Health and Safety Advisor Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, role-specific job advert for a Health and Safety Advisor. It sets out typical duties, realistic requirements and useful questions to help you shortlist candidates quickly.
What does a Health and Safety Advisor professional do?
A Health and Safety Advisor provides practical guidance, risk assessment and compliance support to reduce workplace hazards and ensure adherence to UK health and safety law and company policies.
Health and Safety Advisor job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Health and Safety Advisor
About the role
We are recruiting a Health and Safety Advisor to support our operations at [Location]. You will deliver risk assessments, safety inspections, incident investigations and training, and advise managers on legal compliance and best practice. This is a [full-time/part-time] [permanent/temporary] role reporting to [Line manager title]; salary: [Salary or salary range].
Key responsibilities
- Carry out site and office risk assessments, produce clear reports and recommend remedial actions
- Develop, review and help implement health and safety policies, safe systems of work and permits-to-work where required
- Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses, prepare investigation reports and drive corrective actions
- Deliver toolbox talks, inductions and role-specific safety training to staff and contractors
- Carry out routine safety inspections and audits; track actions and follow-up to closure
- Monitor and report on safety performance metrics and regulatory compliance
- Advise on statutory duties (e.g. accident reporting, COSHH, lone working, PPE) and liaise with external bodies when necessary
- Support site/operational teams with method statements and risk control for new activities or changes to processes
Essential skills and experience
- Experience (typically 1–3 years) in a practical health and safety advisory or officer role
- Good working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation and practical compliance (e.g. risk assessment, incident investigation)
- NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent qualification, or willingness to undertake such a course
- Proven ability to carry out and document risk assessments, safety inspections and audits
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience delivering training or briefings
- Competent with Microsoft Office and record-keeping systems; able to prepare clear reports and action plans
Desirable
- Experience in the relevant sector (construction, manufacturing, logistics, facilities or utilities)
- Experience conducting formal audits or working to ISO 45001 processes
- Asbestos awareness, working at height or confined space training where relevant to the role
- Practical knowledge of permit-to-work systems, contractor management or environmental compliance
- Full UK driving licence if role requires travel between sites
What we offer
- [Pension scheme contribution]
- [Annual leave entitlement + bank holidays]
- [Hybrid / flexible working options where applicable]
- [Training and professional development budget]
- [Healthcare or cash plan]
- [Season ticket loan / travel allowance]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Health and Safety Advisor role?
A Health and Safety Advisor supports organisations by identifying workplace hazards, developing control measures and ensuring compliance with UK health and safety law. They carry out risk assessments, training and incident investigations, advise managers on safe systems of work and monitor performance to reduce accidents and promote a positive safety culture across teams and sites.
Core focus
Risk assessment, incident investigation, compliance advice and safety training across operational areas.
Who you’ll support
Line managers, operational teams and contractors with practical, proportionate safety solutions.
Typical qualifications
NEBOSH General Certificate or IOSH Managing Safely, or equivalent practical H&S training and CPD.
Typical Health and Safety Advisor responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Carry out site
Carry out site and office risk assessments, produce clear reports and recommend remedial actions
Develop
Develop, review and help implement health and safety policies, safe systems of work and permits-to-work where required
Investigate accidents
Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses, prepare investigation reports and drive corrective actions
Deliver toolbox talks
Deliver toolbox talks, inductions and role-specific safety training to staff and contractors
Carry out routine safety inspections
Carry out routine safety inspections and audits; track actions and follow-up to closure
Monitor
Monitor and report on safety performance metrics and regulatory compliance
Advise on statutory duties (e.g.
Advise on statutory duties (e.g. accident reporting, COSHH, lone working, PPE) and liaise with external bodies when necessary
Support site/operational teams with method
Support site/operational teams with method statements and risk control for new activities or changes to processes
Health and Safety Advisor skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Experience (typically 1–3 years) in a practical health and safety advisory or officer role
- Good working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation and practical compliance (e.g. risk assessment, incident investigation)
- NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent qualification, or willingness to undertake such a course
- Proven ability to carry out and document risk assessments, safety inspections and audits
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience delivering training or briefings
- Competent with Microsoft Office and record-keeping systems; able to prepare clear reports and action plans
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the relevant sector (construction, manufacturing, logistics, facilities or utilities)
- Experience conducting formal audits or working to ISO 45001 processes
- Asbestos awareness, working at height or confined space training where relevant to the role
- Practical knowledge of permit-to-work systems, contractor management or environmental compliance
- Full UK driving licence if role requires travel between sites
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Health and Safety Advisor job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about hazards
Name the main hazards the role will manage (e.g. machinery, manual handling, COSHH, working at height) so candidates can assess fit quickly.
Distinguish essential vs desirable
Make core compliance skills essential and sector-specific experience desirable to avoid excluding good generalist advisors.
State autonomy and responsibility
Clarify whether the role will lead investigations, hold stop-work authority, or only provide advisory input to give candidates a realistic view.
Mention travel, hours and site-types
If the job requires regular site travel, shift work or frequent lone working, state this up front to reduce unsuitable applications.
Health and Safety Advisor salary considerations
Salary for a Health and Safety Advisor varies with sector, location and the level of responsibility. Rather than a single market rate, employers should consider the role’s scope, required qualifications and local labour market when setting pay.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Health and Safety Advisor candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the typical hours and shift patterns?
Candidates need to know if the role includes nights, weekend rota or extended site hours so they can assess work-life fit.
How much travel between sites is required?
Travel frequency and mileage arrangements affect candidate availability, especially for site-based roles.
What level of decision-making authority will the advisor have?
Experienced advisors will want to know if they can stop unsafe work, enforce actions or only recommend changes.
What training and CPD support is provided?
Candidates expect clarity on support for maintaining qualifications and attending professional courses.
Who will the role report to and what teams will be supported?
Knowing the reporting line and stakeholder groups helps applicants understand the role’s influence and working relationships.
Where to post a Health and Safety Advisor job
For Health and Safety Advisor roles, combine general UK job boards and LinkedIn with sector-specific channels and professional networks (IOSH groups, NEBOSH forums, construction and manufacturing boards) to reach both generalist and specialist candidates. Consider local channels if the role covers specific sites, and use trade or sector mailing lists and online communities where qualified safety professionals congregate to improve candidate quality.
Health and Safety Advisor job description FAQs
Do I have to require a NEBOSH certificate for every Health and Safety Advisor role?
Not always. NEBOSH General Certificate is common and helpful, but you can accept alternative qualifications or relevant experience. If NEBOSH is essential for the role, state it clearly and explain why.
How should I assess practical H&S competence at interview?
Use scenario questions, ask candidates to walk through a recent risk assessment or incident investigation they led, and include a short practical task or review of a sample risk assessment.
Are background checks required for this role?
Standard pre-employment checks include references and right-to-work. A DBS check is not routinely required for H&S advisors unless the role involves regulated work with vulnerable people; mention any driving licence requirement if the role includes travel.
Should I advertise the exact salary?
Providing a salary or salary range increases application quality and demonstrates transparency. If you prefer not to disclose a figure, describe the factors that will influence pay.
How can I attract more senior candidates?
Highlight scope of responsibility, budget or people management, opportunities to lead audits or policy development, and support for professional development and CPD.
Use and customise this Health and Safety Advisor template
Copy the advert paragraph and tailor responsibilities, required qualifications and benefits to match your organisation. When ready, publish across sector-specific sites and professional networks to reach qualified candidates.
