The benefits of having an Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner in the workplace

If your workplace infrastructure is large, consisting of a number of buildings, departments, or locations, there are considerable benefits to be gained in appointing a dedicated Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner to manage workplace health and safety across your entire organisation. The same is true for any business operating in a high-risk industry like construction, manufacturing, mining, or health care.

In this article, we’ll outline the roles and responsibilities of a Health and Safety Practitioner (also known as a Health and Safety Officer). We’ll also list the legal, financial, and moral benefits Health and Safety Practitioners bring to businesses, and look at what’s included in a Health and Safety Officer course.

Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner vs. Health and Safety Representative or Supervisor – what’s the difference?

A Health and Safety Practitioner or Officer is not to be confused with a Health and Safety Representative or Health and Safety Supervisor.

Health and Safety Representatives

Health and Safety Representatives are nominated by fellow employees to represent their health and safety interests. After completing a one-day Health and Safety Representative course, a Health and Safety Representative’s role includes carrying out health and safety checks of their work area, forming part of the Health and Safety Committee, and assisting with incident investigations. These functions are carried out over and above the appointee’s normal work responsibilities.

According to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 85 of 1993, any business employing more than 20 people is required to appoint a Health and Safety Representative. Thereafter, businesses are required to appoint additional Health and Safety Representatives at a ratio of one Health and Safety Representative for every 50 employees.

Health and Safety Supervisors

Health and Safety Supervisors are members of the management team chosen to look after health and safety in a particular division, building, or department within an organisation and form part of the Health and Safety Committee. They represent management’s interests at the quarterly Health and Safety Committee meeting and are required to complete a two-day accredited Health and Safety Supervisor course. 

In smaller organisations with low risk levels, the appointment of one or more Health and Safety Supervisors may be sufficient to effectively oversee health and safety in the workplace. However, organisations large enough, or with high-risk environments, may warrant the appointment of a Health and Safety Practitioner and a Health and Safety Supervisor, who work together to implement health and safety. 

Occupational Health and Safety Practitioners (Health and Safety Officers)

Unlike a Health and Safety Representative or Supervisor, a Health and Safety Practitioner is often a full-time role, as opposed to a function performed over and above the appointee’s job. In some instances, the role of a Health and Safety Practitioner can be combined with another role in HR, training, security, facilities management, etc., or a related department. For example, some organisations employ a SHEQ Manager, who takes care of Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality. 

High-risk workplaces, large national or regional organisations, or companies with multiple buildings, divisions, or departments, should appoint a Health and Safety Practitioner to oversee health and safety management across the organisation. Often, the Health and Safety Practitioner is appointed by the CEO as a ‘16.2 appointee’. This refers to Section 16(2) of the OHS Act, which states that the CEO has the right to appoint someone to manage health and safety on their behalf:

16(2) Without derogating from his responsibility or liability in terms of subsection (1), a chief executive officer may assign any duty contemplated in the said subsection, to any person under his control, which person shall act subject to the control and directions of the chief executive officer.

Health and Safety Practitioners are required to complete an accredited 10-day Health and Safety Officer course.

Roles and responsibilities of an Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner

Occupational Health and Safety Practitioners are in charge of developing and implementing an organisation’s health and safety programme. As such, their roles and responsibilities include:

·      Setting annual health and safety objectives and goals

·      Assisting in determining and managing the health and safety budget

·      Developing and implementing health and safety policies, procedures, organograms, and appointment letters 

·      Developing and implementing the emergency response plan

·      Conducting risk assessments and implementing controls to address identified hazards and risks

·      Assisting the Health and Safety Team with incident and accident investigations

·      Keeping the health and safety team training and supporting matrix up to date

·      Working with HR to develop and implement staff health and safety induction programmes

·      Keeping employees informed regarding health and safety initiatives and strategies

·      Ensuring that contractors and visitors have completed health and safety agreements and requirements

·      Assisting in filling out and keeping track of workmen’s compensation forms or incident investigation paperwork, etc.

 ·      Ensuring compliance with the OHS Act

The benefits of having an Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner in the workplace

There are a range of legal, financial, and moral benefits to employing a Health and Safety Practitioner:

Legal benefits

Non-compliance with the OHS Act can result in fines, penalties, or shutdowns. Worse, in the event of a serious accident, negligence in this regard can result in employers being held criminally liable. Because an important aspect of a Health and Safety Practitioner’s job is ensuring compliance with the OHS Act, employing one protects businesses from these legal risks.

Financial benefits

Another important aspect of a Health and Safety Practitioner’s job is conducting risk assessments, identifying hazards, and putting appropriate risk control measures in place to minimise or eliminate incidents and accidents. This protects the business from various financial risks, including fines, penalties, loss of stock, loss of assets, property damage, staff injuries, downtime, and so on. A robust risk management system and lower risk profile can also result in lower insurance premiums. In fact, research shows that having a Health and Safety Practitioner managing health and safety can result in as much as a 10% improvement on your bottom line. 

Moral benefits

Every employer has an obligation to look after the wellbeing of the people in their employ. Investing in the health and safety of your employees, contractors, clients, and the public by employing a Health and Safety Practitioner shows employees that the CEO takes that moral obligation seriously. This can boost employee morale and positively impact the reputation of the organisation as a whole.

How to become a Health and Safety Practitioner

Health and Safety Officer training equips successful delegates with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to effectively manage health and safety in the workplace. The 10-day course covers a broad base of health and safety content, including risk assessment, incident investigation, health and safety management systems, the OHS Act, and certification in First Aid, Firefighting, and Evacuation Planning.

For individuals interested in pursuing a career in health and safety, the Health and Safety Officer course is an excellent starting point. Alternatively, companies that identify a need for a Health and Safety Practitioner can choose to upskill an existing member of their Health and Safety Team by sending them on the course.

With a Health and Safety Practitioner on staff, health and safety is always a priority.

No matter how busy the CEO and leadership are with the challenges of running a successful business, health and safety needs to be kept a priority at all times. Identifying and training the right individual to look after health and safety and appointing them as a 16.2 appointee is an excellent way to ensure that your health and safety programmes are effectively run, protecting your business from the legal, financial, and moral risks of non-compliance.