Health and safety adviser

Health and safety advisers use their knowledge and skills to prevent harm and promote a positive health and safety culture in the workplace

You'll also ensure that employers and workers comply with safety legislation and that safety policies and practices are adopted and adhered to.

You can work in a range of organisations, from multinationals to small consultancies, and could be known as a health and safety officer or practitioner. You'll also plan, implement, monitor and review protective and preventative safety measures.

Health and safety advisers, above all, protect workers. Therefore, you'll need a blend of soft and technical skills in order to succeed.

Responsibilities

As a health and safety adviser, you'll need to:

• carry out risk assessments and consider how risks could be reduced
• outline safe operational procedures which identify and consider all relevant hazards
• carry out regular site inspections to check policies and procedures are being properly implemented
• ensure working practices are safe and comply with legislation
• prepare health and safety strategies and develop internal policy
• lead in-house training with managers and employees about health and safety issues and risks
• keep records of inspection findings and produce reports that suggest improvements
• record incidents and accidents and produce statistics for managers
• keep up to date with new legislation and maintain a working knowledge of all Health and Safety Executive (HSE) legislation and any developments that affect the employer's industry
• attend Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) webinars or training courses and read professional journals
• produce management reports, newsletters and bulletins
• ensure equipment is installed safely
• manage and organise the safe disposal of hazardous substances, e.g. asbestos
• advise on a range of specialist areas, e.g. fire regulations, hazardous substances, noise, safeguarding machinery and occupational diseases.

Salary

• According to the 2024 IOSH magazine salary survey, the median salary for health and safety assistants/coordinators is £34,000.
• The role of health and safety officer/adviser attracts a median salary of £41,000.
• Median salaries for salary and health managers are £50,000, rising to £69,000 for heads of safety and health. At director level, the median salary is £89,000.

Salaries vary significantly depending on the sector you work in, your location, the size of your employer and your experience, qualifications and level of responsibility. Those with IOSH chartered member status tend to earn more.

Other benefits may include a pension, shares and medical insurance.

Salary figures from IOSH magazine 2024 salary survey. Salary information is also available from the 2024 HSE Recruitment Network Remuneration Report.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, you may need to work irregular hours in the case of an accident or if working shifts.

Increasingly, there are opportunities for hybrid working or flexible working hours, especially if you work in consultancy or with remote workers.

What to expect

• Work is generally office based, although in some roles you may spend a lot of time in the factory, plant or other working premises, such as construction sites, offshore platforms, transportation systems and large-scale processing plants, sometimes in extreme weather conditions. Other work locations include sport facilities, aviation centres, theatres or schools.
• You may work closely with other teams such as facilities management, HR and business managers.
• Jobs are available throughout the UK and there are some opportunities to work overseas.
• Some activities may involve working at heights, in cramped, noisy, dirty or dangerous places and conditions, though this is not the typical work environment. You may need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when visiting workplaces.
• Travel during the day is common for those with multi-site responsibility.

Qualifications

There are many routes into health and safety to suit different learner types and industries.

Often, existing employees are allocated the job of overseeing safety as an additional responsibility, which then develops into a full-time role. However, health and safety is now becoming more of a first-choice career for young people, rather than a career change.

Undergraduate degrees in occupational health and safety, risk management, environmental health, health and social care, occupational therapy and STEM subjects are all excellent foundations for a career in health and safety. There are also specific postgraduate qualifications aimed at those looking to become health and safety professionals. Many choose a recognised IOSH-accredited qualification.

Search for postgraduate courses in health and safety management.

Apprenticeships are available at Level 3 and there are growing opportunities for degree-level apprenticeships. Apprenticeships combine paid work with study for a qualification, meaning that you can train on the job.

For those already in work and beginning to specialise in health and safety, there are vocational and professional qualifications that can be completed alongside your day job.

IOSH provides qualifications in health and safety. These include:

• IOSH Level 3 Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health Principles and Practice - aimed a new and aspiring safety and health professionals
• IOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health Leadership and Management - a business-focused, degree-level qualification.

Find out more about IOSH qualifications.

