As a health and safety adviser, you work to prevent harm and promote a positive health and safety culture in the workplace
Health and safety advisers ensure that employers and workers comply with safety legislation and that workplaces adopt and adhere to safety policies and practices.
In your role as a health and safety adviser, also known as a health and safety officer, you'll plan, implement, monitor and review protective and preventative safety measures in the organisation you work for, to reduce accidents, injuries, and risk to health.
This is a high demand, competitive field, and you need a range of experience and qualifications to progress.
What does a health and safety adviser do?
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 that 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
- liaise with health and safety inspectors and trade unions
- 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.
What does a health and safety adviser earn?
- The starting salary for a health and safety adviser, or a health and safety assistant adviser is between £23,000 and £31,000.
- With experience as a health and safety adviser, you can expect to earn between £26,000 and £48,000.
- Senior health and safety advisers, or health and safety managers can earn as much as £75,000.
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.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
How many hours does a health and safety adviser work?
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. Travel during the day is common for those with multi-site responsibility.
Increasingly, there are opportunities for hybrid working or flexible working hours, especially if you work in consultancy or with remote workers.
What qualifications does a health and safety adviser need?
Undergraduate degrees in a range of subjects are accepted, usually with additional health and safety certifications. Undergraduate degree subjects that are particularly relevant include:
- environmental health
- health and social care
- occupational therapy
- occupational health and safety
- risk management.
STEM subjects are all excellent foundations for a career in health and safety. You'll also find specific postgraduate qualifications aimed at a career in health and safety. Many choose a recognised IOSH-accredited qualification.
Search for postgraduate courses in health and safety management.
Apprenticeships are available, including the health, safety, and environment technician apprenticeship at Level 3 and there are growing opportunities for degree-level apprenticeships such as the Environmental Health Practitioner Level 6 apprenticeship. 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.
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.
Key skills for a health and safety adviser
You'll need to have:
- ability to present and explain health and safety processes to employees and management
- ability to create health and safety policies and design procedures and training materials
- knowledge to conduct risk assessments and workplace safety assessments
- negotiating skills to convince managers of the need to implement and maintain safety standards that may compromise speed or efficiency in the organisation
- empathy as increasingly, health and safety is expanding to include worker wellbeing and preventing mental ill health
- digital skills in order to produce reports, analyse data and engage with new software
- 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.
Health and safety adviser work experience
Work experience in the field of health and safety is not essential to start your career, but to increase your job prospects, try gaining practical health and safety experience, so that you can acquire industry-specific knowledge. For example, if you're interested in working for the 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, or you may find an assistant position and work your way up.
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.
Who employs health and safety advisers?
Health and safety advisers are employed in a variety of settings where there is a high-risk environment, such as construction and manufacturing.
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:
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:
Where can a career in health and safety lead?
Once in post, 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. 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.
You may wish to specialise in a particular industrial sector once you've gained enough experience, moving into niche areas such as terrorism, nuclear safety or offshore oil and gas. Whether working as a generalist or specialist, 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.