Safety Officer Course: Requirements

Did you know that doing a safety officer course will come in handy in so many different aspects of life? Compliance with health and safety is an incredibly important aspect of not only personal success but also of the success of many businesses. Companies are expected to be safe and health compliant and to be able to produce physical proof of safety and health systems and committees, along with documentation, risk assessments, training and appointments. A health and safety officer, who has completed a safety officer course, is a must-have for almost every company.

According to the official health and safety act, the employer is responsible for providing a safe and healthy working environment for all of their employees, as well as for the individuals who step into this working environment – for example; visitors, clients, and any other third parties. No one wants to have their health and safety compromised. To ensure that this does not occur, it is recommended that individuals in these establishments complete at least one health and safety officer course.

If you would like more information concerning a safety officer course, keep reading to learn a little more!

How Does The Employer Control Safety And Health Risks?

The CEO of the organisation is responsible for appointing a competent individual to control, manage, and improve the safety and health management programme on their behalf. This should be an individual who has completed at least one safety officer course. This individual is usually referred to as the company’s health and safety officer.

What Are The Requirements You Need To Work As A Safety Officer?

If you want to be a safety officer, there are a few requirements you need to fulfil, alongside completing a safety officer course. You will need to have, if not all but some of the following characteristics:

• Have excellent communication and administrative skills.
  
  
• Be reliable and trustworthy.
  
  
• Be available at all times and respond timeously.
  
  
• Display a genuine concern for other people’s safety and health.
  
  
• Have confidence and address any individual or manager who is negligent or has not complied with all the safety standards that have been set out.
  
  
• Take ownership of their obligations and responsibilities as the designated safety officer, who has completed their safety officer course.
  
  
• Be a natural problem solver and have the ability to think outside the box.

Requirements For A Safety Officer Course

After the employer has identified and chosen the right individual to become the safety officer for the organisation, this person will be required to begin their health and safety professional certification so that they can become an official safety officer. Typically, a safety officer course has a minimum duration of roughly 10 days. Technically, there are no formal requirements for someone to become a safety officer, besides doing a safety officer course.

Qualified In The Industry

Once the chosen individual has completed their safety officer course, they will be seen as the junior safety officer and will still need to acquire the relevant experience and knowledge so that they can eventually become a senior safety officer.

Considering the vast field of safety officer jobs, the person may choose to become a construction safety officer, or even a safety officer in corporate, production, or manufacturing. It is recommended and probably the best decision for this person to register with the relevant safety and health governing body for whichever industry they choose to go into. If you choose to go into the construction industry, as a safety officer, you will be required to register with the SACPMP, as for the production, administrative, and manufacturing environment you will have to register with SAIOSH.

Within both of these governing bodies, there are numerous levels under which you can register. The level at which you will register is determined by the governing body, so you do not need to worry too much about this. The level you are registered under depends on the level of experience and qualification you have, so getting a safety officer course is also important if you want to be placed at a good level.

The salary of a safety officer is also dependent on which industry they will be working in as well as on the amount of experience as a qualified safety officer (after having completed a safety officer course).

The Responsibilities Of A Safety Officer

As an appointed and qualified health and safety officer, you will often be expected to handle the following duties:

• Contentiously improve, monitor and update the safety and health system.
  
  
• Establishing the organisation’s safety and health management programme or system.
  
  
• Thoroughly communicating all the safety and health-related information to all levels within the organisation.
  
  
• Be able to take full responsibility for the implementation and management of the organisation’s health and safety under the guidance of the CEO or the board of directors.

Intangible Traits And Characteristics That Make An Excellent Health And Safety Officer

Your safety officer, who has completed a safety officer course, needs to be a self-sacrificing individual rather than a self-serving or self-centred individual. There is a massive responsibility that accompanies this job title and can be the main difference between the life and death of the employees. The following is a list of intangible traits and characteristics that make an excellent health and safety officer:

• Willing to Learn
  
  
• Be trustworthy
  
  
• Have evident leadership skills
  
  
• Have good communication skills

About EMCARE

EMCARE is a popular and trusted safety and health training company established and located in South Africa. EMCARE has been providing this service to thousands of individuals over the years. You can find our establishments scattered all around the country. We believe that it is incredibly important to equip all of our students with the best training possible to ensure that they excel in their industries. If you are interested in completing a safety officer course visit your nearest EMCARE today!