Health, Safety and Biological Risk Manager (ID2761)
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 25th September 2024
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Security
Senior leadership
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About the job
Job summary
The Health, Safety and Risk Manager (HSRM) is responsible for managing health and safety risks from across the Agency and ensuring those effectively managed, providing advice and guidance to the Agency. The HSRM will ensure that legal requirements are met and that risks are identified and controlled, including local management of the risk register, legal register and COSHH register.
As HSRM, you will provide Health, Safety and Biosafety support to the re-development of the APHA Weybridge site through contribution to requirements and assurance to preconstruction projects. You will assist with developing a Human Factors programme, ensuring compliance with HSE requirements in APHA ACDP3/SAPO3 and SAPO4 facilities, and developing and maintaining the ISO45001 an ISO35001 safety management standard.
The HSRM will deliver H&S training including topics such as COSHH, incident investigation and assist with delivery of the BioRisk training programme, and will line manage the Health and Wellbeing Manager and have oversight of occupational health and workplace Wellbeing team. You will also act as Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor and provide H&S support to other additional areas of focus as required, such as fire and DSEAR.
This role can be based at Bury St Edmunds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Shrewsbury, or Weybridge. Other APHA science locations may be considered, subject to desk availability.
Job description
In this role, you will:
- Manage general H&S risks from across the Agency.
- Manage a programme of general H&S assurance activities.
- Assist with developing a Human Factors programme, ensuring compliance with HSE requirements in APHA ACDP3/SAPO3 and SAPO4 facilities.
- Assist in development and maintenance of ISO45001 and ISO35001 standards.
- Develop and maintain a COSHH register for the Agency.
- Develop a training programme to include topics such as COSHH awareness and assist with delivery of the BioRisk training programme.
- Provide specialist H&S advice to senior Agency leaders and to the SHaW team and to the Agency.
- Ensure production and review of risk assessments relating to general H&S.
- Ensure that legal requirements are met and that risks are identified and controlled, including local management of the risk register, legal register and COSHH register.
- Provide Health, Safety and Biosafety support to the re-development of the APHA Weybridge site through contribution to requirements and assurance to preconstruction projects.
- Act as line manager for the Health and Wellbeing Manager.
- Undertake preparatory work prior to visits by the Regulator in line with the Health and Safety Executive APHA intervention plan.
- Act as a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor and provide H&S support to other additional areas of focus as required, such as fire and DSEAR.
Responsibilities will include:
- Act as first point of contact within SHaW for all general H&S matters.
- Assist with development of and maintenance of a legal register.
- Assist with maintenance of the SHaW risk register.
- Develop and maintain a COSHH register.
- Develop a COSHH training programme for the whole Agency.
- Act as a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor and provide H&S support to other additional areas of focus as required, such as fire and DSEAR.
- Develop and maintain oversight of a programme of general H&S assurance activities.
- Undertake serious incident investigations.
- Quality assure incident investigations where they relate to general H&S.
- Act as line manager to the Wellbeing Manager.
- Provision of professional general H&S advice to all of SHaW and senior APHA managers and to the Agency when required.
- Collate general H&S data for dashboards and senior management meetings.
- Provide Health, Safety and Biosafety support to the re-development of the APHA Weybridge site through contribution to requirements and assurance to preconstruction projects.
- Assist with developing a Human Factors programme, ensuring compliance with HSE requirements in APHA ACDP3/SAPO3 and SAPO4 facilities.
Person specification
You will be expected to either be a Health and Safety practitioner, holding a NEBOSH (National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health) Diploma (or equivalent) or committed to acquiring this training and qualification. Educated to degree level in a science subject.
You must have:
- Experience of managing general health and safety in a large and complex organisation.
- Practical experience of implementation of UK safety legislation, for example, COSHH, PUWER.
- Experience of managing and delivering assurance programmes in a large and complex organisation.
- Experienced in delivery of H&S training to mixed audiences.
- Experience in management of H&S registers such as those for COSHH and for legal compliance.
The successful candidate will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required.
Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.
Restrictions on outside/domestic contact with small animals, mainly rodents and rabbits, will apply. The successful candidate should not keep pigs or poultry or live on premises where there are domestic livestock or poultry.
Periodic travel within the UK and EU will be required and this could include farm or abattoir visits as part of ongoing research. The successful candidate may have to ensure that no contact is made with farmed animals for a period of 1-2 days or more before visiting livestock farms. This may preclude anyone who lives on a livestock farm.
Travel will also be required to attend training courses and undertake laboratory visits. You must have a valid driving licence or be able to call upon suitable alternate means of transport.
Due to access requirements to biosecure areas, individuals must be physically able.
Out of hours work may be required in the event of an incident.
Qualifications
• Relevant safety qualifications such as NEBOSH Diploma or willing to work towards this and achieving Chartered status with IOSH.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Benefits
In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training, inclusion, support and the development as our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave, flexible working, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV-style template and provide a Personal Statement.
For the personal statement, please write up to 500 words demonstrating how you match the required skills and experience for this post.
You will also be required to give 250-word behaviour statements.
Please use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of each behaviour.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and your experience.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed, further details of this will be given at the time.
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
The role can be based at Weybridge, Bury St Edmunds, Newcastle, or Shrewsbury. Other APHA science locations may be considered, subject to desk availability.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Merit List
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
NSV
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Higher Security Clearance
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Weybridge may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
Full Time Only
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. We may consider two part-time staff on a job share basis if continuity can be arranged.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Medical
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Science Directorate HR
- Email : Science.DirectorateHR@apha.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DefraRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/ to visit Civil Service Commission.
