Safety Coordinator Job Description
Hire a Safety Coordinator to support delivery of day‑to‑day health and safety across sites and teams. This role helps reduce risk, maintain compliance and deliver frontline safety programmes under the direction of a Safety Manager or HSEQ lead.
What does a Safety Coordinator professional do?
A Safety Coordinator implements and monitors safety measures, supports risk management and delivers safety training to keep people, plant and processes compliant and safe.
Safety Coordinator 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.
Safety Coordinator
About the role
We are seeking a Safety Coordinator to support our safety team across [Location]. You will assist with risk assessments and inspections, investigate incidents, deliver toolbox talks and maintain safety records. This role reports to the Safety Manager and requires practical experience of UK health and safety practice; a recognised H&S qualification (eg NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent) is desirable. Salary: [Competitive/£x–£y] • Contract: [Permanent/Fixed term/Temporary].
Key responsibilities
- Conduct routine site inspections and workplace risk assessments, recording findings and tracking corrective actions.
- Support incident and near‑miss investigations, producing clear reports and recommending remedial actions.
- Deliver induction and refresher safety briefings, toolbox talks and basic training to staff and contractors.
- Maintain safety documentation and records: permits, RAMS, training logs, inspection checklists and statutory paperwork.
- Monitor safety performance metrics and produce monthly/quarterly reports for the Safety Manager.
- Liaise with site supervisors, contractors and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with company procedures and legal duties.
- Support audits, permit-to-work systems and contractor management as required.
- Help develop or update local safety procedures, safe systems of work and emergency plans.
Essential skills and experience
- Practical health and safety experience in a site or operational environment (typically 1–3 years).
- Recognised H&S qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience (NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely, or similar).
- Understanding of UK health and safety legislation and risk‑assessment methodology.
- Ability to produce clear reports and maintain accurate records.
- Good communication skills for delivering briefings and working with operational teams.
- Proficient with standard office software (eg Word, Excel) and comfortable using electronic checklists or reporting systems.
Desirable
- Experience in the same industry sector (construction, manufacturing, utilities or logistics).
- Qualifications such as IOSH, SMSTS, or specialist certificates in manual handling/working at height.
- Experience conducting safety audits and working with external inspectors.
- First aider or fire marshalling training.
- Full UK driving licence for site visits.
What we offer
- [Pension scheme – employer contribution]
- [Paid annual leave: x days per year + bank holidays]
- [Paid training and development budget]
- [Flexible working or hybrid options where eligible]
- [Health cash plan or private medical insurance]
- [Travel allowance or company vehicle where required]
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 Safety Coordinator role?
A Safety Coordinator provides operational support for a company’s health and safety programme. They perform inspections and risk assessments, investigate incidents, deliver basic training and keep safety records up to date. Working under a Safety Manager or HSEQ lead, the role focuses on reducing hazards, ensuring legal compliance and supporting continuous improvement at site level.
Reports to
Safety Manager, HSEQ Manager or Operations Manager depending on company structure
Type of work
On-site operational safety duties with some office-based reporting and administration
Hours
Typically full-time; may include occasional early starts, site shifts or out-of-hours incident response
Travel
Regular travel between sites may be required depending on employer geography
Typical Safety Coordinator 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, recording findings and tracking corrective actions.
Support incident
Support incident and near‑miss investigations, producing clear reports and recommending remedial actions.
Deliver induction
Deliver induction and refresher safety briefings, toolbox talks and basic training to staff and contractors.
Maintain safety documentation
Maintain safety documentation and records: permits, RAMS, training logs, inspection checklists and statutory paperwork.
Monitor safety performance metrics
Monitor safety performance metrics and produce monthly/quarterly reports for the Safety Manager.
Liaise with site supervisors
Liaise with site supervisors, contractors and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with company procedures and legal duties.
Support audits
Support audits, permit-to-work systems and contractor management as required.
