Health and Safety Inspector

Also known as:

Safety Inspector

Introduction

Health and safety inspectors are civil servants who deal with health and safety in workplaces. They make sure that employers follow health and safety legislation. Inspectors visit workplaces to make routine checks on standards. They also investigate complaints and industrial accidents.

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Work Activities

Health and safety inspectors visit places of work to make sure that people follow health and safety rules. Their job is to protect employees and the public against hazards that might occur, and to improve health and safety standards. Inspectors work in a variety of areas, including manufacturing, construction, agriculture, healthcare and the service sector.

Inspectors regularly visit places of work to see that people are maintaining standards of health and safety. They also check that people are using machinery and chemicals safely and according to specification. They do not give notice that they are about to visit.

Sometimes inspectors visit because of an accident or a complaint. In the event of an accident, the health and safety inspector collects information about what has happened. They may take photographs and measurements, and interview the people involved. The inspector may start legal proceedings as a result of the accident, and appear as a professional witness, presenting their findings as evidence. If someone has died as a result of the accident, the health and safety inspector attends the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI).

During a visit, inspectors might decide that an organisation could improve the health and safety of employees by making some changes. They might give advice on how to lay out the work place, or the benefits of introducing a new piece of equipment. The inspector may have to be very persuasive in order to convince managers or owners that they need to make this change. Also, in extreme circumstances, inspectors may need to use their legal powers to issue enforcement notices.

Health and safety inspectors usually spend about two days a week in the office. They deal with telephone queries and consult with colleagues about any problems they have come across. They also write reports on any visits they have made. These reports describe what the inspector found and what suggestions they made for improvements.

Inspectors need to understand health and safety legislation and industrial processes, so they read technical literature in order to keep up-to-date with any changes. Each inspector is responsible for planning their own workload and deciding which premises they should visit.

Inspectors are required to travel in the local area to make site visits.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

To be a health and safety inspector, you must be committed to protecting the public's health and safety. This is a very important responsibility, so you'll need energy, confidence, enthusiasm and attention to detail at all times. You need to deal with complex information and make impartial decisions on the available facts.

Good communication skills are very important. You'll be visiting people's premises, so you must have tact and good negotiating skills. You must be able to explain safety procedures and regulations clearly. You may find yourself in stressful situations when people are distressed or angry, so you'll need a calm, professional manner to defuse potential confrontations. Also, you must be able to apply the law firmly.

You need good written communication skills to produce reports and prepare court cases. You must be able to decide on priorities and work under pressure.

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Pay and Opportunities

Salaries vary depending on location and responsibilities.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Health and safety inspectors earn in the range of £19,500 - £26,000 a year, rising to around £31,500 - £38,000 a year. Higher earnings are possible for some.

Health and safety inspectors usually work a basic 42-hour week. However, you may be required to work longer hours, and occasionally weekends.

You must be prepared to move location at various times during your career to take up an appointment in a different part of the country.

Health and safety inspectors are employed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). There may also be opportunities for consultancy work.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Applicants sometimes have a background in engineering, technology or in a scientific field, with responsibility for health and safety.

Otherwise, holding another relevant professional qualification, for example, in occupational hygiene, can lead into health and safety work.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course, e.g Access to Science, could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Graduates in relevant subjects may be able to take a postgraduate course in occupational health and safety or risk management, on a full or part-time basis.

• 10% of health and safety inspectors are self-employed.
• 15% work part-time.
• 30% have flexible hours.
• 1% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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New Developments

Some people working in this occupation may be involved in the green jobs sector in areas such as renewable energy, waste management, conservation or countryside management.