Responsibilities of safety officer

The responsibilities of safety officer are the protection of the environment, property and people. He monitors and controls the sites to which he is assigned. In the event of an accident, he helps the emergency rescue team in rescue operations. The responsibilities of safety officer are not only to observe unsafe acts and conditions but also to minor irregularities that should be reported to higher management. More than 50 workers in ILO require a safety officer.

The responsibilities of safety officer are to monitor the site either from a fixed area or by making a round of the work location for which he is responsible. Alone or in a team, he remains visible most of the time and is often required to walk around the workplace to be monitored. A visible safety presence goes a long way in providing peace of mind for the safety manager or supervisor. Just having a safety officer visible can deter unsafe and unsafe conditions.

Of course, it is not enough to have  The responsibilities of safety officer only visible on site but also tasked with walking around the workplace to check for anything wrong. Safety officers should use all of their senses and stay focused throughout their shifts. Safety has a responsibility to respond quickly and appropriately to any unusual situations. In some cases, this may require calling the fire department or emergency rescue team.

As part of our advice regarding The responsibilities of safety officer, support companies in all aspects of occupational health and safety, especially in the development of occupational health and safety management systems within the organization.

LMRA

Key responsibilities of a safety officer

During the execution of the construction work, The responsibilities of safety officer ensure on behalf of the client that the work of the contractor is implemented by the results of the planning related to safety and that the companies involved in the construction follow the basic requirements of safety. 

The key responsibilities of a safety officer are:

Remember the acronym: MORA

1. M: Monitoring 
2. O: Observing 
3. R: Reporting 
4. A: Advising 

Each construction or maintenance site must prioritize the safety of workers, equipment and plant. Safety is indeed an issue that concerns everyone, there must always be a safety officer who takes the responsibilities of occupational health and safety. The responsibilities of safety officer must carry out the actions and meet the respective requirements, first, the work is safe and second, the workers work safely.

Monitoring

• Monitoring the proper barricade, signage, clear access, adequate lighting, proper ventilation, 100% tie-off, roping and bunting, cable management, environmental facilities and welfare. 
• Inspection of all checklists, log books, colour coding, PPE, Housekeeping, Hand tools, power tools etc.
• The responsibilities of safety officer are to be aware of potential hazards earlier in the planning process to prevent accidents.
• Inspect workplaces/site conditions to establish procedures and policies to overcome hazardous situations. Also, look for damaged equipment, faulty tools, and other potential hazards.
• Ensure that all workplaces are safe and free from hazards for the safety and health of workers. 
• All created openings should be indicated that may pose a danger to workers. These openings should be marked most appropriately.
• All workplaces should provide for and, where necessary adequate and safe means of access and exit must be indicated, maintained in good condition conforming to safety requirements.
• An adequate program should always be drawn up and applied to each construction site order and cleanliness, which contains provisions for Proper storage of materials and equipment. The disposal of waste and debris at appropriate intervals. Loose materials should not be deposited or allowed to accumulate in the workplace and unnecessary items that may obstruct the means of access and exit from workplaces and passing places.
• When a place of work or passage is slippery due to ice, snow, oil or other causes, it should be cleaned or sand should be spread on it.

 Observing (write an observation if found deficiency)

• Personal protective equipment (helmets, gloves, glasses, etc.)
• Protection of electrical panels.
• Adequate signage and barricade systems.
• Adequate and clear access.
• Fire extinguishers.
• Prevention measures against falling people and objects.
• Housekeeping in the work area.
• Organized storage of materials.
• Adequate conditions of temperature, lighting and ventilation.
• Potable water.
• Adequate management of waste disposal.
• Third-party certification for a rigger, scaffold, forklift/crane operator etc.
• Training (confine space entry, work at height, use of respirator etc.)

 Reporting

• Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions
• Incidents (near miss or accident)
• Fire, gas release, vehicle collision
• Unsafe behaviour
• Taking short cut
• Damage cable, equipment and tools
• Daily, weekly and monthly safety reports to the management.

