Health and Safety Officer Job Description
Support safe working practices, reduce risk and help your organisation meet statutory obligations.
What does a Health and Safety Officer professional do?
A Health and Safety Officer implements safety systems, carries out risk assessments, investigates incidents and delivers training to maintain legal compliance and protect people, assets and reputation.
Health and Safety Officer 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 Officer
About the role
[Company name] is seeking a Health and Safety Officer to join our team in [Location]. You will work closely with the Health & Safety Manager and site teams to maintain health and safety standards, complete risk assessments, investigate incidents, deliver staff briefings and monitor performance. This role is [full-time/part-time, permanent/contract] and reports to [Line manager job title].
Key responsibilities
- Conduct routine site inspections and workplace risk assessments; record findings and drive corrective actions.
- Support development, review and implementation of health and safety policies, procedures and safe systems of work.
- Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses; produce clear reports and recommend remedial actions.
- Deliver toolbox talks and training sessions on relevant topics (manual handling, PPE, working at height, etc.).
- Maintain up-to-date records: COSHH registers, permit-to-work documents, inspection logs and training records.
- Monitor key H&S performance indicators and prepare management reports to highlight trends and priorities.
- Advise on statutory compliance, including reporting to regulators and supporting external audits where required.
- Liaise with contractors and visitors to ensure compliance with site safety standards.
Essential skills and experience
- Relevant health and safety qualification (e.g., NEBOSH General Certificate) or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Practical experience carrying out risk assessments and producing action plans.
- Good written and verbal communication with the ability to prepare concise reports.
- Proven ability to deliver short training sessions and briefings to operational teams.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing tasks.
- Proficiency with basic office IT (email, spreadsheets, word processing).
Desirable
- Experience working in the same or a closely related sector (construction, manufacturing, utilities, facilities, etc.).
- IOSH membership or progression towards Chartered status.
- Experience using H&S or compliance management software.
- Qualification or experience in accident investigation and root-cause analysis.
- First aid at work certificate or fire marshal training.
- Experience managing contractor safety on multi-site environments.
What we offer
- [Pension scheme - employer contribution % placeholder]
- [Annual holiday entitlement placeholder]
- [Professional membership support / training allowance]
- [Flexible working policy placeholder]
- [Employee assistance programme placeholder]
- [Travel allowance or company car/allowance placeholder if applicable]
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 Officer role?
A Health and Safety Officer helps organisations meet legal and internal safety standards by identifying hazards, assessing risks and ensuring corrective actions are implemented. They conduct inspections and investigations, maintain records, deliver training and support management with compliance reporting. The role acts as a practical, site-focused resource to reduce incidents and support a continuous improvement approach to workplace safety.
Typical duties
Risk assessments, site inspections, incident investigations, delivering training and maintaining safety records.
Reports to
Usually reports to a Health & Safety Manager, Facilities Manager or Operations Manager depending on organisational structure.
Work environment
Often site-based with regular office administration; may involve travel between sites and occasional out-of-hours work for incidents.
Typical Health and Safety Officer responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Conduct routine site inspections
Conduct routine site inspections and workplace risk assessments; record findings and drive corrective actions.
Support development
Support development, review and implementation of health and safety policies, procedures and safe systems of work.
Investigate accidents
Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses; produce clear reports and recommend remedial actions.
Deliver toolbox talks
Deliver toolbox talks and training sessions on relevant topics (manual handling, PPE, working at height, etc.).
Maintain up-to-date records: COSHH registers
Maintain up-to-date records: COSHH registers, permit-to-work documents, inspection logs and training records.
Monitor key H&S performance indicators
Monitor key H&S performance indicators and prepare management reports to highlight trends and priorities.
Advise on statutory compliance
Advise on statutory compliance, including reporting to regulators and supporting external audits where required.
Liaise with contractors
Liaise with contractors and visitors to ensure compliance with site safety standards.
