What does a construction Health and Safety Officer do?

In the construction world, health and safety is not just a priority; it’s a necessity. It is the foundation of successful projects and the cornerstone of a productive, engaged workforce. That’s where the construction Health and Safety Officer comes in. As the custodian of health and safety on the construction site, they are pivotal in maintaining a secure and hazard-free work environment. But what exactly does their job entail?

What is the definition of a construction Health and Safety Officer (CHSO)? A construction Health and Safety Officer is a person who is registered as such in terms of the Project and Construction Management Profession Act, 2000 (Act No. 48 of 2000, as amended).

A construction Health and Safety Officer is a person who is appointed by an employer to assist site management with the planning, implementation and management of construction health and safety systems and who has satisfied the registration criteria of the SACPCMP to perform the prescribed functions.

A construction Health and Safety Officer ensures that construction workers follow established policies and health and safety regulations. They help create safer construction sites and their duties and responsibilities often include the following:

1. Risk Assessment
2. Health and Safety Policies and Procedures
3. Training and Education
4. Personal Protective Equipment
5. Accident Investigation
6. Regulatory Compliance
7. Emergency Response Planning
8. Promoting a Safety Culture
9. Documentation
10. Subcontractor Management

Let’s look at these duties and responsibilities in more detail.

Risk Assessment:

Risk assessment involves systematically examining a workplace to identify hazards, assess injury severity and likelihood, and implement control measures. It can be quite complex in a construction site context due to the changing nature of the work environment, tasks and the range of potential hazards. Here is a breakdown of the process:

• Hazard Identification: This involves identifying things that have the potential to cause harm. These can be physical (e.g., unguarded machinery, working at fall risk positions, moving vehicles), chemical (e.g., cement dust, diesel exhaust), biological (e.g., harmful bacteria in the soil), or related to work organisation (e.g., excessive workload, long hours).
• Risk Analysis: Once hazards are identified, the Health and Safety Officer must understand who could be harmed and how. This involves considering the severity of the potential harm, the likelihood of it occurring and existing health and safety measures. For example, a worker might fall from a dangerous height if guardrails are not installed, resulting in severe injury or death.
• Risk Evaluation: This step involves comparing the identified and analysed risk against acceptable risk levels. The construction Health and Safety Officer must prioritise risks, based on their potential impact and probability.
• Implementing Control Measures: After evaluating the risks, the construction Health and Safety Officer must decide on precautions and safety measures. This could involve adding physical safety measures (e.g., installing guardrails, providing personal protective equipment), changing work practices, or providing workplace safety training.
• Monitoring and Review: Risk assessment is an ongoing process. The Health and Safety Officer must regularly review risk assessments, especially when workplace changes (e.g., new equipment, new work processes or when an incident/accident has occurred) and ensure that control measures remain effective.
• Documentation: It is important to record the findings of the risk assessment. This can be a crucial part of demonstrating regulatory compliance, and it helps to review the process and train new staff.

Remember that risk can often be reduced but not completely eliminated, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction. Risk assessment aims to reduce the risk reasonably and manage what can’t be eliminated.

Health and Safety Policies and Procedures

Health and Safety policies and procedures form the foundation of the health and safety management in any organisation. In the construction context, they are particularly important due to the high-risk nature of the work. Remember, the goal of health and safety policies and procedures is to create a safe and healthy work environment that minimizes the risk of accidents or health issues.

Training and Education

Training and education are vital for ensuring health and safety on construction sites. As a construction Health and Safety Officer, your role would involve organising and delivering various training programmes. The goal of safety training is not just to comply with regulations but to create a culture of safety where all workers are actively involved in identifying and controlling hazards.

Personal Protective Equipment

Ensuring the availability, good condition, and correct use of safety equipment is a key responsibility of a construction Health and Safety Officer. The goal is to minimise the risk of injuries and accidents. Safety equipment is a key part of this, but it’s just one part of a broader safety management system that includes risk assessments, safety procedures, and safety training.

Accident/Incident Investigation

Investigating accidents, incidents, and near misses is a key responsibility of a construction Health and Safety Officer. Understanding what happened and why can help to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Regulatory Compliance

Ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations is one of the most important aspects of a construction Health and Safety Officer’s role. These regulations are designed to protect workers’ health and safety, and non-compliance can result in severe penalties, including fines and legal action.

Emergency Response Planning

It’s important to have a well-prepared emergency response plan to manage everyone on a construction site. Developing and implementing these plans is critical to your role as a construction Health and Safety Officer.

Promoting a Health and Safety Culture

Promoting a safety culture is not just about enforcing rules and regulations; it’s about creating an environment where everyone values and prioritizes safety.

It is a long-term process that requires commitment from everyone in the organization. It’s not just about reducing accidents but about creating an environment where everyone feels responsible for safety and is actively involved in maintaining and improving it.

Documentation

Documentation is a fundamental responsibility of a construction Health and Safety Officer. It ensures that there’s a record of all safety-related activities, which can be critical for legal compliance, demonstrating due diligence, and learning from past experiences.

Accurate and thorough documentation is crucial for managing safety effectively. Not only does it help to ensure legal compliance, but it also provides valuable information for improving safety performance.

Subcontractor Management

Ensuring the safety compliance of subcontractors and suppliers is an essential duty of a construction Health and Safety Officer. Subcontractors often perform significant portions of the construction work, and their actions can greatly impact the overall health and safety of a site. When managing subcontractors, the goal is to ensure their compliance with health and safety requirements and enhance a collaborative relationship where everyone is committed to maintaining a safe work environment.

Conclusion

While we have delved into the key responsibilities of a construction Health and Safety Officer, it’s important to remember that each construction site is unique, with its own set of challenges and requirements. Consequently, a Health and Safety Officer must be adaptable, diligent, and continuously learning to effectively manage safety in this ever-evolving field.

Neil Enslin

Head Occupational Health and Safety

References:

https://sacpcmp.org.za/registration/construction-health-and-safety/

CBE: THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR CATEGORIES OF REGISTRATION OF THE PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONS