Health and Safety Manager (Projects)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 7th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Are you passionate about Health and Safety?
Do you enjoy bringing innovation to your work?
Are you an influencer who can help to develop cultural change?
If so, this could be exactly what you have been looking for.
This role is based within the health and safety team at Defra’s Science Facilities at Weybridge, Surrey, and is part of Defra group Property.
The role supports the setting out of the health and safety strategy and arrangements for the Weybridge estate and involves taking part in assurance activities to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Health and Safety Executive's (HSE’s) and Defra’s Health & Safety (H&S) requirements and to ensure Defra's legal health and safety responsibility for property matters are being managed.
Job description
With a focus on Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM2015) compliance, this role is based within Defra group Property (DgP).
The role is responsible for organising key elements of health and safety to support effective delivery of projects whilst ensuring the health and safety of everyone.
The key responsibilities include:
- Improving on, and reporting of, incident management leading to analysis of performance data for onsite contractors and the property at Weybridge.
- Supporting incident investigations as required and lead on root cause and human factors analyses.
- Contributing to the Defra group Property Safety Management System for Weybridge including development and review of safety policies, standards and guidance.
- Contributing to the health and safety legal and risk registers using a risk-based approach.
- Contributing to the Safety Improvement Action Plan for the site.
- Contributing to the Site Incident Response Plan and participate in the planned emergency exercises as the health and safety lead on the day.
- Attending and participating in the working groups supporting the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)/DgP Joint Health and Safety Committee where appropriate.
- Attending and participating in the Weybridge Health and Safety Working Group where appropriate.
- Meeting and, where possible, exceeding KPIs.
- Reviewing risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) as required from projects and contractors.
- Where appropriate, participating in the Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) programme and reviewing design and user requirements for health and safety.
- Assessing training needs across Weybridge, contributing to, and developing, training materials including induction and other specific training.
- Ensuring basic health and safety training needs are met for the team and associated contractors across the site. The training must be both adequate to satisfy the minimum safety requirements of the site and relevant to the user.
- Supporting own learning and development by attending relevant training and keeping personal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio up to date.
- Maintaining network of professional expertise.
- Building excellent working relationships with key stakeholders and responding effectively to all health and safety enquires.
Specific roles include:
- Supporting - or where appropriate - leading incident investigations relating to Defra Science Estate projects and SCAH contractor activity, ensuring they are well documented, root and contributory causes are established, and actions identified are implemented to prevent re-occurrence.
- Guide and support the H&S Advisors in their roles as H&S Leads for both Defra Science Estate projects and SCAH.
- Support the team's document libraries, SharePoint site etc. Lead on new processes, document management and templates.
- Take part in assurance activities to measure and monitor health and safety performance within relevant projects, highlighting opportunities for improvement and recognising best practice.
- Act as a member of appropriate committees, working groups and project teams to ensure identification, development and implementation of appropriate policies, plans and processes that contribute to Defra Science Estate general safety management.
- Work closely with the CDM Advisor, CDM working group and Senior Management to ensure Defra is CDM compliant. Promote effective contractor management in relation to construction site safety by providing and analysing performance data and supporting the team to carry out assurance activities led by that data.
- Contribute to the development of, and collate and monitor, Defra Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with Defra Science Estate projects and SCAH activity.
- Contributing to, and participating in, the Defra Science Estate projects and SCAH projects by providing technical and professional health and safety advice, guidance and influence to steer and guide safe decisions that will future proof the site for health and safety. This will include working with key stakeholders such as project leads, principal designers and programme managers.
- As the site develops and changes, ensure contractor traffic management, pedestrian safety and vehicle parking improvement projects are in line with ongoing construction activity and future user needs.
- Deputising for Head of H&S as required.
Person specification
You should be innovative, forward-thinking, competent in H&S management with a proven record of developing, maintaining and communicating H&S management systems.
You will have a National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety as a minimum.
You will be a natural collaborator, negotiator, communicator and influencer with a positive outlook on health and safety which you will use to improve our health and safety culture.
Qualifications
Memberships
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Construction legislation and Maintenance requirements
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Infobite: Benefits of the alpha pension scheme (youtube.com)
Flexi Time Policy - Our Flexi-time policy allows you to vary your hours from day to day, within the requirements of your role, to suit your needs and to offer a better work/life balance.
Leave - If you work full time at Defra you are entitled to 25 days’ leave (rising, over 5 years, to 30 days’). If you work part time it will be pro-rated.
Privilege day - You are also entitled to a privilege day off in May to mark the King’s birthday (date varies), plus time off for the 8 public holidays a year.
Career breaks - We recognise that your work-life balance can extend beyond the short-term to the longer-term, and to support this you are able to apply for career breaks. These are unpaid extended breaks from work, granted at the discretion of the department.
Volunteering leave - 3 days paid volunteering leave every year (pro-rata). Once you have passed probation.
Season ticket loan – for an interest free season ticket loan, if you have worked within the Defra for more than three months. This can be used to purchase train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking.
Tenancy deposit loan – for an interest free loan, to assist you in meeting the deposit costs for your privately rented home.
Salary advances and loans for other circumstances – for salary advances and loans in the following circumstances: for new entrants, for the purchase of bicycles, holidays and religious holidays.
Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme – Since the closure to new entrants of the employer childcare voucher scheme, the government introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. In this scheme, working parents open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child or £4,000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare.
Support to buy a bicycle – we run two schemes that can help you buy a bicycle for your commute:
- The Cycle to Work Scheme –you can apply for a bicycle for your commute, up to the value of £6,000, which is recovered from you through salary sacrifice, as a tax-free benefit. At the end of the repayment period, you have the option to buy the bike if you wish, saving around 30% of the original cost.
- Bike loan – if you are not eligible to apply for the Cycle to Work Scheme, you can apply for a loan of up to £1,000 towards the cost of a bike using the Bike loan Scheme. This however is not a salary sacrifice scheme.
High-street and online discounts - Offers through SmartSpending™ which is accessed through the STaR platform. Accessible 24/7, you can save at hundreds of top retailers.
Maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave - We offer generous maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave – a total of 52 weeks leave to look after your new baby, regardless of your length of service, Most mothers are entitled to 39 weeks of paid leave, and a further 13 weeks of unpaid leave. Most partners are entitled to 15 days of paid paternity leave. Shared parental leave arrangements are in place, allowing parents to divide their leave with each other.
Professional Membership - Defra group will fund one professional membership for each permanent employee which is relevant to their role.
Eye care scheme - If you use a computer screen in connection with your job, we will pay for a regular eyesight test, and you may also be entitled to help towards purchasing new glasses, if they are needed for computer use.
The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a free 24/7 confidential telephone advice service, available to all of our staff throughout the year.
Civil Service Sports Council - The opportunity to join the Civil Services Sports Council.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and a personal statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The CV should include your job history, qualification details and previous skills and experience.
In your personal statement please detail how you meet the criteria for the role.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using your CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sifting will take place w/c 11 November 2024.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on experience, behaviours, a technical skill (construction legislation and maintenance requirements) and Strengths.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be asked to deliver a presentation as part of their interview. More detailed information about what this presentation involves will be provided if you are successful at the application stage.
The interviews will take place face to face at the Weybridge Office (KT15 3NB).
Interviews are scheduled to take place w/c 25 November 2024 but may be subject to change.
Location
Please note this role can be based at the Weybridge Office (KT15 3NB). Travel to other sites and overnight stays may be required for meetings or training events.
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.
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, 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).
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.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
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.
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
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 an 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.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. 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
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 : Wendy Marshall
- Email : wendy.marshall@defra.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.