Health and Safety Officer 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
- Relevant health and safety qualification (e.g., NEBOSH General Certificate) or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Practical experience carrying out risk assessments and producing action plans.
- Good written and verbal communication with the ability to prepare concise reports.
- Proven ability to deliver short training sessions and briefings to operational teams.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing tasks.
- Proficiency with basic office IT (email, spreadsheets, word processing).
Useful where relevant
- Experience working in the same or a closely related sector (construction, manufacturing, utilities, facilities, etc.).
- IOSH membership or progression towards Chartered status.
- Experience using H&S or compliance management software.
- Qualification or experience in accident investigation and root-cause analysis.
- First aid at work certificate or fire marshal training.
- Experience managing contractor safety on multi-site environments.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Health and Safety Officer job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about where the role sits
State the team or department the officer will support and who they report to so candidates understand the level of responsibility.
List measurable duties
Mention the types of assessments, number of sites or frequency of inspections to help applicants judge workload and relevance.
Include qualification expectations clearly
Specify whether a recognised qualification (for example NEBOSH General Certificate) is required, preferable or optional, and if you will accept equivalent experience.
Describe the safety culture
Briefly outline whether the role is advisory, hands-on enforcement, or a mix — and whether it involves lone working, managing contractors or chairing committees.
Health and Safety Officer salary considerations
Salary for a Health and Safety Officer varies by sector, location and the role's scope. Consider the following factors when setting a pay band rather than relying on a single market figure.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Health and Safety Officer candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the reporting line and team size?
Candidates want to know who they report to, whether they lead others and how many sites or colleagues they will support.
Are there on-call, out-of-hours or travel requirements?
Clarify expectations for incident response, travel between sites and typical working hours to prevent surprises.
Which qualifications are required or accepted?
Be clear if a NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent) is essential, preferred or if demonstrable experience can substitute.
What training and professional development is provided?
Experienced candidates will want to know about support for CPD, membership fees and progression to senior H&S roles.
What systems and records will they manage?
Specify whether they will use a safety management system, spreadsheets, permit systems or other compliance tools.
How much interaction is there with frontline staff and contractors?
Clarify whether the role is advisory or includes enforcement, contractor management and front-line engagement.
Where to post a Health and Safety Officer job
For a Health and Safety Officer, use a mix of broad UK job boards and sector-specific channels that reach operational professionals. Post on professional networks such as LinkedIn and sites frequented by safety specialists; consider listings with IOSH or NEBOSH-linked communities and local recruitment channels if the role requires on-site attendance.
Related health & safety / compliance job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Health and Safety Officer job description FAQs
When should I hire a Health and Safety Officer rather than a Health and Safety Manager?
Hire an officer when you need a hands-on, operational role focused on inspections, training and compliance at site or team level. A manager is appropriate where strategic leadership, policy development and full ownership of the safety function are required.
Is a NEBOSH certificate legally required for this role?
No single certificate is legally mandatory for most Health and Safety Officer roles, but recognised qualifications such as the NEBOSH General Certificate are commonly expected and demonstrate competence to regulators and insurers.
Do Health and Safety Officers need DBS checks?
DBS checks are only necessary where the role involves regulated activities (for example working with vulnerable groups). For most site-based safety roles a standard employment background check and references are sufficient.
What should I include in the job advert to attract experienced candidates?
Describe the types of premises or sites, scope of responsibility, expected travel or on-call duties, required qualifications and clear career progression or training support.
How can I assess practical competence during selection?
Use scenario-based questions, request examples of past investigations or risk assessments, and consider practical tasks such as reviewing a sample site risk assessment or delivering a short briefing.
Ready to publish your Health and Safety Officer vacancy?
Use this template to create a clear advert and post the vacancy to the channels that best reach operational safety professionals. Tailor the responsibilities, essential qualifications and benefits to match your organisation and then advertise to attract candidates who meet your needs.