Help develop or update local safety procedures
Help develop or update local safety procedures, safe systems of work and emergency plans.
Safety Coordinator 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
- Practical health and safety experience in a site or operational environment (typically 1–3 years).
- Recognised H&S qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience (NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely, or similar).
- Understanding of UK health and safety legislation and risk‑assessment methodology.
- Ability to produce clear reports and maintain accurate records.
- Good communication skills for delivering briefings and working with operational teams.
- Proficient with standard office software (eg Word, Excel) and comfortable using electronic checklists or reporting systems.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the same industry sector (construction, manufacturing, utilities or logistics).
- Qualifications such as IOSH, SMSTS, or specialist certificates in manual handling/working at height.
- Experience conducting safety audits and working with external inspectors.
- First aider or fire marshalling training.
- Full UK driving licence for site visits.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Safety Coordinator job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with practical outcomes
Start the advert with the most relevant day‑to‑day duties (inspections, risk assessments, incident investigations) so candidates can quickly identify fit.
Be specific about qualifications
State whether NEBOSH, IOSH or equivalent is required or desirable, and whether demonstrable experience can be considered instead.
Clarify the environment
Mention the sector (construction, manufacturing, logistics) and whether the role is site‑based or allows hybrid working.
Outline progression and training
Highlight training, certification support and potential career paths to attract candidates looking to develop in H&S.
Include practical logistics
Tell applicants about travel between sites, PPE provision, shift patterns and any required pre-employment checks.
Safety Coordinator salary considerations
Salaries for Safety Coordinators vary widely. Employers should set pay based on the role’s responsibilities, the candidate’s experience and the sector. Rather than a single market figure, consider the following factors when determining a salary range.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Safety Coordinator candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
Who will I report to and how big is the safety team?
Candidates want to know the direct line manager and the level of support available; include team size and whether the role is lone‑working.
What sites or locations will I be covering?
Clearly state whether the role covers a single site, multiple locations or national travel so applicants can assess travel impact.
What training and certification do you provide?
Candidates expect to know if the employer funds NEBOSH/IOSH or other specialist courses and whether time off is granted for study.
What PPE and safety systems are in place?
Experienced applicants will ask about existing safety management systems, permit-to-work processes and PPE provision.
Are there shift patterns or out‑of‑hours responsibilities?
Make on‑call, weekend or night work clear and indicate whether additional pay or rota allowances apply.
Where to post a Safety Coordinator job
For a Safety Coordinator role, combine broad UK job boards with sector‑specific channels to reach the right candidates. Use construction, manufacturing or logistics job sites if the vacancy is industry‑specific, and promote the role through professional networks (IOSH groups, LinkedIn) and local recruitment agencies when seeking candidates with site experience.
Related health & safety job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Safety Coordinator job description FAQs
Is a NEBOSH certificate required for a Safety Coordinator?
NEBOSH General Certificate is commonly requested and helps demonstrate competence, but many employers accept equivalent qualifications or substantial practical experience. State clearly whether you will accept equivalent experience.
Do Safety Coordinators need a CSCS card or site qualifications?
Site access requirements depend on the employer and sector. Construction roles frequently require CSCS or sector‑specific cards; make these requirements explicit in the advert.
How should I assess candidate competency?
Ask for examples of recent inspections, incident investigations or corrective actions, and include a short technical task or scenario question in the application process to test practical problem‑solving.
What pre‑employment checks are typical?
Common checks include right to work, references and, depending on the role, driving licence validation, occupational health screening or criminal record checks where relevant to the role.
How can employers support development?
Offer time and funding for professional qualifications (NEBOSH/IOSH), refresher training, and opportunities to gain audit or investigative experience to support progression to senior H&S roles.
Ready to hire a Safety Coordinator?
Use this template to create a clear advert that sets expectations and attracts candidates with practical site safety experience. When ready, publish the vacancy across both general and sector‑specific channels to reach qualified applicants.