Advising

• In addition to the position of safety and health officer, advise on contaminated areas. Contaminated soil, water, and air, contaminated with hazardous substances or biological agents should be harmless to health.
• Ensures that workers receive the appropriate PPE and advise how to use it and when to use it. 
• Inspections and maintenance of equipment, machinery, audits, training, inductions and toolbox talks. 
• Advice appropriate precautions should be taken to protect people against the fall of materials and tools or machinery when it is hoisted or dismounted.
• Advice for shoring, guys, shrouds, bracing, or supports, or taking other effective precautions to prevent any risk of collapsing while carrying out construction, repair, dismantling or demolition work.

Work permit

Duty of safety and health officer

• A construction safety officer may take on additional roles and responsibilities, but his or her primary job is to create a safe work environment on construction sites with sufficient measures based on the following:
• Develop, implement and enforce appropriate measures to minimize the chances of risks. Likewise, safety managers are responsible for periodically training employees with the latest standards of occupational health and safety policies.
• The responsibilities of safety officer are to reduce or eliminate the possible factors of the work accident. But if an accident does occur, investigate to identify the root causes, what procedures may have failed, and gather the evidence needed to define the cause of the accident. 
• After completing the investigation, document a report based on the results to recommend implementing appropriate precautions to prevent such incidents in the future. 
• The person in charge of safety has several specific tasks, such as carrying out the Occupational Health and Safety Management System that all works must have by law because construction is a very high-risk activity.
• In addition to these tasks, the person in charge of safety must be a person in the field, not in the office, who is always supervising that everyone is working in a safe work environment, using personal protection equipment and that collective protections are well maintained and in good working order.
• The Health and Safety plan is implemented in the field, together with training in the correct use of tools and materials, as well as other safe work procedures.

My personal suggestion to the safety officer

1. Firstly, review the permit and its attachment such as a formal JSA or Risk Assessment
2. Secondly, inspect the PPE, tools, welfare facilities and equipment.
3. Thirdly, inspect the lighting, ventilation, clear access, barricade and signage.
4. Further, check the checklist, colour coding, and cable and hose management.
5. Next, write a minimum of five observations, which you have to find during the above inspection and checking.
6. Report to the supervisor to rectify that observation.
7. Then visible at the site and monitor the unsafe acts, conditions and behaviour.
8. Make sure all workers including supervisors know the hazards and precautions mentioned in the JSA or RA.
9. Make sure the compliance with the Permit.
10. Make sure the safe confined space entry procedures are followed, such as training, lighting, ventilation plan, rescue plan, and lockout tag-out.
11. Make sure all scaffolders have third-party certificates and 100% tie-off during work at height.
12. Make sure the hot work area is fully covered with a fire blanket and a fire watch assigned with a fire extinguisher.
13. Make sure the last test is performed before entry into confined space, hot work and vehicle entry into the process area.
14. Make sure the workers are aware of the emergency procedures and they know the location of the manual call point, evacuation route, assembly area, emergency shower and eye wash station.
15. Make sure the SDS is available during the handling or storage of chemicals.
16. Make sure the emergency contact number is posted at the work location.
17. Make sure the excavation areas or created openings are provided with hard barricades, warning lights and signages.
18. Make sure the scaffolding platforms are inspected before use and hold valid inspection tags.

Conclusion

• Coordinate with client’s safety personnel to create a safe and conducive environment on-site
• Conducting weekly toolbox talks.
• Maintain high levels of site safety awareness through the delivery of effective education and training programs.
• Implementing Risk assessment/job safety analysis and permit-to-work system
• Check the safe work plan before starting the work.
• Inspection of lifting and checking scaffoldings.
• Maintaining all required documents.
• Participate in weekly walk-throughs with clients.
• To manage and carry out all the work associated with the construction/maintenance/shutdown project unit and its completion with ZERO target recordable injuries or lost workday cases.
• Make sure the LMRA conducted

Heath and safety topics

1. Incident investigation method
2. Health and safety training
3. Health and safety audit