Job Title - Health & Safety Officer
Location - Retail Offices, Toughers Business Park Naas
Reports to - Property Manager
Contract:
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Fixed-Term Contract until February 2027
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Part-Time - 2 Days per Week - 14.8 hours
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Salary: €22,000 - €25,000 pro-rated for 14.8 hours
Vision Ireland (Formerly NCBI National Council for the Blind of Ireland) is Ireland's national charity working for the rising number of people affected by sight loss. Our practical and emotional advice and supports help 8,000 people and their families. Our Property Team is imperative to the success of our charity work. Our profits from the retail stores fund our services. The work as a Health and Safety Officer ensures the success and safety of all stakeholders and is critical to ensure compliance and mitigate risks. Vision Ireland currently has 4 stores in Northern Ireland (under name Forsight), 121 retail stores in the republic, 6 apartments, 2 warehouses and 26 service offices.
As Health and Safety Officer this role is to organise and manage the auditing of all buildings in the property portfolio. From these audits you will communicate the findings to the Property Team and work to resolve any health and safety issues that are identified. Each audit will consist of a scoring sheet and accompanying report. You will be responsible for your own documents management and communications. You will work with the Property and Facilities Managers to close out any findings from the audits and document them for buildings histories. Another key area is training. You will be accountable for all training in the charity. This will include Manual Handling, DSE, First Aid, Mental Health and Fire Safety. You will schedule all trainings and track the participants for refreshers. You will use your Health and Safety qualifications to follow the latest requirements and best practices to ensure our charity is fully compliant and all risks are mitigated.
In your work you will communicate efficiently and effectively with the Property Manager and take a proactive approach to all workings. You will use software to track and update the health and safety sections of all portfolio buildings and report them to the Property Manager. You must have excellent reporting skills as communication in this work is imperative. You will add to the success of a growing team and will bring energy and enthusiasm. In return you will be a valued member of a charity that embodies positivity, innovation, teamwork, collaboration, diversity and inclusion. You will demonstrate the Vision Ireland leadership behaviours and values and have a dynamic way of thinking.
Health & Safety Leadership
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Coordinate and oversee health and safety across all retail stores, offices and service locations.
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Promote a positive health and safety culture by encouraging safe working practices and continuous improvement.
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Develop, implement and review health and safety policies, procedures and safe systems of work, ensuring compliance across the organisation.
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Assist the Retail Operations Manager with the development and review of internal policies as required.
Audits, Inspections & Risk Management
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Carry out regular health and safety inspections and audits across stores, offices and warehouse locations.
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Complete site visits to new and existing premises, undertaking site-specific risk assessments and making recommendations for third-party contractors.
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Review Risk Assessments, Method Statements (RAMS), Safe Plans of Action and Permit-to-Work documentation.
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Conduct ongoing COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments and ensure appropriate control measures are in place.
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Report audit findings and recommendations to the Property Manager and monitor corrective actions.
Incident Management & Compliance
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Lead investigations into workplace accidents, incidents and near misses, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventative actions.
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Monitor accident and incident trends, producing recommendations to reduce risk and improve safety performance.
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Update company Safety Statements and Risk Assessments to ensure they remain accurate and compliant.
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Maintain statutory compliance registers, including:
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Fire Safety
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Emergency Lighting
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Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
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Lifting Equipment
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Keep the Property Manager informed of changes in health and safety legislation and best practice.
Emergency Planning & Business Continuity
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Develop and maintain emergency response procedures across all locations.
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Coordinate fire evacuation drills and business continuity exercises.
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Review emergency preparedness arrangements to ensure organisational readiness.
Training & Safety Awareness
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Deliver and coordinate health and safety training programmes, including:
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Manual Handling
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Fire Warden Training
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Occupational First Aid
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Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
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Support managers and employees in embedding safe working practices throughout the organisation.
Regulatory & Stakeholder Management
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Act as the primary point of contact during inspections by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and other regulatory bodies.
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Coordinate responses to enforcement notices where required.
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Attend quarterly Health, Safety and Compliance meetings, providing updates and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
Administration & Reporting
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Maintain accurate health and safety records, including updating building profiles within the organisation's health and safety management system (training will be provided).
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Ensure health and safety documentation is current, organised and readily accessible.
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Prepare reports and provide regular updates on health and safety performance to the Property Manager.
The job description is intended to detail key duties and responsibilities required from this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required. The holder of this position is required to respond with a flexible approach when tasks arise which are not specifically covered in this job description.
Essential Qualifications
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Accredited occupational health and safety degree/MSc/diploma or the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) diploma
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Membership of IOSH (or working towards membership).
Essential Experience
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Minimum 2 - 4 years' experience in a Health & Safety role across multi-site operations, retail, facilities management or property portfolios.
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Certified trainer in DSE, First Aid, Fire Safety, Mental Health and Manual Handling.
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Experience implementing health and safety management systems.
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Experience conducting workplace risk assessments.
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Experience investigating workplace incidents.
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Experience delivering health and safety training.
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Experience developing Safety Statements and organisational policies.
Essential Knowledge
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Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
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General Application Regulations 2007-2020.
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HSA Codes of Practice and Guidance.
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Risk assessment methodologies.
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Fire safety management.
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Incident investigation techniques.
Essential Skills
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Strong report writing abilities.
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Excellent organisational and planning skills.
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Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
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Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
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Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.
Desirable
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Internal Auditor qualification.
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Train-the-Trainer qualification.
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Experience in the charity, healthcare, community, education or public sector.
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Experience using electronic health and safety management systems.
Personal Attributes
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Professional and approachable.
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Excellent attention to detail.
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Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
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Ability to maintain confidentiality.
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Self-motivated and proactive.
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Commitment to continuous improvement.
Key Performance Indicators
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Annual review and update of the Safety Statement.
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Completion of scheduled workplace inspections.
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Completion of organisational risk assessments.
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Timely investigation of all incidents and near misses.
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Delivery of mandatory health and safety training programme.
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Compliance with statutory inspection schedules.
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Reduction in workplace incidents and corrective action backlog.
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Positive outcomes from internal and external audits.
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Flexible to work across 5 days per week
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Ability to travel when required
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Full, clean driving license
Vision Ireland is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone is afforded equality of opportunity. It is our policy to recognise people as a key resource required for successful attainment of the organisation's mission. In support of this, it is important to remember that differences between people, whether devised from their different backgrounds and personalities, cultures and/or their different abilities, can be a source of strength to the organisation.
Vision Ireland is also committed to providing reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability, whether they are an applicant for employment or an employee requiring special facilities.
Informal enquiries to [email protected]
This is a fixed-term, part-time appointment of 2 days per week (14.8 hours). The successful candidate will be expected to organise their working time flexibly to meet the needs of the organisation, including occasional attendance outside normal working hours for training, inspections or incident investigations.
The appointment is subject to satisfactory references and, where applicable, Garda Vetting.
This job description is intended as a guide to the duties attached to the post and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the organisation.
Our website: https://www.vi.ie
Retail Services: https://www.vi.ie/shop-with-us/retail-stores/
Vision Ireland Services: https://www.vi.ie/supporting-you/adults/services-available/
NCBI Strategy 2021-23: https://www.vi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NCBI-Strategy-2021-2023-Accessible.pdf
