Audit, health and safety

Roles & Responsibilities of Safety Officer

Who is a Safety Officer?

A safety officer is someone who is in charge of the organization’s internal well-being, which includes employees, employers, and those who are associated with that organisation in terms of safety and health. A Safety Officer, in simple terms, is someone who is responsible for the safety and health of a factory, warehouse, or manufacturing facility, or organisation.

Safety Officer – Roles and Responsibilities:

A Safety Officer Job is crucial as it entails protecting all members of the organisation from risks, infections, accidents, injuries, etc. As a Safety Officer, he or she will be in charge of ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety rules, with the primary purpose of ensuring a safe working environment and preventing injuries and accidents. Furthermore, a safety officer would advise a company’s personnel on a variety of health-related matters, such as wearing face masks while working in a group, handling machinery, dealing with immediate danger, fire, and providing fire alert, planning safety evacuating strategies, etc. The term ‘evacuation’ refers to a plan to get out of a dangerous situation or one that poses a threat to people and property. Clear instructions and suggestions included in an evacuation plan offered by a safety professional give confidence to employees while working in an organization.

A Safety Professional’s Role in an organisation:

A Safety Officer would read and verify existing processes and policies prior to actually updating them to meet the company’s current requirements. A safety specialist would identify, analyse, and conduct risk assessments to determine the outcome of any suspected hazard, including probabilities, scenarios, and procedures involved in the installation, execution, and other processes inside a company. They (a safety professional) would arrange seminars and webinars on safety and hazard-related issues to help employees and management members understand their roles and the consequences of taking risks or putting themselves in dangerous situations.

A safety professional would enforce regulations and provide procedures, controls, and processes to help the company reduce or eliminate risks. It’s a safety professional that investigates mishaps, accidents, and near-misses in order to prevent similar occurrences in the future. In addition, a safety representative within an organisation would always report or raise complaints to management about safety incidents, near misses, hazard likelihood, and situation risks, and conduct regular follow-ups on steps made to mitigate or control those hazards.

A safety expert at any location plays a crucial role in ensuring that the organisation follows the law and conducts internal audits on a regular basis. This again would help in safety auditing, as audits of worksites are conducted for the purpose of health, safety, and fire hazard identification. During these surveys, compliance with applicable building and fire rules is assessed, as well as the detection of dangerous hazards. In this part of the audit, a safety officer is required.

Despite the fact that time management is one of the most challenging aspects of a safety professional’s job, they make every effort to finish tasks on time, prioritising the most dangerous tasks first.

A Safety Professional’s Role in a Warehouse:

Do you have any idea what a warehouse safety professional does? The work of a safety officer is crucial in environments such as warehouses. Following the recruitment process, a safety officer will give instructions and monitor the training of a new joiner. They will inspect the system of work by evaluating machinery, safety measures, and warehousing operations to see if staff are handling tools in warehouses properly and safely.

If a safety professional notices something hazardous in the workplace, they will rectify it and guide them in the right way. They provide and inspect personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees such as gloves, masks, helmets, safety belts, aprons, and so on. They will ensure that there are no fire accidents because there are increased chances for such accidents in warehouses, especially in storage areas, and they will undertake frequent fire safety audits to ensure that this does not happen. They would counsel and supervise staff on material segregation, treatment, and storage, as well as proper handling and disposal processes, depending on the type of the materials (chemicals, biological materials, and so on). They ensure that healthcare waste management rules and strategies are followed, as well as assist in the protection of staff from hazards. This aids in legal compliance as well.

A Safety Professional’s Role in the Manufacturing Industry:

A safety specialist would advise employees, whether new or experienced, to follow safety protocols and use PPE when working within factories to reduce the risk of injury. ETP inspections would be performed by them. A safety expert would recommend periodic maintenance to assist reduce reactive maintenance, equipment failure, accidents, and illness. A safety personnel would also ensure that “energy isolation” was implemented in the workplace. This process assists workers in safely disconnecting power sources prior to commencing work, thus preventing unexpected energy releases. In this context, the term “isolation” refers to the process of disconnecting or making equipment safe to work on by disconnecting all energy sources from the workplace. Furthermore, safety experts would advise industries on ‘waste management,’ as improperly treated chemical and biological waste from industries can pose a hazard to people and the environment.

 A Safety Professional’s Role in the construction field:

Construction safety officials will inspect for potential hazards, such as malfunctioning or sharp tools, and advise on how to remove them from the project site, thus promoting safe work practices. A construction safety specialist will also implement or enforce standards based on specific environmental conditions and risks to protect people during a project, as well as to conduct frequent site inspections.

In addition, safety professionals conduct mock drills on a regular basis to assist employees during an emergency. Furthermore, safety professionals train and inspect those who “work at height” or “in a confined place.” Also, people who undertake ‘hot work,’ such as cutting, brazing, or welding, will receive detailed instructions and assistance from safety personnel. Internal safety audits would be carried out by safety people. A safety officer would also ensure that staff are adequately trained, give clear instructions, and supervise those who are involved in ‘lifting and rigging.’

A safety professional’s Role in the hospitality industry:

The hospitality sector is one of the most important and profitable in the world, particularly in the Middle East. A safety officers’ domain knowledge and expertise would be crucial in preserving the company’s reputation, whether it be a resort, hotel, or another establishment, as well as avoiding prosecution and lawsuits. Safety professionals play an important role in assisting their employers in implementing good changes in the workplace and instilling a safety culture at all levels. Thus, management will gain confidence when safety professionals are recruited among the personnel.

Listed below are some of the Health and Safety Jobs:

Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Coordinator

Health and Safety Auditor

Health and Safety Officer

Health and Safety Advisor

Health and Safety Manager

Health and Safety Consultant

Health and Safety Specialist

Field Safety Officer

Fire Safety Officer

Safety Officer      

Why NIST:

NIST is an ISO: 9001-certified company and India’s first NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner. Our safety trainers will assist in the development of the greatest safety professionals. Our internationally recognised courses qualify you to work as the best safety specialist anywhere on the globe. We provide the greatest training for learners so that they may effectively carry out their safety tasks and obligations. Our certified and experienced trainers will be of great assistance during the training. We provide engaging, high-quality virtual sessions and webinars to assist students in studying more successfully. With us at NIST, you will enjoy a fantastic learning experience!

For further details regarding the course, you can contact our course counsellors @ +91 8056000530 or mail us at info@nistinstitute.com.

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