Seems I've been made the company's Safety Officer...

Hello,

Advice here is needed. I have started working in the last 3/4 months for a small company. We do some minor mechanical and construction as part of the job, although this isn't my role. My role is as an admin to the Dept Manager.

The company director is known for haphazard behaviour and unpredictability. For example, he'd ask random questions (it seems) to catch you out/challenge you and mumble when you don't have an answer. (example; 'Where are the guys today' - which guys...? Sorry?) He often loses his head and doesn't know how to get the best out of people. He's also paranoid and doesn't trust anyone. (He assumes everyone either; isn't to be trusted/out to get him/a piece of sh1te). VERY toxic environment, he's always shouting at people and abusing staff, always giving out about pointless arguments with low level staff. (Cuts hours from a guy, guy obv isn't happy, descends into a row. Ludicrous. Can't be the bigger person ever, ALWAYS bothered by people's issues, however justified their issues may be) My colleagues are silent & despondant when he arrives in.

The point is, he's the kind of person to do the above and he's just announced in an email re: H&S to c. 8 people that I am the company's H&S officer. I was not made aware of this before, nor am I qualified for this role.

I didn't reply to this email. I don't wish to acknowledge this email or 'position' as I haven't agreed to take on this role. I HAVE agreed to help organise staff H&S training, but that's it - they get sent to training courses that I book.

I'm very wary of this as I'm worried I could be liable in some way, should there be an accident. There was already a bad accident here since I joined although this was outside my remit at that time. (Couldn't trust boss not to dump blame should same arise in future - anything possible with this person)

Advice would be appreciated on the following;

- Can I just be made responsible for this without my consent/agreement?
- Is the company's safety officer liable in any way for any accident that could present itself?
- Should I just take this as a red flag and move on to another role before I'm liable? (didn't want to take this responsibility on)


As above, this seems like a dealbreaker potentially for me, on top of the above.

Thanks for reading.

Yes, yes and yes.

If people have been informed that you are the H&S officer, then unless you do something significant about it, you would probably be considered as such in the event of any HSA investigation.

A H&S officer would be the first person looked at in the event of an accident. Have you got method statements in place for each activity. If not why not.

You could look at helping out your boss by considering what might be a better solution to the need for a H&S officer. Perhaps an outside firm of consultants could be used in that role.

Mechanical and construction work is dangerous, there will be more accidents.

My advice to you is this. Check out how many people had your job before you. How long they lasted. And what happened to the last H&S guy.

Thanks for your reply.

We're currently using a H&S Consultancy to have our Method Statements & Safety Statements done up. That said, they haven't mentioned whether or not they'll be the acting Safety Officer. I don't think that they will be.

I haven't agreed to this 'position' or to take on these responsibilities. Imagine an accident happened and I'm there in court like a hapless face with no clue about all this. No H&S qualification at all.

Am I being overly suspicious or am I being potentially scapegoated here?

It seems there wasn't a Health & Safety officer before me. The consultants mentioned 'personal liability', then since this email was sent stating I was H&S Officer alarm bells are going off in my head.

What were you hired to do?

cremeegg said:

Yes, yes and yes.

Click to expand...

So the company director can make anyone they want the H&S officer without their consent or agreement, they must comply and there's no recourse? Add to in the event of an accident, that H&S officer is liable?

Bronte said:

What were you hired to do?

Click to expand...

Dept Administrator.

vincentgav said:

Hello,

Advice here is needed. I have started working in the last 3/4 months for a small company. We do some minor mechanical and construction as part of the job, although this isn't my role. My role is as an admin to the Dept Manager.

The company director is known for haphazard behaviour and unpredictability. For example, he'd ask random questions (it seems) to catch you out/challenge you and mumble when you don't have an answer. (example; 'Where are the guys today' - which guys...? Sorry?) He often loses his head and doesn't know how to get the best out of people. He's also paranoid and doesn't trust anyone. (He assumes everyone either; isn't to be trusted/out to get him/a piece of sh1te). VERY toxic environment, he's always shouting at people and abusing staff, always giving out about pointless arguments with low level staff. (Can't be the bigger person ever, ALWAYS bothered by people's issues, however justified) My colleagues are silent & despondant when he arrives in.

The point is, he's the kind of person to do the above and he's just announced in an email re: H&S to c. 8 people that I am the company's H&S officer. I was not made aware of this before, nor am I qualified for this role.

I didn't reply to this email. I don't wish to acknowledge this email or 'position' as I haven't agreed to take on this role. I HAVE agreed to help organise staff H&S training, but that's it - they get sent to training courses that I book.

I'm very wary of this as I'm worried I could be liable in some way, should there be an accident. There was already a bad accident here since I joined although this was outside my remit at that time. (Couldn't trust boss not to dump blame should same arise in future - anything possible with this person)

Advice would be appreciated on the following;

- Can I just be made responsible for this without my consent/agreement?
- Is the company's safety officer liable in any way for any accident that could present itself?
- Should I just take this as a red flag and move on to another role before I'm liable? (didn't want to take this responsibility on)


As above, this seems like a dealbreaker potentially for me, on top of the above.

Thanks for reading.

Click to expand...

There are loads of vacancies in the Construction Industry at the moment. If this place has a toxic atmosphere, then look elsewhere. Life is too short to work for idiots like this guy.
New Year, New Start.

Expanding your role and taking on more responsibility = increase salary ?

aristotle said:

Expanding your role and taking on more responsibility = increase salary ?

Click to expand...

I wish that was the case, but it's not. First it was getting the men safety trained, which I agreed to, obviously. I was told;

'You're driving this' (Safety Training) - No real issue here.

It was the email sent around stating that I was the Safety Officer. Just saw it Friday evening, said nothing, went home.

