Zone Health & Safety Specialist

Main purpose / scope of the role

The Zone Health & Safety Specialist, whilst reporting to a National Health & Safety Lead, will be based in the operations team for the Zone of responsibility. Working closely with the Principal Operations Managers you will assist the implementation of safety accountabilities and systems
across the Zone. The key remit will be to implement the organisations Health & Safety strategy and annual Safety Improvement Plan, whilst supporting operational day to day issues, consisting of:

▪ Ensuring that the organisations Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Environmental Policies and processes are implemented consistently across Zone of responsibility.
▪ Advising the Principal Operations Manager of any changes to NHS Property Services Health & Safety processes that are being implemented due to changes in legislation or following internal review.
▪ Delivering the agreed NHS Property Services Annual Health & Safety Improvement Plan across area of responsibility.
▪ Driving the organisations behavioural safety culture by raising awareness and leading by example, leading campaigns within Zone to raise awareness of safety culture and ownership.
▪ Assisting Zones and larger sites to develop required Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Environmental management documentation, as defined in the Integrated Management System processes, to demonstrate implementation and compliance.
▪ Ensuring that all accidents at work are reported using the company reporting system and that responsible managers are made aware and investigate.
▪ Preparing internal and external Health & Safety reports to agreed national format for Zone of responsibility demonstrating performance on leading and lagging indicators.
▪ Delivering Health & Safety training, as defined by the national Health & Safety training matrix for colleagues within Zone.
▪ Supporting the closure of non-conformance actions arising from the NHS Property Services audit programme.
▪ The role will require access to all areas of NHS Property Services premises including hospitals, health centres and offices, which requires an understanding of the clients in these premises and extensive liaison with staff at these locations when arranging access.

Key responsibilities
▪ To work closely with and provide Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Environmental advice to the Principal Operations Manager, Zone FM Managers and operational teams, liaising with National Health & Safety Leads and Technical Subject Specialists as required.
▪ Record all accidents at work within defined timescales and encourage near miss reporting and safety observation recording across all service streams.
▪ Escalate any lost time accidents to the National Health & Safety Lead overseeing the Zone, to enable them to make timely RIDDOR report submissions

▪ Carry out investigations, in conjunction with the operational team, of any lost time / RIDDOR reportable accident or dangerous occurrence to identify root cause and provide advice on risk elimination or reduction actions.
▪ Support Senior Facilities Services Managers regarding the completion of Health & Safety inspections across their areas of responsibility by their teams.
▪ Work with Zone managers and teams to close out any actions arising from audits, investigations or inspections and maintain a record of progress and completion.
▪ To contribute to the Zone Risk Register in respect of any Health & Safety, Fire Safety or Environmental risks which are identified.
▪ Carry out any due diligence activities with regard to any new sites to ensure a safe working environment for NHS Property Services teams and tenants.
▪ Ensure that risk assessments are completed for all tasks carried out within the Zone including input from FM teams (e.g. technical, cleaning, grounds maintenance, catering and all other service streams) and front-line employees.
▪ Assist sites and teams to collate risk registers relating to their site or activities.
▪ Escalate controlled risks to the Principal Operations Manager for inclusion on the Zone risk register.
▪ In conjunction with operational teams ensure safe systems of work are available for all tasks undertaken by NHS Property Services.
▪ Identify personal protective equipment and clothing (PPE) requirements for teams within the Zone and ensure the items conform to the standard set by NHS Property Services. Support managers to maintain issue and maintenance records for PPE.
▪ Support FM teams to identify and provide the correct equipment for the work tasks being undertaken.
▪ Where required, implement a permit to work system for high risk activities working with Technical Services and FM teams to identify ‘issuers’ and ‘receivers’ providing training as required.
▪ Contribute to risk profiling of buildings to provide essential information on safe working for NHS Property Services teams and our contractors.
▪ Ensure the Zone has suitable and sufficient information and training available to all NHS Property Services employees, including part-time and voluntary workers, as required for their job role.
▪ Develop and implement a Health & Safety training plan for the Zone, including the tracking / progress against agreed delivery.
▪ Deliver Health & Safety training, in line with central training plan and agreed presentations, to the Zone team as required.
▪ Complete ad hoc inspections of NHS Property Services subcontractors to ensure they are working safely and in accordance to their submitted safe system of work, escalating any major non-conformances to the National Health & Safety Lead for onward communication to Vendor Management.
▪ Ensure Safety actions required by CAS Alerts or NHS Property Services Safety Alert System are completed, signed off and recorded.
▪ Liaise with and support NHS Property Services ‘Safety Champions’.
▪ Demonstrate Health & Safety leadership behaviours to continually develop our Safety culture ensuring all our employees and those we serve go home safe every day.

▪ Development of a performance focused culture that emphasises collaboration, accountability and compliance obligations.
Act in a way that is aligned to the values of NHS Property Services with personal integrity and is commercially solutions focussed.

Accountabilities
Leadership – Demonstrate ‘Safety Champion’ leadership behaviours and values at all time to support a positive safety culture. Be proactive in the implementation of Annual Safety Improvement Plans.
Communications & Engagement – To communicate NHS Property Services values in terms of Health & Safety for our employees and clients.
Take every opportunity to have positive safety conversations with colleagues to raise awareness of HSE issues and to identify the significant hazards to which the operational teams may be exposed.
Communicate the annual Safety Improvement Plan explaining the objectives and expected impact.
Support operational teams to take ownership, agreeing Health & Safety responsibilities of direct reports.
Training & Competence – Provide information, instruction and training as agreed and provided by central Health & Safety team to include safe working, Health & Safety topic awareness sessions, environmental / waste management, permit to work and HSE Induction.
Compliance – Enforce all safety requirements with regard to safe working, ensuring that HSE hazards of work tasks are understood and mitigated