Job Title: Health and Safety Manager
Reporting relationship and responsible to: Head of Quality, Risk & Accreditation.
Job Description
Introduction
The Hermitage Clinic is an acute care hospital with 110 inpatient beds, seven operating theatres, a 8 bed ICU, an Emergency Department, many outpatient services, and a wide range of modern technically complex medical diagnostic and treatment facilities, providing high quality patient care. To deliver these services to patients there are approx. 700 staff employed.
Objectives of the role
The primary objective of the role is to provide Health and Safety and Fire Safety services required to meet the safety needs of staff to prevent and /or reduce the risk of accidents, and to meet all of the regulatory compliance requirements associated with Health and Safety and Fire Safety on behalf of the hospital.
Role requirements is in two parts. Part A refers to Health and Safety, and Part B refers to Fire Safety.
Health and Safety
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To manage all of the Health and Safety and Fire Safety requirements as directed by the CEO.
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Develop, implement, and review the hospital's Health & Safety policies and procedures in line with Irish legislation, Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) standards, and Joint Commission International (JCI) requirements.
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Ensure compliance with Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated regulations
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To develop and maintain Safety Statements with specific risk assessments for each department. The Safety Statements to be fully compliant with HSA requirements, and to stand up to external audit scrutiny.
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The Safety Statements to be reviewed with each Head of Department at a frequency not greater than 2 years, and more frequently if required.
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Maintain the Safety Statements according as the needs of the hospital changes.
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Develop And deliver the Health & Safety programs to promote a strong Safety Culture in the Hermitage Clinic.
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Develop and maintain robust systems for:
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Incident reporting.
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Measuring performance.
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H&S and Fire Safety KPI's.
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Risk Assessments.
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Chemical inventory - make sure it is up to date and current.
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Chemical Risk Assessments.
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Ergonomic risk assessments.
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H&S and Fire Safety Auditing.
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Carry out accident and near miss investigations, compile reports on these investigations, develop and make recommendations to prevent recurrence, and implement the recommendations in so far as is possible.
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Work in collaboration with other roles that impact closely on Health and Safety such as Medical Physics, Occupational Health Nurse, Engineering Manager and Engineering staff, Quality Manager and Quality staff, and with HR (particularly with keeping accurate track of training records), and with Infection Prevention and Control personnel.
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Review and develop policies and procedures to maintain and improve Health and Safety as required.
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Consult with Hermitage Clinic employees with regard to Health, Safety and Welfare at Work, and provide information to them with regard to Health and Safety, including the results of risk assessments.
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Consult and engage with safety representatives in a productive manner.
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Prepare reports on aspects of Health and Safety performance as required.
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Work with managers and staff in the Hermitage on new and existing equipment / processes / systems of work and advise on how Health and Safety can best be addressed to make sure that staff have a safe place to work.
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Develop a Health and Safety Audit programme and obtain Department Heads cooperation with the implementation of this audit programme. Monitor and analyse the results of this audit programme and also carry out random audit checks to validate that the audits are being done correctly, and if non-conformances are found, correct these with the appropriate person.
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Carry out a full and comprehensive Health and Safety Audit of the whole building at least once per year.
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Manage the mandatory Health and Safety training requirements.
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Review the mandatory Health and Safety training and audit such training as necessary to make sure that it is fit for purpose and make adjustments to the training content if necessary.
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Do quarterly and annual reports on Health and Safety performance and KPI's, to include, but not limited to, breakdown of accidents / near misses into categories, compliance with mandatory training, issues that are proving to be challenging, achievements against goals, with the annual report also including goals for the forthcoming year.
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Prepare a Health and Safety budget on an annual basis.
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Control and monitor the Health and Safety budget.
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Chair and organise the Health and Safety Committee.
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Prepare and circulate minutes and agenda for the Health and Safety Committee.
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On a maximum of a three-year cycle, review the membership of the Health and Safety Committee, and make recommendations for any changes to improve the effectiveness of this committee.
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Review existing Permit to Work systems and develop new ones as necessary - always keeping in mind that any such systems need to be practical and sustainable, as well as compliant.