IOSH also accredits relevant qualifications delivered by other awarding bodies. These include:

• National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
• City & Guilds
• OTHM Qualifications

If you want to be sure this is the right career for you, you can complete an introductory course to begin with, such as IOSH Working Safely or NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent written and spoken communication skills to explain health and safety processes to employees and management
• presentation skills
• negotiating skills to convince managers of the need to implement and maintain safety standards that may compromise speed or efficiency in the organisation
• patience and diplomacy because the profession requires a collaborative approach
• empathy - increasingly, health and safety is expanding to include worker wellbeing and preventing mental ill health
• the ability to understand and analyse complex information and present it simply and accurately
• organisation and time management skills
• an investigative mind
• digital skills in order to produce reports, analyse data and engage with new software
• attention to detail
• a flexible approach to work
• an interest in the law and regulations surrounding the workplace.

A driving licence is sometimes needed for jobs that involve travel between sites.

To see what skills you need to succeed, check the IOSH competency framework.

Work experience

Try to gain practical health and safety experience, so that you can acquire industry-specific knowledge. For example, if you're interested in working for local government, a period of experience with a local environmental health department would be useful.

Experience of working in a scientific and technical field at an operational level can be very useful, especially if you gain an understanding of industrial processes. This can be an internship or placement in areas such as:

• construction
• engineering
• FMCG
• manufacturing
• STEM.

Work shadowing is also helpful as it provides an opportunity to talk to experienced professionals. Another valuable way to gain experience is to volunteer as a health and safety representative at work, or on a safety committee.

In order to build your personal network and find opportunities, check with IOSH to see if there is a local IOSH branch near you.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Health and safety advisers are employed in a variety of settings. According to the IOSH magazine 2024 salary survey, the largest sector employing health and safety practitioners is construction, followed by manufacturing, transportation and education.

Typical employers include:

• chemicals and allied industries
• companies involved in the transport network
• construction companies
• consultancy and training institutions
• engineering firms
• fire and rescue services
• food, drink and tobacco industries
• hospitals and clinics
• hotel and restaurant chains
• industrial, processing and manufacturing plants
• large companies with responsibility for many office workers
• local authorities and national government organisations
• oil and gas companies
• telecommunications
• transport and warehouse companies
• universities and colleges.

With experience you could work as a consultant, specialising in supporting small organisations, giving specialist advice and helping businesses to stay up to date with the latest health and safety regulations.

Look for job vacancies at:

• HSE Jobs
• IOSH Jobs
• SHP4Jobs

Jobs are advertised on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. Sector specific publications and journals are also useful.

Specialist recruitment agencies also advertise vacancies. These are often for experienced health and safety professionals. Agencies include:

• Allen & York's
• Irwin and Colton
• Shirley Parsons

Professional development

Training will consist of on-the-job learning, complemented by short, in-house or external training courses, which may be run by:

• health and safety consultants
• local colleges and universities
• training departments.

If you don't already have professional qualifications, your training is likely to include part-time study for relevant IOSH, NEBOSH, OTHM and City & Guilds qualifications.

Many employers offer to cover the cost of professional memberships as an employee benefit.

IOSH is the chartered body for health and safety professionals. Many health and safety advisers choose to join as a member to enhance their job prospects, take on volunteering opportunities, or to reach chartered member status. You can start as a student or affiliate member, and then advance your membership as you acquire more experience and qualifications. Find out more about IOSH membership progression routes.

Membership of IOSH or other relevant bodies such as the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM) provides a structured route of CPD, as well as opportunities for networking and making contacts.

Many health and safety advisers work for organisations who are members of the British Safety Council and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). These organisations also offer useful courses and events.

Career prospects

You may wish to specialise in a particular industrial sector once you've gained enough experience, in an area such as terrorism, nuclear safety or offshore oil and gas.

Being flexible about which organisation you work for, and the location that you work in, will give you greater opportunities for progression.

With experience, you can also move into management at regional and group level, where you could have responsibility for a team of advisers. Or, you may choose to become a consultant, providing specialist advice and support to small organisations.

Another option is to move across into academia, where you could lecture on BSc and MSc courses and carry out research.