Health and Safety Adviser

Dorchester, Dorset
Connect2Dorset

About Us

Connect2Dorset is a managed service agency owned by Dorset Council, providing temporary, contract and interim opportunities within Dorset Council. Our service is built on our values of being ethical, trustworthy and caring, with profits returned to our Local Authority shareholders.

Duration – Approx 6 months

Immediate start

Rate Negotiable depending on experience.

Must hold a train the trainer qualification.

Purpose

We are looking to deploy this role into our Waste Service, so we would be looking for someone with specific experience of working in a high-risk area, such as waste, construction, highways etc.

Act as a source of professional expertise on matters relating to health, safety and wellbeing, ensuring the council fulfils its duty of care to employees, service users and meets current legislation, both as a major employer and as a provider of services.

• To develop and maintain knowledge of best practice and developments in workplace legislation, health and safety procedures and safe systems of work.
• To provide high quality, timely and effective advice and support to managers and employees on health and safety matters, including legal compliance, operational best practice and accident prevention.
• Work collaboratively across the HR & OD Service and with colleagues across the council to ensure that the HR & OD Services meet the organisation’s needs and are joined up for the benefit of customers.
• To support the achievement of whole authority people priorities and meet corporate aims, enabling the organisation to transform ways of working and achieve whole authority cultural change.

Key responsibilities

1. Provide specialist health and safety consultancy advice and services to the council, schools, academies and other external customers and partners including other councils.
2. Act as lead health & safety consultant for specialist technical health & safety activities and subjects.
3. Liaise and consult with managers and employees to provide an appropriate level of advice across a range of health, safety, wellbeing situations and create guidance documents.
4. Develop and implement systems of workplace inspections and health and safety audits, review of procedures including risk assessments and identify areas of noncompliance.
5. Carry out detailed investigations of accidents and incidents in accordance with relevant health and safety legislation and regulations and monitor and review accident statistics to establish underlying causes, identify trends and recommend action where necessary. This response to serious accidents and incidents will include working outside of normal working hours.
6. Provide a first point of contact/act as lead adviser to services/directorates in regard to Health, Safety, Welfare and Fire Safety functions
7. Engage with customers to seek feedback on current provision and discuss emerging needs to support the improvement of services.
8. Promote and market services and seek new business opportunities to ensure financial viability of health & safety provision
9. Develop, produce, monitor and review new and existing policies, procedures and guidance.
10. Provide technical advice and guidance on procurement of contracts, services, work equipment and inspect work equipment to ensure suitability for use and identify and review the inspection and maintenance systems and procedures.
11. Develop, produce, organise, deliver and evaluate a varied range of health, safety and fire training programmes tailored to customer needs

Essential

TTT manual handling as well as diploma level qualifications too.

Relevant professional qualification (NEBOSH General Certificate for Grade 9 and NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health or equivalent for Level 2)

Significant post qualifying experience, preferably in a large organisation

Evidence of continuing professional development and working towards becoming a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner for Level 2

Excellent knowledge of health and safety law and good practice linked to relevant grade and role within the team

Understanding of the role of a health and safety team within a large organisation and management accountability for the function

In depth knowledge of the HSE and Police investigative and legal powers and enforcement actions arising from accidents in the workplace and also from HSE inspections.

Connect2Dorset is a trading style of Dorset & Kent Commercial Services LLP – A joint venture between Dorset Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Dorset is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.