The Vital Role of the HR Professional in Occupational Safety and Health

Context

Health and Safety legislation in Ireland obliges employers to do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the safety, welfare and health of their employees or anyone under their control. This can include contractors, visitors, members of the public or any other individuals that can be affected by the workplace. The concept of “a workplace” has also changed with a significant proportion of the workforce now regularly working from home or from shared workspaces.

As part of their role in managing people, Human Resource (HR) professionals should provide leadership and direction for ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for all stakeholders, in all work locations. Indeed, in many organisations, HR professionals take the principal lead in managing Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). This is particularly the case in small to medium companies with a perceived lower risk profile. In most cases, there may not be a separate resource co-ordinating OSH related activities and the responsibilities are spread amongst several key functions typically Facilities, Security and Operations.

During the pandemic, Ibec identified that the HR function often took a lead role in managing OSH issues ranging from fitness to attend the workplace to risk assessing a remote work office. The post -pandemic work environment is a unique opportunity to review, develop and further enhance the role of HR in terms of their contribution to OSH activities.

It should also be noted that the role of HR is already changing with the mainstream acceptance of ESG factors in organisations. HR will take a lead role on the social component of ESG which will necessitate having a comprehensive understanding of OSH. To be an effective ESG leader in their organisation, HR professionals should develop their skills and knowledge in OSH and have a full understanding of the scope of this role.

OSH/HR Crossover

The range of activities that are typically related to OSH requirements varies considerably depending on the type of organisation, the organisational & safety culture, resources available, experience of stakeholders and many other factors. The following is a summary of the type of OSH activities where HR may make a significant contribution to, or have ownership of:

• Co-ordination of and screening pre-employment medicals as part of the management of the recruitment and onboarding process
• Management of the Occupational Health service for the purposes of fitness to work assessments, health surveillance, absenteeism and case management
• Risk assessment of pregnant employees including follow-up on health and safety leave arrangements
• Oversight of eye screening assessments and responsibility for ensuring visual display unit risk assessments in the workplace are undertaken and closed out- ranging from hot desking arrangements to the assessment of the remote working environment
• Liaising with line managers to ensure that sensitive groups such as young workers, older workers and workers with disabilities are regularly assessed to ensure that their work activities are safe, and that accommodations are in place and fit for purpose
• Engagement with the Health and Safety Authority regarding Accident and Incident reporting and inspections
• Management of the Dignity at Work Programmes to prevent Workplace Bullying and Harassment
• Leadership of Employee Wellness and Mental Health Programmes
• Communication with company insurance company and legal advisors regarding claims and grievances related to workplace incidents and injuries
• Creation, implementation & review of OSH related policies such as the Company Safety Statement, Misuse of Intoxicants, Driver Safety, Shift Work etc
• Co-ordination of safety consultation arrangements and acting as the liaison between safety representatives, management, employees and representation on the Safety Committee

The Significance of Competency

The fact remains that even in a low risk setting OSH is heavily regulated, sometimes complex, and time consuming to manage effectively. HR professionals should be aware that competency to manage this area is set out in the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. (“The Act”)

The Act requires the employer to “…obtain, where necessary, the services of a competent person (whether under a contract of employment or otherwise) for the purpose of ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees”. It further defines competency “for the purposes of the relevant statutory provisions” in which a person is deemed to be competent where having regard to the task to be performed and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of them) of the undertaking or establishment for which they work, they should possess sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work.

While it is very clear, many HR professionals are not short of experience and knowledge of the company that they are working in, they do need to ensure that they have been trained and have sufficient knowledge to manage OSH and to develop their ESG Strategies.

HR professionals should have a very clear understanding of when to seek external competent advice which may range from specialised advice from specific disciplines including Occupational Health, Occupational Hygiene, Ergonomics, Occupational Psychology, Engineering, and legal advice. A lack of competent advice on a specialised subject may expose their employees & other stakeholders to significant risk. They should also be aware that the company, and the HR professional themselves, may be liable under the Act for failing to meet their legal obligations with regard to safety and health in the workplace.

In summary, effective HR professionals are leaders and advocates for OSH to ensure a safe and healthy place of work. Acquiring the relevant OSH skills and knowledge is key to this effectiveness and will be a core element of the organisations ESG Strategy.

Course Details here:

Ibec Academy are running a one-day virtual course as an introduction to OSH for HR professionals on 23^rd March 2023. It is an opportunity to upskill, reskill, and learn from other HR professionals who are actively managing OSH in their organisation.

Further details are available here.

For those HR professionals who require additional training or would like to formalise their knowledge, the accredited OSH Certificate and Diploma courses are recommended.

Further details are available here.