Work With Offenders - The Choices
Health and Safety Officer
Health and Safety Officers work closely with the council to develop and implement safety inspections and programmes where they have deemed a public and private property unsafe in some form. They carry out detailed inspection visits, re-visits and provide appropriate support to businesses and report to the principle health and safety officer. This can lead to full-on enforcement action being issued to property owners who fail to comply with regulations. Preferably, the position holder will be familiar with the Licensing Act 2003.
Other duties may include investigating accidents and service complaints and/or requests; advising and supporting the council’s corporate safety advisor; helping with the completion of accident reports; undertaking audits; and reviewing risk assessments with the aim of ensuring that they comply with the council’s health and safety strictures; dealing and preparing letters, court case files and reports and attending formal hearings of the council where necessary; and to ensure and enforce the accurate and continual documenting of important health and safety inspections and checks.
The position holder would be willing to comply with the council out of hours emergency service when required. This ensures that, during an emergency (such as finding oneself homeless when the local Housing Service is closed), key council members can be contacted at whatever time of day. Therefore, this may require the holder to work out of home some evenings and/or weekends in circumstances such as these and access to a vehicle and a full UK drivers’ license would be required. Additionally, prospective candidates are required to have had experience in working in a health and safety enforcement related role.
Qualifications: An undergraduate degree would be preferable, and he or she should be a certified member with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
Experience: At least two years in health and safety enforcement role.
Skills: Literacy and verbal communication skills, IT skills, people skills, investigation skills, knowledge of the Licensing Act 2005.
