Health and safety inspector

Health and safety inspectors investigate the implementation and application of labour standards and policies in a workplace. They advise employers as well as employees on the improvement of policy and legislation implementation, ensure that the law is adhered to, and that matters of equality and labour rights are respected. They write reports and communicate with authorities.

Health and safety inspectors typically do the following:

• visit commercial and industrial premises to inspect processes and procedures and ensure good health and safety practice
• investigate accidents and complaints to determine if there has been a breach of health and safety law
• carry out examinations of machinery, working environments and structures, take measurements of noise, heat, and vibrations, and take photographs and samples where necessary
• ensure workers are provided with suitable protective equipment, such as eye goggles, ear protectors, gloves and other clothing
• investigate precautions taken to prevent industrial diseases
• investigate procedures for working in hazardous environments or with potentially harmful substances
• keep up to date with new legislation and health and safety standards
• stay informed about developments within particular sectors, such as agricultural or construction settings
• provide specialist advice and information on health and safety to businesses and organisations and advise on changes required
• negotiate with managers and operators to try to eliminate possible conflicts between safety considerations and production/profit
• write reports on results of inspections and investigations and complete detailed paperwork
• determine when action, i.e. notices or prosecution, may be necessary and gather and present the appropriate evidence
• develop health and safety working programmes and strategies
• develop methods to predict possible hazards drawn from experience, historical data and other appropriate information sources
• prepare for and present at court cases, if a decision is made to prosecute, and appearing as a witness in court or at an employment tribunal
• provide training and educational support to employers and new or trainee employees.

The following job titles also refer to health and safety inspector:

labour inspector
employment officer
employment solicitor
health and safety advisor
health & safety advisor
inspector of health and safety
labor inspector
employment lawyer
wage inspector
senior labour inspector
occupational health and safety inspector

Health and safety inspectors work in a variety of settings, such as offices or factories. Their jobs often involve considerable fieldwork and travel. They may be exposed to strenuous, dangerous, or stressful conditions. They use gloves, helmets, respirators, and other personal protective and safety equipment to minimize the risk of illness and injury.

Most health and safety inspectors work full time. Some may work weekends or irregular hours in emergencies.

Health and safety inspectors typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field, such as biology or healthcare and related majors. For some positions, a master’s degree in industrial hygiene, health physics, or a related subject is required. In addition to science courses, typical courses may include ergonomics, writing and communications, occupational safety management, and accident prevention.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Health and safety inspector is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to health and safety inspector.

social security inspector
weights and measures inspector
consumer rights advisor
occupational health and safety inspector
social security officer

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of health and safety inspector. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of health and safety inspector with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

labour relations officer
equality and inclusion manager
employment programme coordinator
government planning inspector
competition policy officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of health and safety inspector.

• Health and safety in the workplace: The body of rules, procedures and regulations related to safety, health and welfare of people in their workplace.
• Government policy implementation: The procedures related to the application of government policies at all levels of public administration.
• Audit techniques: The techniques and methods that support a systematic and independent examination of data, policies, operations and performances using computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs) such as spreadsheets, databases, statistical analysis and business intelligence software.
• Personnel management: The methodologies and procedures involved in the hiring and development of employees in order to ensure value for the organisation, as well as personnel needs, benefits, conflict resolution and ensuring a positive corporate climate.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

These skills are necessary for the role of health and safety inspector.

• Conduct workplace audits: Conduct work site audits and inspections in order to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Inspect government policy compliance: Inspect public and private organisations to ensure proper implementation and compliance with government policies which apply to the organisation.
• Maintain relationships with government agencies: Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
• Gather feedback from employees: Communicate in an open and positive manner in order to assess levels of satisfaction with employees, their outlook on the work environment, and in order to identify problems and devise solutions.
• Protect employee rights: Assess and handle situations in which the rights set by legislation and corporate policy for employees may be breached and take the appropriate actions in order to protect the employees.
• Advise on government policy compliance: Advise organisations on how they may improve their compliance to the applicable government policies they are required to adhere to, and the necessary steps which need to be taken in order to ensure complete compliance.
• Write inspection reports: Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection’s processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.
• Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
• Monitor organisation climate: Monitor the work environment and the behaviour of employees in an organisation to assess how the organisation culture is perceived by the employees and identify the factors which influence behaviour and which may facilitate a positive work environment.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of health and safety inspector. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Corporate law: The legal rules that govern how corporate stakeholders (such as shareholders, employees, directors, consumers, etc) interact with one another, and the responsibilities corporations have to their stakeholders.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of health and safety inspector. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
• Apply conflict management: Take ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. To be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and to be able to deal with a problem gambling situation in a professional manner with maturity and empathy.
• Promote inclusion in organisations: Promote diversity and equal treatment of genders, ethnicities and minority groups in organisations in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusion and a positive environment.
• Liaise with local authorities: Maintain the liaison and exchange of information with regional or local authorities.
• Monitor company policy: Monitor the company’s policy and propose improvements to the company.
• Identify policy breach: Identify instances of non-compliance to set plans and policies in an organisation, and take the appropriate course of action by issuing penalties and outlining the changes which need to be made.
• Set inclusion policies: Develop and implement plans which aim to create an environment in an organisation which is positive and inclusive of minorities, such as ethnicities, gender identities, and religious minorities.
• Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
• Advise on conflict management: Advise private or public organisations on monitoring possible conflict risk and development, and on conflict resolution methods specific to the identified conflicts.
• Advise on organisation climate: Advise organisations on their internal culture and work environment as experienced by employees, and the factors which may influence the behaviour of employees.
• Manage government policy implementation: Manage the operations of the implementation of new government policies or changes in existing policies on a national or regional level as well as the staff involved in the implementation procedure.
• Implement strategic planning: Take action on the goals and procedures defined at a strategic level in order to mobilise resources and pursue the established strategies.

3359 – Regulatory government associate professionals not elsewhere classified

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References

1. Health and safety inspector – ESCO
2. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians : Occupational Outlook Handbook – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Health and safety inspector job profile | Prospects.ac.uk
4. How to Become a Safety Inspector? | Indeed.com
5. Featured image: By Slayym – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0