Health and Safety Officer Job Description Example

This post provides detailed information on the health and safety officer job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to perform to be hired for the health and safety officer role.

What Does a Health and Safety Officer Do?

Health and safety officers are responsible for promoting positive health and safety culture in a workplace.

The health and safety officer job description usually involves roles that seek to maintain a safe work environment for company employees.

They usually achieve this through the implementation of external guidelines established by regulatory bodies.

Health/safety officers in performing their duties provide health and safety training courses for employees to educate them on necessary safety procedures.

They conduct risk assessments and site inspections to identify work areas that pose threats to life and property.

They also draw up safe operational practices necessary to minimize risk of workplace accidents.

Health officers carry out investigations on incidents, complaints, and recurrent health cases to identify and provide solutions to workplace situations.

They develop and implement internal health and safety policies/strategies necessary for optimized work processes.

They also inspect work machinery and equipment to ensure correct and safe installation.

Usually, safety officers maintain accurate records of incidents and inspection findings in order to prepare reports useful in taking strategic safety decisions. They prepare and mount safety signs at appropriate locations to indicate potential hazard.

They also prepare periodic safety statistics and submit to safety managers for review.

As part of their responsibilities, health/safety officers maintain an up-to-date knowledge of new HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) legislation as well as other developments that can impact a company.

They also make recommendations to management on fire regulations, occupational diseases, and waste disposal.

In fulfilling their work description, health/safety officers attend IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) seminars to update job knowledge and enhance their skill.

The health/safety officer job requires a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, risk management, or safety management to qualify for it.

The major qualities you need to succeed on the job include problem-solving skills, as well as organizational and communication skills.

Health and Safety Officer Job Description Example/Template

Working as a health and safety officer entails performing various functions to instill health and safety culture in the work environment.

Given below is a typical job description that captures the major tasks, duties, and responsibilities of the role:

• Monitor work processes and procedures to identify unsafe practices or breach of safety regulations
• Conduct equipment inspection to ensure they are correctly installed and operational
• Facilitate and schedule repairs of unsafe or damaged equipment
• Organize safety training to educate company staff on necessary safety principles
• Liaise with the quality control department of a company to determine if a finished product is safe for customers
• Develop and implement safety, procedures, and policies for production operations
• Carry out investigations to identify the root cause of an incident or other unsafe conditions on a work site
• Oversee the placement and setup of safety signs to warn of potential hazard
• Prepare and present to company management periodic report of safety operations
• Collaborate with law enforcement agents and investigators to address cases of workplace accident
• Proffer recommendations on safety topics such as proper waste disposal, fire regulations, and noise
• Conduct risk assessments to identify work areas with high risk of operational hazard
• Oversee company waste disposal methods to ensure they comply with safe disposal procedures
• Review company operational processes to ensure they are in line with external safety legislations
• Attend occupational safety and health seminars to update job knowledge and enhance their skills.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Health and Safety Officer Job

If you are looking to work as a health and safety officer, here are common requirements you may be expected to meet by most employers:

• Education and Training: To become a health/safety officer, you require a Bachelor’s degree in risk management, engineering, safety management, or in a related discipline. Certification from recognized occupational health and safety body is also necessary for the position
• Problem-solving Skill: Health and safety officers are well versed in developing safe operational strategies and solution to minimize work place incidence
• Organizational Skills: They are skilled in coordinating general workplace operations to ensure compliance safety standards
• Communication Skill: They are able to provide company staff with useful safety information by means of clear language.

Conclusion

If you are an employer needing a work description for the health and safety officer job, this post provides a sample copy that details the duties and responsibilities of the position that you can use.

You can apply this copy as a template in designing a job description that perfectly suits your company’s operations.

This post is also useful to job seekers who are interested in the health and safety officer position to learn about the role, and to be prepared for the responsibilities of the position.