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Charity Digital explores the importance of Health and Safety in the workplace, and how someone can become an expert.
As a health and safety professional, your role goes beyond enforcing overly rigid rules like wearing multiple layers of gloves, wrapping sharp things in bubble wrap, or even banning fairy lights in the workplace.
It's about creating a safe and enjoyable work environment, but at the same time it’s also about minimising the risks and hazards that workers could face.
A career in Health and Safety can be highly rewarding. Safety professionals are more important than ever, particularly when
over 40 Million working days were lost to work-related ill health or non-fatal workplace injuries in 2024/25.
What is a Health and Safety Officer (HSO)?
Health and Safety officials are people responsible for managing the safety practices of an organisation, and they should always be on hand to provide safety expertise and advice.
Health and safety officers often work with other supervisory members of an organisation, and they also consult with employees to put in place procedures such as safe systems of work.
The duties of a Health and Safety Officer (HSO) can include:- Developing guidance and working methods in line with official rules and best practice
- Keeping the organisation compliant with legislation and guidance
- Carrying out risk assessments and audits to improve safety
- Keeping a record of accidents and incidents
- Advising staff on safe working practices
- Reporting major accidents and safety issues to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Providing recommended safety training for employees
What you need to do to become an HSO
Whilst proving your ability to employers can help you in a Health and Safety position, getting accredited qualifications will help you build the skills and knowledge for the role.
There is a wide range of safety courses available, such as the
Working Safely or the
Managing Safely courses from the
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), but to become a Health and Safety officer, however, all roads lead to a
NEBOSH qualification.
A NEB - What?
The
National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) is an internationally recognised health and safety body, whose courses and qualifications are widely recognised and provide a solid grounding in Health and Safety.
When recruiting for health and safety positions, nearly all employers ask for a NEBOSH qualification, making them the preferred choice for individuals working towards a career in Health and Safety.
Designed by NEBOSH themselves, from entry-level to intermediate and post-graduate levels, their range of courses is globally recognised and designed based on leading health and safety guidance.
This makes these courses perfect for anyone working in the Health and Safety industry.
In collaboration with national HR group
Breathe, they provide, in very simple terms, how someone can become a Health and Safety expert quickly and effectively.
To
read their article, visit the
Charity Digital
website.