Health and Safety Officer

As a Health and Safety Officer, you will help create safe environments for staff, patients, and visitors by identifying risks, preventing accidents, and promoting safe ways of working. You will work with teams across an organisation to improve safety, investigate incidents, and help ensure people can work and receive care in a safe and healthy environment.

Role Characteristics

Complete risk assessments and consider how risks could be reduced
Write safety outlines which identify and consider all relevant hazards
Carry out site inspections to check policies and procedures are being implemented
Ensure working practices are safe and comply with legislation
Prepare health and safety strategies and develop internal policy
Lead in-house training with employees about health and safety risks and issues

Skills

Planning
Attention to detail
Organisation
Advice giving
Record keeping
Observation

Day in the life

Watch this video to learn more about roles in Health and Safety.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC, T-Level or A-Levels

Undergraduate degree

Postgraduate degree

How to become

There are several ways to start a career as a Health and Safety Officer, whether you're leaving education, looking for your first job or changing careers.

Here are some ideas, and you can explore current opportunities in the section below.

Study a course or qualification – useful qualifications include GCSEs in English and Maths, alongside Business, Public Services, Construction, Engineering, or Health and Social Care related courses, T Levels and BTECs. These can all help you to develop knowledge, skills and prepare for work.
Build workplace experience – this could be paid work, volunteering, or work experience online or in person. Experience in administration, facilities, construction or engineering environments, can help you develop relevant skills.
Apprenticeships – you can gain experience in the workplace whilst also studying a qualification, such as a Level 3 Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Technician apprenticeship, or Level 3 Business Administration.
Moving from another role – think about how you'll be able to transfer your skills in risk management, compliance, administration, facilities, problem-solving, communication, record keeping, and attention to detail into a Health and Safety Officer role. Are there any skills you need to particularly focus on building?

You may also choose to follow a specialist training route by completing professional qualifications in health and safety, such as those offered by NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) or IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health). These qualifications can help you develop specialist knowledge of workplace safety, risk assessment, accident prevention, and health and safety legislation.

If you are interested in further education, or want to progress to more senior roles, you might choose to complete an undergraduate degree in Health, Safety and Environmental Management, or a postgraduate degree in Health and Safety.

Where can this role lead

From your role as a Health and Safety Officer, you could specialise further in areas such as facilities and estates as a Facilities Manager. You could also transfer your skills in policy development and investigation, and knowledge of legislation into roles such as Data Protection Officer, Human Resources Officer, or Lawyer, where attention to detail, governance, and organisational compliance remain important.

If you would like a role with more hands-on involvement in workplaces and buildings, you could explore opportunities as an Engineer or Estates Officer, helping to ensure environments remain safe, effective, and fit for purpose. Alternatively, if you enjoy analysing risks and improving systems but prefer less direct responsibility for day-to-day health and safety, roles like Business Analyst could be a good fit.

Location

Offices
Hospitals
Community Settings
Pharmacies
Schools, colleges and universities
Prisons
Opticians
Armed Forces
Care Homes
GP Practices
Laboratories

Working hours

Weekdays
Part Time
Full Time
Casual Hours
Overtime
Flexible Hours

Opportunities

BTECs, T-levels or A-levels

T Level Science (Applied Laboratory Skills and Technical Science)

The T Level in Science is an exciting two-year qualification designed for students who are passionate about laboratory work, experimentation, and the practical application of scientific principles.

Organisation: Bradford College

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Courses

HABC Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

This qualification has been developed to give learners who may have contact with hazardous substances the skills and knowledge to recognise the risks associated with them and how to control them.

Organisation: Leeds City Courses

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Courses

HABC Health and Safety Within the Workplace

This qualification is a market-leading exam used by some of the biggest businesses across the UK to keep their staff compliant with health and safety.

Organisation: Leeds City College

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