How to become a work health and safety officer

Pursuing a career as a WHS officer is highly rewarding as your work is integral to saving lives and maintaining employees' health. Industries in Australia are responsible for protecting their employees' safety, which is why a career as a WHS officer is in high demand. Up to 4,200 job openings are expected over the next five years.

The responsibilities of this role can vary depending on the industry. Understanding WHS officers' duties may help determine if this career path is right for you. In this article, we explore the key responsibilities of WHS officers, the essential skills required for the role, the industries that employ this role and the steps to take to enter the profession.

Becoming a Work Health and Safety Officer (WHSO) is a rewarding career path that focuses on ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of employees in various industries. WHSOs are responsible for identifying hazards, investigating incidents, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and promoting safe work practices. With an increasing demand for WHSOs, especially in Australia, this profession offers opportunities in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and mining.

What is a work health and safety officer?

A work health and safety officer (WHSO) is a person who ensures staff health, safety, and well-being. Their duties can include a broad range of activities, from anticipating how epidemics will impact employees to investigating workplace incidents. As a WHSO, you may attend health and safety committee meetings, investigate the cause of a hazardous incident, conduct a workplace inspection to identify hazards, or develop a safe work procedure in accordance with Australian Safety Standards.

A WHSO maintains a safe work environment for all business employees. WHSOs or advisors are responsible to senior management or the board for developing, implementing, and monitoring workplace health and safety policies, programs, and procedures.

The Federal Government has implemented several laws and regulations in Australia to protect workers from workplace accidents and injuries. One of the most critical pieces of legislation is the Work Health and Safety Act of 2011. This Act outlines the fundamental principles of workplace health and safety and establishes a framework for identifying, assessing, and controlling risks in the workplace.

In Australia, not all businesses will employ a dedicated WHSO. However, a ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU) has work health and safety (WHS) duties under the Act. The PCBU may be a corporation, a partnership, an unincorporated association, a self-employed person, or a sole trader.
A Work Health and Safety Officer (WHSO) ensures a safe workplace by implementing safety protocols, conducting risk assessments, and investigating workplace incidents. They work to ensure compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act of 2011 and other relevant legislation. While the role varies depending on the industry, WHSOs generally develop safety programs, conduct inspections, and provide advice on safety measures.

Tasks and responsibilities of a work health and safety officer

The specific job description of a WHSO varies depending on the size of the business and the type of activities performed by workers. For example, a WHSO may be responsible for training workers on emergency procedures in an office setting. In an industrial setting, the safety officer may test equipment to ensure it meets regulatory guidelines and train workers on the safe operation of any equipment.

Some of the typical tasks and responsibilities undertaken by a WHS Officer include:

• Establishing educational and training programs focused on improving work health and safety, ensuring staff are properly informed about safety protocols.
• Conducting safety briefings to raise awareness of hazards and measures. They also perform workplace inspections to ensure adherence to health and safety protocols.
• Work health and safety officers advise staff on health and safety risks, helping to reduce accidents and injuries. For example, they advise on the safe use of ladders for roof work.
• WHSOs investigate accidents and prepare reports. They collaborate with WorkSafe Victoria and Safe Work Australia on investigations and address any inquiries about incidents.
• They ensure compliance with safety standards and legal requirements, advise on measures, and keep up with new industry legislation.
• WHSOs guide employees on compensation claims, including rights, eligibility, and dispute resolution steps.
• They ensure employees use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and operate machinery safely. To maintain safety, they conduct regular checks and training.
• WHSOs plan and manage WHS programs, delegating responsibilities and ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Skills you need to be a work health and safety officer

WHSOs often use specific skills to improve their performance within their roles. These skills include:

• Communication: WHSOs will use communication skills to explain and understand safety and health issues. These skills include giving verbal and written safety information to stakeholders from all backgrounds. They need to have effective verbal and written communication for conveying safety information.
• Problem-solving: Problem-solving abilities help WHSOs identify workplace hazards and develop solutions to those hazards. They need to identify hazards and create solutions to mitigate risks.
• Leadership: WHSOs often assume leadership roles in the workplace. In a management role, they define strategies for their team, delegate tasks, and monitor their team's performance. They lead safety initiatives and guide teams in implementing safety practices.
• Safety risk assessment: A WHSO's risk assessment skills help them identify and understand the level of risk in a workplace. They evaluate workplace risks and develop strategies to control them.
• Business analysis and planning: WHSOs often use business analysis skills to research current trends, technologies and advances in their field. This research helps them understand the changes required in their situation or workplace.
• Conflict resolution: WHSOs often assume the role of resolving conflicts. They discuss and resolve disagreements that may arise in the workplace regarding health and safety issues. They may also use this skill to guide and support employees during difficult situations.
• Legal understanding: WHSOs typically work in compliance with safety and health legislation in the workplace. They can use legal skills to comply with those regulations. They ensure compliance with health and safety legislation.
• Data analysis: Data analysis is integral to a WHSO's job. They compile information to determine workplace hazards and develop change plans to ensure safe outcomes. They analyse safety data to inform decision-making.
• Auditing skills: An operational audit may measure an organisation’s safety and health performance.

Challenges work health and safety officers may face

As a profession that manages risk, protecting worker safety and business reputation usually presents distinct challenges. WHSOs often encounter the challenge of communicating effectively at all organisational levels, meaning they must find a way to ensure that everyone understands the importance of safety and is engaged in the process. Here are some challenges you may face as a WHSO.

• Lack of employee buy-in: WHSOs can come up against resistance from employees, especially when policies go against the status quo.
• Safety equipment: Sometimes, it can be challenging to identify safety equipment before major accidents – after the fact, it is usually too late.
• Skills gap: Identifying skills gaps requires a lot of work, but it’s critical to avoiding incidents (or near misses).
• Budget: Even if WHSOs identify required safety equipment, training, tools, and processes, budget constraints can limit their efforts.
• Legal obligations: WHSOs have a duty to comply with legal requirements, which can differ across industries. This entails keeping up-to-date with new legislation, standards, and practices.

Industries that employ work health and safety officers

WHSOs can be found in most industries where there are a high number of full-time employees. Below are some industries you can always expect to see WHSOs working in.

• Construction: The construction industry often comes to mind when you think of hazardous workplaces. Construction workers can work around heavy equipment and hazardous materials, sometimes at great heights. Due to these dangerous working conditions, WHSOs can expect to work on-site to ensure safety procedures are followed and accidents are investigated. They ensure safety on high risk sites.
• Manufacturing: Manufacturing plants often have complex machinery or deal with chemicals and other containments that call for the needs of a WHSO. Officers working in this industry should expect to be able to know what to do in the case of equipment malfunction, conduct regular safety audits, implement safety procedures, and investigate accidents. They manage safety in environments with complex machinery and chemicals.
• Mining: This industry has many hazards, including poor air quality, bad lighting and the potential for cave-ins or flooding. WHSOs in this industry may be expected to work on a fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) arrangement, depending on where the mine is located. Working in mining, WHSOs will conduct staff training, identify potential accidents and health hazards, and implement health and safety control measures. They address unique hazards like poor air quality and potential cave-ins.

How to become a work health and safety officer

To become a WHSO, you need to complete a course like the Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety through South West TAFE.

These courses are designed to equip you with essential knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to managing workplace health and safety risks.

Throughout the course, you will learn various aspects of work health and safety management, including:

• Risk assessment and how to implement strategies to minimise these risks effectively.
• Hazard control.
• Compliance with legislative requirements.
• Promoting a safety-focused workplace culture.

Other career pathways that completing a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety can lead to include being a WorkSafe inspector, an occupational health and safety technician, or an occupational health and safety officer. After finishing this course, you can choose to continue studying at the diploma level in the work health and safety field.

How much do work health and safety officers earn?

As a WHSO, you can expect to earn an average remuneration package of $95,000 annually, with the most experienced safety officers earning over $105,000 annually. This can also vary among industries, with some mining safety jobs being as high as $557,000.

Work health and safety officers are responsible for maintaining a safe environment in the workplace, and promoting healthy and safe practices for staff. With a high demand for work health and safety officers in all industries, it is a career that is well worth pursuing. For further information, contact the team at South West TAFE.

A career as a Work Health and Safety Officer is critical in maintaining a safe work environment and reducing risks to employee health. With the increasing demand for safety professionals across various industries, it is a profession worth considering for those passionate about workplace safety.