HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
Occupational safety and health has become a prime cause of concern for companies and industries around the world who worry about their employees’ well being as equally as they do for their business. The awareness to create safe and secure work environments by industries has not been spontaneous or voluntary, but under compulsion which was necessitated by widespread workplace accidents and losses.
So, the best possible mean to safeguard employees from mishaps or health risks was by appointing competent health and safety officials who could take guard against all possible hazards and risks and prevent workers from falling victims.
Health and Safety Advisor
What exactly the responsibilities of health and safety advisors, practitioners or officers? As a trained safety professional, he should act proactively in preventing accidents, health issues or injuries to workers under any kind of workplace. They should have the ability to spread positive vibes on health and safety among workers and management representatives to ensure safety to all.
As a safety expert, your role can vary depending upon the organisation and the industry it caters to.Also, on the basis of the industry, your nature of health and safety techniques may also vary. For example, areas such as occupational health, fire safety, construction, handling of machinery or control of hazardous substances, you will have to done a different responsibility while performing your duty as a safety officer.
Health and safety advisor responsibilities
As a safety professional, one needs to perform a variety of responsibilities depending upon the industry he or she serves. But some of the common threads everyone needs to focus on are:
Formulating effective safety procedures and policies- Regular inspection and risk assessments
- Maintaining records of accidents and health issues
- Incident investigations and recording the results
- Training workers to follow all essential safety standards
- In tune with health and safety legislations
- Coordinating with managers and recommend safety standards
- Closely work with Safety and Health inspectors and trade unions
Required Skills and Qualifications for safety and health Advisor
NEBOSH certification is highly recommended for those who wish to pursue their career as safety experts. Aspirates should have:
- NEBOSH International General certificate, which is a level 3 health and safety qualification. For senior level roles, students should have a level 6 qualification like NEBOSH International Diploma.
- Apart from having requisite qualification, the health and safety professionals should have a thorough understanding of safety procedures.
- They should have strong written and speaking ability and show astute organisational skills with attention to detail
- Apart from having the ability to take decision on any situation, they can also work under tight deadlines.
- Those who have Chartered or Graduate status membership of IOSH (Grad IOSH/CMIOSH) or already holding Technician status (Tech IOSH) will also be considered as safety professional.