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Carry out risk assessments for all new equipment, hazardous substances, and systems of work, prior to their introduction.
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Advise and implement established Safety Practices for all Hazardous substances and Biological Agents which are present in the hospital.
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Developing policies and training to manage incidents related to aggressive or violent behaviour towards staff
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Ensure compliance with Joint Commission International (JCI) standards
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Present Health and Safety and Fire Safety training at the regular induction training days.
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Manage the Health and Safety requirements as established in current legislation and keep the hospital in compliance with new legislation as such comes into effect.
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Maintain continuous professional development appropriate to the role in Health and Safety knowledge.
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Maintain compliance on behalf of the hospital with the Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor requirements.
- During construction projects, advise on Health and Safety requirements as required, review and update Construction Safety Plans, and provide Safety induction training to contractor's staff when necessary.
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Review Risk Assessment & Method Statements (RAMS) as required.
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When necessary, develop RAMS.
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Carry out other duties not listed in this document pertaining to Health and Safety and Fire Safety as required.
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Liaise with the Health and Safety Authority, and other statutory bodies concerning Health and Safety issues in the hospital as necessary.
Fire Safety
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The role of Fire Safety Officer is primarily to manage Fire Safety in the hospital, and to act as a focus for all Fire Safety matters in the hospital.
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To develop, maintain and manage the Fire Safety Management system in the hospital and ensure the fire detection and suppression systems are maintained, tested and fully operational
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To develop the Fire Safety policy protocols, and associated hospital emergency plane and put systems in place so that all staff will be familiar with these policies.
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Obtain expert advice on aspects of Fire Safety Management from an appropriate and qualified expert which is necessary for developing / improving Fire Safety Management arrangements / policy in the hospital.
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To be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Fire Safety Policy.
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Develop and learn 'best in class' understanding of how to interpret and apply Fire Safety legislation, standards and guidance documents particular for acute hospitals.
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The development, delivery and audit of an effective Fire Safety Training programme including drills required for an acute care hospital.
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Review all Fire Safety training on a cycle of not greater than every two years and make adjustments if necessary to keep the Fire Training appropriate and compliant with both statutory and practical requirements.
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Raise awareness of all Fire Safety features and their purpose with all staff in the hospital.
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Conduct regular Fire Risk Assessments recorded and suitable action plans are devised, implemented and included in the hospital risk register as appropriate
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Ensure that requirements related to Fire Procedures for less-able staff, patients and visitors are in place.
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The reporting for Fire Incidents in accordance with the Hospital's policy,
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Monitor, report and initiate measures to reduce false Fire Alarms if these occur.
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Liaise with external enforcing authorities regarding Fire Safety in the hospital.
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Monitor the inspection and maintenance of Fire Safety systems to make sure it is carried out to the appropriate standard.
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Make sure that suitable Fire Safety Audits are carried out on a frequency not to exceed six months by an experienced independent Fire Safety practitioner - and more frequently if deemed necessary due to the existence of particular problems. These audits to be formally recorded and an action plan developed to fix any non-conformances.
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Ensure that Fire Safety is always a main agenda item on the Health and Safety Committee Agenda - every time this committee meets.
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Review the Fire Response Team, and make sure that there is an appropriate level of senior management available.
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Conduct annual fire evacuation drills across all departments and shifts. Document any identified corrective actions and incorporate them into a quality improvement plan.
General requirements for the Health and Safety, and Fire Safety Manager role:
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People Management: Good people management skills, with capability of being able to understand concerns of staff and management with ease.
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Communication skills: Ability to communicate technical aspects of work requirements in an effective and understandable manner.
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Resource Management: Ability to operate within a budget.
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Teamwork: Ability to work as part of a team in an effective and cooperative manner while keeping a focus on the primary role.
Qualifications & Experience required (proposed)
Minimum of a Higher Diploma or BSc in Occupational Health and Safety.
5 years' experience in a direct Occupational Health and Safety role. Membership of IOSH would be a distinct advantage,
