Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Healthcare Support

Level 5560 of 1200 points

Job description

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Job purpose

To evaluate work environments, design and maintain programmes controlling chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic risks, and inspect workplaces for compliance with health and safety law, so that disease and injury are prevented and the organisation meets its statutory obligations.

Skills

Applied command of occupational hygiene and safety practice — noise, atmosphere and ventilation surveys, asbestos management, sampling of dust, gases, vapours and other toxic materials, ergonomic assessment and accident investigation — resting on chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and building knowledge and on the laws governing workplace and public health. Applies statistics to exposure and incident data. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with smaller numbers holding a master's or a post-graduate certificate, and several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Advises managers and workers on protective measures, works with engineers and physicians on remedial measures, and deals with regulators, contractors and the public. Conducts safety training and new-employee orientations, demonstrates safety equipment, and coordinates right-to-know programmes on hazardous substances. Investigates health-related complaints and handles the disagreements that requirements and enforcement provoke.
Diagnostic work on incomplete evidence: establishes the causes of accidents and how to prevent them, judges whether ventilation, exhaust plant, lighting or working methods are adequate, and interprets sampling results against standards. A proportionate control must then be specified and justified against regulation, feasibility and operational reality; error carries consequences for workers' health.
Determines own tasks, priorities and goals, planning inspection, sampling, audit and training programmes and maintaining emergency response and medical monitoring arrangements, while responding to accidents and complaints as they arise. Decisions are frequent and taken under time pressure, and audits fit around operational activity.
Inspects plant, equipment and premises on foot, collects and handles samples of hazardous and potentially toxic materials, and operates monitoring instruments. Supplementary duties extend to packaging and labelling hazardous or radioactive waste and to laboratory analysis of samples. Wears common protective equipment, including safety footwear, glasses, gloves, hearing protection and hard hats.

Responsibilities

No line management, but carries direct responsibility for the health and safety of other workers, with authority to suspend activities that pose a threat. Guides those carrying out safety duties, coordinates others on investigations and audits, and trains employees at every level.
Monitors and controls the resources committed to health and safety activity. Holds no budget.
Responsible for hygiene and monitoring equipment and workplace safety provision: inspects areas for fire prevention and first-aid supplies, examines ventilation and exhaust plant, and maintains inventories of hazardous materials and wastes on waste tracking systems.
Maintains the health and safety record: inspection and audit reports, accident investigations, exposure results, emergency response procedures, medical monitoring and right-to-know records, and analyses incident data for trends in injuries and illnesses. Much is required by regulators or bears on individual health, and its accuracy carries consequences for workers and the organisation.

Effort required

Detailed technical attention to sampling, monitoring and inspection findings, where exactness determines whether an exposure is correctly judged. Decisions are frequent, taken under time pressure and on partial evidence, and carry into others' health and organisational results.
Personal accountability for the safety of others, exercised where requirements are unwelcome and stopping work is disputed. Investigating accidents and complaints means dealing with injury and its consequences, and holding a position calmly when challenged.
Moves about workplaces and sites on foot to inspect plant and premises, with walking, stooping, climbing and the handling of materials, and handles sampling containers and instruments; desk work occupies part of the time.

Working conditions

Work alternates between environmentally controlled offices and workplaces that are not, with time outdoors in all weather and travel by enclosed vehicle between sites. Exposure to contaminants and to uncomfortable noise occurs and protective equipment is worn. Work is done in close proximity to others, carries a high volume of contact by e-mail, telephone and face to face, and brings occasional conflict.
Most incumbents work irregular schedules shaped by operational demand, and around half regularly work beyond a standard week. Considerable freedom to determine tasks, priorities and goals within statutory limits, under time pressure and with accountability for decisions whose consequences fall on other workers.

Skills

40% · 249 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 5 of 8
90 of 144 points
Specialised and theoretical knowledge within a field of work and an awareness of the limits of that knowledge. The job requires a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical knowledge to develop creative solutions to abstract problems.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 150 points▾

PeopleLevel 2 of 5
58 of 144 points
Basic responsibility for people. Provides support, guidance or advice to individuals or small teams. This could include assisting with personal development, providing informal mentoring or guiding others through tasks with minimal decision-making power. It may involve contributing to others' sense of safety and comfort, but with limited decision-making authority or accountability for outcomes.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 0 of 5
0 of 96 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any responsibility for financial resources.

Effort

15% · 89 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 1 of 5
10 of 48 points
Minimal physical effort. The job involves light physical tasks, such as occasional lifting or moving light objects.

Working Conditions

10% · 72 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 3 of 5
50 of 84 points
Regular exposure to hazards or stress. The job requires regular exposure to physical hazards (e.g. exposure to chemicals, temperature extremes or minor risk of injury) or moderate psychological risks (e.g. isolation, repetitive tasks or occasional threats of violence). It may occur monthly or as a build-up of milder hazards.
Organisational environmentLevel 3 of 5
22 of 36 points
Regular organisational demands. The job requires regular shift work, night shifts or irregular hours and involves moderate travel or frequent digital connectivity after hours.