It's not something I agreed to. I think it's him pawning off the responsibility/liability on to me. But seriously, imagine me under cross-examination. 'Dunno what CSCS means..'

Is this something that I can say I don't wish to do? Obv only there a few months, don't want my 'attitude' to be questioned.

Thank you all for your replies, it's appeciated.

Or maybe ask to be put on a H&S course, get certified/qualified, and put it on your CV?

If he says no to the course - get it in writing/email (and put out your cv).

You, along with the director(s) are criminally liable in the event of an accident.

If you don’t want to do the job or don’t feel you are able to do it then don’t do it.


Read through your safety Statement/Safety manual. Have all risks been identified? Have all risks been assessed? Do you have an anti-bullying statement and all the other things that are legally required? In short is this just a fig leaf to look to comply with legislation or is it a serious attempt at creating and sustaining a safety culture within the workplace?


Spend some time on the HSA website. Read what’s required but concentrate on the section on the Safety, Health and Welfare at work Act.

IBEC run courses for newly appointed Safety Officers. Do that or another course.


If you get any push-back from your boss then don’t take the job.
Unless you get a pay rise then don’t take the job.

It’s not about the money, it’s about the value your boss puts on the role. If he won’t pay for it then it has no value in his eyes and you are just a human shield in case of an accident.


Do it properly or don’t do it at all. If it doubt then opt for the latter.

Remember that if you are effectively complicit in maintaining bogus safety procedures then you are also complicit in putting lives at risk and could, rightly, be held to account for that.

The bottom line is that you already know the answer to the questions you've posted here.
The advice given above is good; leave and get a job elsewhere if you can.

Purple said:

You, along with the director(s) are criminally liable in the event of an accident.

If you don’t want to do the job or don’t feel you are able to do it then don’t do it.


Read through your safety Statement/Safety manual. Have all risks been identified? Have all risks been assessed? Do you have an anti-bullying statement and all the other things that are legally required? In short is this just a fig leaf to look to comply with legislation or is it a serious attempt at creating and sustaining a safety culture within the workplace?


Spend some time on the HSA website. Read what’s required but concentrate on the section on the Safety, Health and Welfare at work Act.

IBEC run courses for newly appointed Safety Officers. Do that or another course.


If you get any push-back from your boss then don’t take the job.
Unless you get a pay rise then don’t take the job.

It’s not about the money, it’s about the value your boss puts on the role. If he won’t pay for it then it has no value in his eyes and you are just a human shield in case of an accident.


Do it properly or don’t do it at all. If it doubt then opt for the latter.

Remember that if you are effectively complicit in maintaining bogus safety procedures then you are also complicit in putting lives at risk and could, rightly, be held to account for that.

The bottom line is that you already know the answer to the questions you've posted here.
The advice given above is good; leave and get a job elsewhere if you can.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's true. I guess it's just something I thought in my head I could try evade or avert. But this guy won't take kindly to me asking for another €10k on salary for this or for me refusing to do it. He's the kind of person that would (obviously) rip his staff off. That's how I see this situation. Opportunistic, but that's what I'm dealing with here.

My options really are;

A.) Reject H&S position and realise that I'll have to find another job as the relationship there, such as it is, will be ruined. He won't take it well. Not a great option.

B.) Ask for substantially more cash to do the role, ask for proper training and embrace it. That's pretty daunting to me, but option A isn't really an option. It's just walking away.

Leaving aside the fact I'm personally offended that he thinks I'm so thick (as stated in first post) as to not cop what he was doing. Trying to get more for less. That should be telling regarding your question about a fig leaf or a genuine attempt at creating a H&S scheme. I think that leaf may be a bit too small for me, harr harr,

Thanks again for the answer, all of you, I appreciate your taking the time for a stranger.

You don't need €10k extra. Look for 4 and settle for 2. As I said, it#'s not about the money.
Do insist on the training. Tell him that he is asking you to be jointly criminally liable with him for accidents in the company. Ask him if he'd do it in your position. You won't get an answer, just verbally attacked. Ignore it, it's just wind. After the bluster and shouting give him time to think about it and then ask him again. You might get an answer then.

Purple said:

You don't need €10k extra. Look for 4 and settle for 2. As I said, it#'s not about the money.
Do insist on the training. Tell him that he is asking you to be jointly criminally liable with him for accidents in the company. Ask him if he'd do it in your position. You won't get an answer, just verbally attacked. Ignore it, it's just wind. After the bluster and shouting give him time to think about it and then ask him again. You might get an answer then.

Click to expand...

Not sure about that figure. This is a lot of work and not the course of professional work that I intended upon, I'd want an increase to get on board with it.

Xmas is coming, we'll see how he handles the next few weeks in the run up. It's all the other workplace related details that factor in for me here too.

Is there any real legal difference between 'Safety Officer' and 'Safety Co-Ordinator'?

Are they one & the same in the eyes of the law?

vincentgav said:

Is there any real legal difference between 'Safety Officer' and 'Safety Co-Ordinator'?

Are they one & the same in the eyes of the law?

Click to expand...

Read [broken link removed] from arthurcox.com.

vincentgav said:

Dept Administrator.

Click to expand...

Is this a secretarial type role. Could you tell us what kind of work you were hired to do. And what would be expected of you as H&S officer. And in other companies what the H&S role implies, for example does it carry responsiblities, a highter salary, better qualifications, specific qualifications in H&S.

Bronte said:

Is this a secretarial type role. Could you tell us what kind of work you were hired to do. And what would be expected of you as H&S officer.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't like to be the in a situation where the HSA and Gardai were deciding whether I had a secretarial type role or was effectively in charge of Health and Safety with a view to whether I should face criminal charges or not.