Health and Safety Officer
What's it like to be a Health and Safety Officer?
Health and Safety Officers (Kaitohutohu Hauora-Haumaru) work within organisations to ensure that health and safety protocols are in place, standards and laws are followed, and risks are eliminated or minimised. Health and Safety Officers ensure that workplaces are safe and healthy places for employees to work, and minimise losses to companies that could arise from injured or sick employees, damaged property or loss of stock or inventory, or even from lawsuits. While occupational health and safety is a potential concern to all kinds of businesses in various industries, Health and Safety Officers typically work in factories and manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, transport and logistics, construction and engineering, and anywhere where chemicals, machinery or physical exertion could pose a threat to workplace health and safety.
Tasks and duties
- Monitoring and inspecting workplace health and safety.
- Training employees on health and safety procedures.
- Helping organisations devise health and safety protocols.
- Investigating and reporting accidents, spills, damage to equipment or injuries.
- Advising on relevant legislation, rules and best practices.
How to become a Health and Safety Officer
Health and Safety Officers usually need a health and safety qualification as well as industry experience.
Gain experience in a relevant workplace and look for opportunities to volunteer as the Health and Safety Representative. Most workplaces have such a representative, and this is a good way to learn about health and safety before making it your entire career.
Consider completing a certificate (Level 4) or diploma (Level 6) in workplace health and safety. These can be completed full-time or part-time while you work in a relevant role.
To further your knowledge of occupational health and safety and advance your career, you could continue your studies with a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a postgraduate diploma in workplace health and safety, occupational health, occupational and environmental health and other related disciplines.
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