard. She is a rescue cat and Dean enjoys her company because “she listens without judgement.”

In his downtime, Dean enjoys cooking and talks about unusual infusions – a curry lasagne or salmon ravioli – and of course enjoying the fruits of his labours afterwards.
Transparency is critical and in Dean’s case, this value is evident throughout his business operations. By living this genuinely every day, Dean has created a culture of trust and integrity that sets his business apart and contributes to its ongoing success.

You can get in touch with Dean via email or by calling 09 09889 2464. Have a look at Trade Checka’s Checks here.