Health and safety adviser

Job description

Health and safety advisers ensure that practices and procedures within the workplace coincide with safety legislation and that standards are upheld and maintained. They are employed by a wide range of public and private sector organisations.

Work activities

• Identifying potential hazards and undertaking risk assessments on site.
• Determining ways of reducing risks.
• Providing health and safety training courses for employees and managers.
• Drawing up operational procedures and writing internal health and safety policies/strategies.
• Inspecting sites to ensure that health and safety measures are met and maintained.
• Ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation.
• Preparing reports.

Work conditions

Travel: some roles require visits to other sites during the working day.
Working hours: generally 9 to 5 office hours.
Location: varies depending on the role: positions are available in offices, factories and plants, or on transportation systems and offshore platforms across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Typical employers

• Local authorities
• Hospitals
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Construction/engineering companies
• Colleges/uiversities
• Manufacturers
• Large private companies
• Food processing/packaging plants

Entry requirements

Republic of Ireland: Advisers must hold a Level 3 Occupational Safety and Health qualification. To become an environmental health officer (EHO) a BSc in Environmental Health is required. Postgraduate training programmes are available at various centres and institutes throughout the country.

Northern Ireland: Health and Safety Advisers must be members of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) . To gain membership candidates need to hold an accredited occupational health and safety degree/MSc/diploma or the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) diploma. They must also gain at least three years' professional experience.