Health and safety officer

Health and safety officers execute plans to improve work environments and cultures. They assess risks and interview employees to ensure the work environment complies with health and safety rules and that workplace interactions occur positively and productively. If employed in a healthcare facility, the health and safety officer must investigate infections spreading across the facility and advise all employees on combatting and preventing infections. Furthermore, health physics is applied at facilities where people are exposed to ionizing radiation, such as nuclear power plants and research institutions.

Healthb and safety officers typically do the following:

• Ensure compliance with local, state, national, and international health and safety regulations, standards, codes, and guidelines established by regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and other relevant authorities. Stay updated on changes in health and safety laws and regulations to maintain regulatory compliance.
• Develop, implement, and manage health and safety programs, policies, procedures, and management systems tailored to the specific needs and activities of the organization or facility. Establish safety management systems (SMS), safety plans, emergency response protocols, and hazard control measures to address workplace hazards and risks.
• Conduct risk assessments, hazard analyses, and workplace inspections to identify potential health and safety hazards, assess associated risks, and prioritize corrective actions. Evaluate physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards present in the workplace and develop strategies to control or mitigate risks.
• Provide health and safety training and education to employees, supervisors, managers, and contractors on topics such as hazard recognition, safety rules, emergency procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), and safe work practices. Deliver orientation sessions, toolbox talks, safety meetings, and training workshops to promote safety awareness and empower employees to participate in safety initiatives.
• Investigate workplace incidents, accidents, near misses, and occupational injuries to determine root causes, contributing factors, and lessons learned. Document incident reports, injury reports, and investigation findings to identify corrective actions, preventive measures, and opportunities for improvement. Implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence of incidents and enhance safety performance.
• Conduct routine safety inspections, audits, and assessments of work areas, equipment, facilities, and processes to ensure compliance with health and safety standards, regulations, and best practices. Identify deficiencies, non-conformities, and safety violations through observations, measurements, and documentation of findings. Recommend corrective actions and follow up on implementation to address identified hazards and improve safety performance.
• Develop emergency preparedness plans, evacuation procedures, and crisis management protocols for responding to workplace emergencies, such as fires, chemical spills, natural disasters, and medical emergencies. Coordinate emergency drills, exercises, and simulations to test readiness, assess response capabilities, and train personnel on emergency procedures.
• Serve as a health and safety advisor and liaison to safety committees, joint health and safety committees (JHSCs), safety representatives, and employee participation programs responsible for promoting safety culture, engaging employees, and addressing safety concerns. Facilitate safety committee meetings, hazard assessments, and safety improvement initiatives to foster collaboration and communication on safety matters.
• Promote a positive safety culture and behavioral safety principles throughout the organization by recognizing and rewarding safe behaviors, encouraging employee participation in safety initiatives, and providing feedback on safety performance. Champion safety campaigns, awareness programs, and incentive schemes to reinforce safety values and motivate continuous improvement in safety performance.
• Support employee health and wellness initiatives by promoting healthy lifestyles, stress management techniques, ergonomic improvements, and work-life balance strategies. Collaborate with healthcare providers, wellness coaches, and employee assistance programs (EAPs) to address health-related concerns, prevent occupational illnesses, and support employee well-being.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records, logs, and documentation related to health and safety activities, including safety inspections, incident reports, training records, safety committee minutes, and regulatory compliance documentation. Ensure compliance with recordkeeping requirements and data management protocols to facilitate regulatory compliance and risk management.
• Monitor safety performance metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and leading indicators to track progress, evaluate effectiveness, and identify opportunities for improvement in health and safety performance. Conduct safety culture assessments, employee surveys, and feedback mechanisms to gather input and engage stakeholders in safety improvement initiatives.

