Last Updated on December 2, 2021 by Construction Digest
The role of the Health and Safety Manager is extremely important in any organization – whatever size, or wherever located.
This person needs to have extensive knowledge of all aspects of health and safety legislation including the various standards relevant to your industry sector.
There are so many regulations it is impossible to know everything about all but one or two pieces of legislation at most in any single company.
This means that you need a good working relationship with other managers who might be responsible for parts of health & safety, as well as managing relationships with external consultants if there are specialist areas which fall outside the remit of in-house expertise.
You also need excellent communication skills, both written and oral, because you will be reporting directly to Board level on various issues.
This is a role that I have been in for several years now and I have found it to be both interesting and challenging.
The specialist areas such as working at height, confined spaces, asbestos and fire safety are fascinating but also extremely time consuming – it takes many hours of research to understand the legislation relating to each specific area.
This role does require very good knowledge of health & safety law, knowledge of your industry sector and then take the additional step to really understand what types of systems & procedures should be used by your company or agency to ensure compliance.
What Are The Responsibilities Of A Health And Safety Manager?
As a manager you are required by law to ensure that all employees receive adequate information, instruction and training regarding health and safety.
This means that you need a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities within your business or agency.
This will also include an appreciation on how all staff should work together to ensure compliance with national regulations and any company policies.
You will be expected to have a clear idea of the roles and responsibilities of every member of your team – as well as how they communicate with each other, their individual strengths & weaknesses and developing strategies for working more effectively together.
As a specialist in health & safety management in you are very likely to be responsible for:
- Ensuring that all employees receive adequate training so that they understand what is required from them
- Ensuring that all employees receive regular health and safety information
- Scheduling and ensuring that appropriate risk assessments are carried out as required by law on any job or project which could be hazardous to your workers. These should be correctly conducted, signed off and a copy retained for your records
- Making sure the equipment is adequate to carry out the tasks required. This means ensuring it is in good working order, free from defects and maintained appropriately throughout its lifetime so it can always be relied upon when needed. You will also need to make sure your staff have been trained to use this equipment properly and safely
- Making sure all necessary measures are put in place to minimize the risks of accidents or ill-health injury – ensure proper procedures are followed at all times.
- Liaising with external consultants and contractors who are responsible for work which falls outside the general requirements of your organization
- Ensuring that any equipment or substances used in the course of the work carried out by your company is properly controlled and maintained so it does not cause harm to those around them
- Assessing risk from ionizing radiation, asbestos, noise & vibration and ensuring measures are put in place to control this as necessary
- Promoting good health & safety practices throughout the business – reporting on progress, raising awareness about common problems and identifying areas where improvements need to be made. This includes annual reviews of statistics relating to sick pay records, accidents and corrective actions which have been implemented (or not as the case may be)
- Planning and organizing training courses on health & safety for staff at all levels – make sure that these are tailored to the needs of your business or agency
- Managing the health & safety budget within your company, making sure it is sufficient and wisely spent.