Job Summary

The Health and Safety Assistant is responsible for keeping people safe at their work sites. They develop policies and procedures to make sure people aren’t harmed by their jobs, investigate and report accidents, and provide guidance to leaders on how to comply with the law. They may also take responsibility for health-related projects, such as organising talks and training for staff.

[It is also a good idea to give some brief background information about your organisation e.g. company size, how long you’ve been in operation, information about specific buildings/premises etc]

Key Responsibilities

[Obviously these responsibilities will vary depending on your organisation and requirements, however we have listed a wide range of potential Head of Estates key responsibilities below as a starting point.]

-Investigating health-related complaints and cases of ill health

-Carrying out risk assessments and site inspections

-Ensuring that equipment is installed correctly and safely

-Identifying potential hazards

-Determining ways of reducing risks

-Compiling statistics and writing reports

-Running health and safety meetings and training courses for employees

-Liaising with external health and safety authorities

-Keeping up to date and ensuring compliance with current health and safety legislation.

-Outline safe operational procedures which identify and consider all relevant hazards

-Carry out regular site inspections to check policies and procedures are being properly implemented

-Ensure working practices are safe and comply with legislation

-Prepare health and safety strategies and develop internal policy

-Keep records of inspection findings and produce reports that suggest improvements

-Record incidents and accidents and produce statistics for managers

-Produce management reports, newsletters and bulletins

-Ensure equipment is installed safely

-Manage and organise the safe disposal of hazardous substances, e.g. asbestos

-Advise on a range of specialist areas, e.g. fire regulations, hazardous substances, noise, safeguarding machinery and occupational diseases.

Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications

-IOSH / NEBOSH qualification desirable

-Previous knowledge of Health and Safety in the workplace is essential

-Some sort of H&S qualification irrespective of level 

-Health and safety experience gained within a manufacturing or production environment.

-Some experience of risk assessment

-Knowledge of health and safety requirements in a production or warehouse environment.

Skills and personal attributes

-Excellent written and spoken communication skills in order to explain health and safety processes to a range of people and to give presentations to groups

-Negotiating skills to convince managers of the need to implement and maintain safety standards that may compromise speed or efficiency in the organisation

-Patience and diplomacy because the profession requires a collaborative approach

-The ability to understand and analyse complex information and present it simply and accurately

-IT skills

-Attention to detail

-A flexible approach to work

-An interest in the law and the ability to understand regulations

-Physical fitness, if your work will involve time on large-scale plants or on outdoor sites

-A driving licence – essential for jobs involving travel between sites.