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

occupational health officer
occupational health and safety officer
workplace health and safety advisor
occupational health nurse
public health inspector
environmental and occupational heath officer
occupational hygienist
health and safety advisor

Health and Safety Officers work in various settings, including corporate offices, industrial facilities, construction sites, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, government agencies, and public venues. They may spend time in both office environments and field settings, conducting safety inspections, training sessions, and incident investigations. The work schedule may include regular business hours as well as evenings, weekends, or on-call duties to address safety emergencies or regulatory compliance issues.

A bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, industrial hygiene, environmental health, engineering, or a related field is typically required for entry-level positions as a Health and Safety Officer. Some employers may prefer candidates with a master’s degree or professional certification in health and safety, occupational safety, or industrial hygiene.

Practical experience gained through internships, co-op programs, or entry-level positions in health and safety, risk management, or regulatory compliance is valuable. Health and Safety Officers may pursue certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST), or other relevant credentials to demonstrate expertise in health and safety practice and enhance career advancement opportunities.

Continuous learning and staying updated on advancements in health and safety regulations, technologies, and best practices contribute to ongoing professional development as a Health and Safety Officer.

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 officer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

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

emergency response coordinator
ombudsman
government planning inspector
equality and inclusion manager
secretary general

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

• Health, safety and hygiene legislation: The set of health, safety and hygiene standards and items of legislation applicable in a specific sector.
• Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
• Personal protective equipment: Types of protective materials and equipment foreseen for various types of tasks such as general or specialised cleaning activities.
• Environmental legislation: The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
• Assessment of risks and threats: The security documentation and any security-related communications and information.
• Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

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

• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
• Communicate health and safety measures: Inform about applicable rules, guidelines and measures to avoid accidents and hazards in the workplace.
• Advise on risk management: Provide advice on risk management policies and prevention strategies and their implementation, being aware of different kinds of risks to a specific organisation.
• Draw up risk assessment: Assess risks, propose improvements and describe measures to be taken at the organisational level.
• Follow safety standards in industrial contexts: Abide by safety procedures and standards for industrial contexts, mostly where machinery is involved.
• Monitor legislation developments: Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.
• 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.
• Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
• Educate employees on occupational hazards: Provide information and advice to employees related to the possible occupational hazards, such as industrial solvents, radiation, noise and vibration.

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

• 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.
• Project management: Understand project management and the activities which comprise this area. Know the variables implied in project management such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
• Pollution prevention: The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.
• 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 and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of health and safety officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• 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.
• Make health, safety and environment assessments: Execute health, safety and environmental assessments to ensure proper working environment and conditions.
• Perform risk analysis: Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation’s functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.
• Issue licences: Issue official documentation which grants licence holders with official permission to perform certain activities, after having investigated the application and processed the necessary documentation.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Think analytically: Produce thoughts using logic and reasoning in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Conduct workplace audits: Conduct work site audits and inspections in order to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Educate on emergency management: Educate communities, organisations, or individuals on risk management and emergency response, such as how to develop and implement prevention and reaction strategies, and educate on emergency policies specific to the risks applicable to that area or organisation.
• 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.
• Perform health assessment: Autonomously perform comprehensive health assessment, using professional judgment to refer patients requiring specialist attention to other health professionals and agencies as appropriate.
• Conduct research interview: Use professional researching and interviewing methods and techniques to gather relevant data, facts or information, to gain new insights and to fully comprehend the message of the interviewee.
• Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
• Advise on environmental risk management systems: Evaluate requirements and advise on systems for environmental risk management. Ensure the customer does his part in preventing or limiting adverse environmental impact through the use of technology. Ensure required licenses and permits are obtained.
• Test safety strategies: Test policies and strategies related to risk and safety management and procedures, such as testing evacuation plans, safety equipment, and carrying out drills.
• Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
• Provide improvement strategies: Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.
• Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
• 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.

2263 – Environmental and occupational health and hygiene professionals

---

References

1. Health and safety officer – ESCO
2. Featured image: By This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives and Records Administration as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America, via its partner Digital Public Library of America.Record in source catalogDPLA identifier: 44d8747dbee121e1c1b15cc847ffcfb3National Archives Identifier: 39020115, Public Domain